Samba access from Android device stopped working

waddles said:

Hi There,

I had this problem (and bro's posts did not help at all), but I discovered you can login using ES File Explorer without much issue, only that your username is not what you would expect.

Instead of using the full e-mail address of your Microsoft account, just use the first five characters. I'm not sure if that's how it generates the username, but you can check what it exactly is by typing 'whoami' in command prompt, and your username will appear after the slash for the domain.

Your solution to the problem with logging into windows SMB shares from android by using first 5 characters of full account username saved my life. Thank you. I was going insane.

I just registered to provide my two cents, because Bro's posts have made this entire thread nearly unbearable to read.

I think the issue is that Windows disabled SMBv1, and ES apparently doesn't properly implement SMBv2 or CIFS. Options include:

1. Remove the SECURITY update that disabled SMBv1. Horrible idea (see why below)
2. Re-enable SMBv1 on Windows using the power shell (link in a previous post, maybe on page 4? it linked to https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...windows-server for info on the commands). Also a horrible idea (see why below)
3. Disable password-protected shares. I don't know how bad an idea this is. I only use SMB at home, but I imagine if you use your laptop at work, you could accidentally now allow anyone else at work access to your SMB shares. So at least for me, I'm not willing to do this.
4. Wait till ES updates.
5. Find a better app.

#1 & #2 are, in my humble opinion, an utterly awful way to fix this. There is a reason v1 was disabled (wannacry anyone?). Re-enabling it just re-opens your ability to get compromised by the EternalBlue exploit.

I think #4 is useless. I'm still using an old version of ES that I pulled from an old android phone because the new ES is a PITA with its popups. I'm using version 4.0.4.2. No random popups.

I don't know if there are any non-root based options for #5. Anyone else know?

Now I don't know for sure if this is the reason for some of the posters' problems, because I haven't installed win10 updates in a while (long story, related to stupid DRM videos that I won't be able to play after updating). But I manually disabled SMBv1 after hearing about wannacry and shortly later, I noticed the same issue as the OP. I just tested, by re-enabling SMBv1 on win10, and it fixed my "Error, cannot find the server" issue. When I disable SMBv1, the error comes back.

I think the moral of this story, though, is that just because a solution works for you, that doesn't mean it is infallible. So quit acting like a jerk when someone says your method doesn't work...

RogueBot said:

If all else fails try changing the registry value for the following file to "1"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters\SMB1

This worked for me on Windows 10 Version 1703 and ES File Explorer Pro.

Thanks man...worked for me too,

I have this problem with ES and Win 10 Enterprise, turning off password protected sharing didn't help (and is dangerous, as stated) and there's no SMB1 folder in my registry, there is ...LanmanServer\Parameters\ though.

Moreover, I also have this problem:
Sharing via Workgroup suddenly stopped working; semaphore timeout - Windows 10 Forums
I can't access shared folders on other PCs within Workgroup - and other PCs can't access this one. Since Monday 18th.

My problem is fixed: it was only that MS disabled SMB1. I just switched it back on by Via Control Panel > Programs & Features > Turn Windows features on or off > In list of options, there is SMB 1.0.

EStrongs 4.0.4.7 works fine again - I use this old version because newer ones are crap and full of ads. My PC Workgroup does too.

I know SMB1 is insecure and so on and so on.

Is there any downside in enabling smb1? I installed windows today and nothing worked before I enabled it. Did microsoft turn this off recently in one of their updates?

SG2010 said:

I registered just to share my solution.

My problem actually similar but a little bit different to the original one.

I was using Windows 7 server + Ez File Explorer on multiple Android devices.

Then I updated to Windows 10, some of my folder stop sharing. After a couple tests, I found that all the shares I created with external HD stop working, but the ones that I shares through internal HD still works. (As I used local accounts).

After I found this thread, and go through every single reply, I found one of the reply suggested to use Solid Explorer. That does not work for me as well but it gives me an error (0xC0000205). So I googled the error code, and I found this post:
smb - Hudson Windows service slave launch causes SmbException - Stack Overflow

In there it talks about changing the IRPStackSize (https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/285089)

So follow the link and add the new IRPStackSize DWORD in
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters

and set the value to 50 works for me. Hope this helps other people.

I have met the exactly the same situation as you did, and it seems quite rare cause not too much information out there to solve this.

Thanks god and google, I found you, with full information provided here.

I just registered to confirm your great solution. and say thank you !!! if you still can receive my gratitude.

I hesitated to grave dig this thread, but I thought it sufficiently relevant.

I have a Fire TV 4K, and occasionally I need to get files across to it from my laptop. Now I know the easiest option is just to use either the SD or USB slots on the back of the FTV, but I wanted to fix the wifi method. So, from the wise solutions in this thread by the users concerned, I thank you, and provide my solution below, incase it helps anyone.

I found by a process of elimination, and several reboots, that, in my case anyway, I needed to apply two separate fixes (both found in this thread, thanks to those concerned) in order to solve the problem.

1) Open Control Panel, select Programs and Features, then Windows Features from the left hand side. Scroll down to SMB 1.0 support, tick it. It suggests reboot, so do that.
I thought this would sort the issue, but it did not. So I had to continue to the second fix:
2) Open Registry Editor. Navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters
Add a new DWORD, called IRPStackSize , and set the value to 50 (hexadecimal).

Done. This fixed it for me. Hope it helps!