My network hates me. Always has.

Nothing has been more frustrating in my life than Windows networks. Win 7 and then with Win 10 (Pro-64).

Four computers in the house, but I mainly use two for file transfer. Most of the time all of them can see the others. NEVER can all of them access all shared folders without some of them asking for a password. None of the computers are set up for using passwords, even logons.

For example: From my main computer, I can see and connect to the second computer and I can open individually shared folders on the 'C' drive but I can't just open the root directory without it asking for a password, which has the exact same share settings as the individual folders. So I decide to share all of the folders I want access to. I set all with the exact same share settings. But... sure enough, now some of those ask for a password! The 'D' drive on that computer has the same settings and I can see and open all folders including the root directory. I assume if I set the root to share, I would have access to all folders on that drive.

More frustrating is the second computer can open the first computers 'C' drive root folder (without it asking for a password), and open all of the individual folders. (same settings) AARGH!

I've spent hundreds of hours (over years) fighting this and it's happened with new installs too. What gives??

Anyone here have similar problems and how did you fix it?

Thanks for reading this.

edit: I should add there are no credentials setup for this.

None of the computers are set up for using passwords, even logons.

- depends how you configured these.

If you truly installed Win 10 with a passwordless local account, that's one thing.
If you have simply set them to log in to an account automatically on booting, that's another.
So I don't know the reality of what passwordless is here.

Plus what is shared depends on how you have configured the sharing permissions.

Example: I have 2 PCs. both use the same MS account. Networking works between those without me being prompted for a password.

On the other hand, I fully agree networking is flimsy, cumbersome to configure and error prone- I struggled with it when first configuring it, and it broke after upgrading one PC and remained so for quite some time until both were at a similar build level gain.

Permissions are not the same as sharing choices made when setting folders to be shared [step 6 in my link below].

Sharing the root folder of the OS drive is always liable to create problems. MS never tell us if they alter any of the undocumented restrictions they impose on the root folder.

My own network setup procedure has never failed me.
- It assumes a password has been set for the user account authorising the connection [step 4 in my link below].
- I have no network fault diagnosis skills. I have never had to deal with any network faults.
A consolidated network setup checklist [post #4] - TenForums



Best of luck,
Denis

The 'D' drive on that computer has the same settings and I can see and open all folders including the root directory.

Presumably nothing on that has been allocated to a library, nor is it subject to any Windows-based permissions restrictions (e.g. Trusted Installer, admin or user library).

Therein lies a clue.

I'd suggest you stick to sharing a very few folders, and not try to share folders part of the O/S.

Sharing c is crazy it gives access to hackers and malware by default its shared as a hidden admin share with a $ ir c$ which you need to give a password and username sharing it again will give all sorts of problems. If you canr see a pc it should be able to connect via its IP

as i don't use win10 i do not know all defaults.
as for password popping up even if the computer is installed without password indicate the share has been shared as local user and not as guest/all.. so then it is username and password blank.

as i dont know how you have done the shares i can not say more that this.. and win10 has inactivated SMB1 i dont know how it effects windows networking.
But check if C or folders you have shared is set as permission, User.. or All.. if you right click on the folder/drive, then properties, then tab sharing, then advanced sharing and permissions.
I also have an vague memory that i read something that win10 has restricted for "All" sharing, so to make that work you might have to right click on the folder, then properties, then tab security. and there you need to click Edit and add user "All" and then give the user All permission to read/write to that folder.

but as i say i dont use win10 yet. I know win7 and Linux Samba share dont play nice, so you have to tell windows that All need access.

I will agree with @Samuria it is not good to share the whole system drive on any system(Mac, Linux, Unix etc) and even worse on a windows machine as 80% of all malware/viruses is written just for targeting windows systems. ... so it is better to share those folders on C you want access to over the Lan.

Marie SWE said:

as i don't use win10 i do not know all defaults.
as for password popping up even if the computer is installed without password indicate the share has been shared as local user and not as guest/all.. so then it is username and password blank.
as i dont know how you have done the shares i can not say more that this.. and win10 has inactivated SMB1 i dont know how it effects windows networking.
But check if C or folders you have shared is set as permission, User.. or All.. if you right click on the folder/drive, then properties, then tab sharing, then advanced sharing and permissions.
I also have an vague memory that i read something that win10 has restricted for "All" sharing, so to make that work you might have to right click on the folder, then properties, then tab security. and there you need to click Edit and add user "All" and then give the user All permission to read/write to that folder.
but as i say i dont use win10 yet. I know win7 and Linux Samba share dont play nice, so you have to tell windows that All need access.

I will agree with @Samuria it is not good to share the whole system drive on any system(Mac, Linux, Unix etc) and even worse on a windows machine as 80% of all malware/viruses is written just for targeting windows systems. ... so it is better to share those folders on C you want access to over the Lan.

"shared as local user", "is set as permission, User.. or All" - Windows networking does not use such terms.
"win10 has inactivated SMB1" - SMB1 is only required if a network device runs a non-Windows OS or a pre-Vista Windows OS.

Denis

SMB1 i dont know how it effects windows networking.

When SMB1 protocol is enabled a new service runs - the computer browser service.

The impact is that it can take more than 20 minutes for a device new to the network to be recognised.
It's also seen as a security risk.

Try3 said:

"shared as local user", "is set as permission, User.. or All" - Windows networking does not use such terms.
"win10 has inactivated SMB1" - SMB1 is only required if a network device runs a non-Windows OS or a pre-Vista Windows OS.

Denis

So windows shares does not use terms as set permission User or All.... Strange, i have newly installed a win10VM and i just looked to confirm and it does.

This install is in swedish, but fast translation
Alla= All (EDIT 30minutes later.. it should be Everyone.. not All... miss in translation) Thanks @Try3
Testar=Testing (user account for the test VM)
Välj personer att dela med = Choose people to share with
Behörigheter = Permissions
Dela = Share
Avancerad Delning = Advanced sharing
Egenskaper för testing = Property for testing (the shared folder testings property's)
fullständig behörighet = Full authority
Resursbehörigheter = Resource permissions (what people that has access to the share)

So i have shared the folder Testing on the desktop and i have set All as share so everyone has full read/write access.
.