Windows 10 losing access to Samba directories

[vrapp]

One my Windows 10 desktop computer, I'm experiencing a problem with accessing USB drive connected to the router by Samba protocol. Here's what happens: I browse directories and files on the drive as expected. But if I open a file from there, Windows is losing connection to the directories, and any further attempt to enter a directory results in error code 0x80070035, "The network path was not found". The directories now appear in Windows with a cross, probably indicating a problem:

Note that one of the directories, "Quicken", does not have the cross - indeed, this one directory never experiences this problem, so I can always enter it when other directories are inaccessible.

After some time, some recovery takes place*, and those directories become accessible again, until I open another file. Sometimes it takes not one but 2-3 openings to cause this. There are no messages from Samba in router log at that time.

My another Windows 10 computer, a laptop, does not experience this problem - on the same drive, I can open as many files as I wish, everything stays available. These two computers have the same build of Windows, the only difference is that the one with the problem is connected to the router by Ethernet, while the 2nd one connects wirelessly.

I tried all combinations of the router support of SMB1 - SMB1+2 - SMB2 only, plus Windows supporting or not SMB1 - no difference at all.

If anybody has an insight into what to look into, it would be greatly appreciated. One one hand, it looks like Windows problem because two computers behave differently; on another, one directory stays totally "exempt" from this problem, so it looks like the router also has some play in it.

*) When I noticed this first, about half a year ago, the recovery was taking couple of minutes. Now, as I can see, it's taking much longer.

 

[skeal]

Try "force as master browser" in samba settings on your router. It may help.

 

[vrapp]

It's the way it's always been.

 

[joe scian]

What I would do is create three new directories - copy contents to new directories - and delete directories where problem exists.
see if that works. Make sure that the directories have full right of access.

 

[FreshJR]

Are you accessing via

\\DeviceName\\directory

or

\\DeviceIP\\directory.

--

DeviceName is being discontinued in recent windows updates.

 

[vrapp]

For the record - after having spent couple more hours, the issue was completely fixed by updating network card driver from the one that comes with Windows, to the one downloaded from Intel. The card is Intel(R) Ethernet Connection I217-V, Intel's driver 20.4.207.0

To FreshJR - using \\devicename. What you say is pretty bizarre - \\devicename had been in place for decades. Can you point to the source of this information? Microsoft Networking will no longer be using DNS?

 

[FreshJR]

To FreshJR - using \\devicename. What you say is pretty bizarre - \\devicename had been in place for decades. Can you point to the source of this information? Microsoft Networking will no longer be using DNS?

Don't shoot the messenger.

After Windows 10 (version 1709) I found that "Network Browser" (aka DNS resolution) stopped working unless I enabled SMBv1 or evidently changed a group policy security setting.

I left my settings as default since I access my NAS by IP instead.

I didn't investigate the cause of this in depth, but here's a thread about the issue that showed up as the first result on google.

https://social.technet.microsoft.co...ter-update-to-1709?forum=win10itpronetworking

 

[kfp]

After Windows 10 (version 1709) I found that "Network Browser" (aka DNS resolution) stopped working

Master Browser*, and it doesn’t break DNS resolution per se, instead of just the hostname you have to use the FQDN.

eg. local domain on router is set to .local, SMB share is on host called ‘nas’ and has a share named ‘tank’, you would connect to //nas.local/tank

 

[FreshJR]

Master Browser*, and it doesn’t break DNS resolution per se, instead of just the hostname you have to use the FQDN.

eg. local domain on router is set to .local, SMB share is on host called ‘nas’ and has a share named ‘tank’, you would connect to //nas.local/tank

As an example:

My NAS has a name called cloud
Its workgroup is called WORKGROUP
Its share is called Public (guest/no password access is allowed)

It should now be accessible by:

//cloud.WORKGROUP/Public

——
Side questions.

1) is this case sensitive

2) if I dont define “.WORKGROUP will windows attempt current workgroup during the device resolution process before throwing an error?

Currently it seems like non-IP access is broke on my setup as I always get an error after a recent windows update.

//192.168.2.XXX/ works flawlessly

While

//cloud/ does not anymore

—

Before the update both worked.

This is just my personal experience. If it is due to an implementation bug, that I am not sure.

 

[kfp]

As an example:

My NAS has a name called cloud
Its workgroup is called WORKGROUP
Its share is called Public (guest/no password access is allowed)

It should now be accessible by:

//cloud.WORKGROUP/Public

——
Side questions.

1) is this case sensitive

2) if I dont define “.WORKGROUP will windows attempt current workgroup during the device resolution process before throwing an error?

Currently it seems like non-IP access is broke on my setup as I always get an error after a recent windows update.

//192.168.2.XXX/ works flawlessly

While

//cloud/ does not anymore

—

Before the update both worked.

This is just my personal experience. If it is due to an implementation bug, that I am not sure.

No I don’t mean WORKGROUP. I’m talking about the local domain under LAN > DHCP Server.

The update deprecated SMBv1, which lets you browse shares without mounting it (from Network Places in Explorer you’ll see other people’s device etc.) In your case you would see ‘cloud’ there and double clicking it would show you its share. Similarly if you had done //cloud/ it would have worked. That wasn’t DNS, it’s something else (My Windows fu isn’t strong, don’t know what it’s called on the top of my head).

I don’t doubt your experience one bit, just that calling it ‘breaking DNS resolution’ is a bit misleading, because it didn’t. You can test it by setting local domain to .local, and if your hostname for the share is ‘cloud’, mounting //cloud.local/ should generate a DNS request and if DNS was set up correctly it’ll work.

 

[curlysir]

Try setting this service to Automatic start: Function Discovery Resource Publication.

Plus enabling SMBv1 in Windows features as previously mentioned

This problem started for me with the upgrade to version 1803. This fixed it for me. When Microsoft did away with HomeGroup they created all kinds of sharing problems on local networks.

 

[kfp]

When Microsoft did away with HomeGroup they created all kinds of sharing problems on local networks.

Convenience vs Security.

 

[curlysir]

Convenience vs Security.

I did not use HomeGroup. I used the local network and sharing function. Since the 1803 upgrade I can't access all of the shared folders on my other computers from certain computers. Widespread problem but no real solution yet.

 

[kfp]

I did not use HomeGroup. I used the local network and sharing function. Since the 1803 upgrade I can't access all of the shared folders on my other computers from certain computers. Widespread problem but no real solution yet.

Tell me exactly how you are trying to access it but can’t and I’ll give you a solution.

Edit: Local Network and Sharing, try this under “Explorer Network Browsing” https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4034314/smbv1-is-not-installed-by-default-in-windows

Out of curiosity, why not just use “map network drive” and mount it explicitly?

 

[curlysir]

Tell me exactly how you are trying to access it but can’t and I’ll give you a solution.

I am clicking on the computers in the network tab in File Explorer. I can see all of my computers on my network from all computers but cannot access all of the computers from all computers. After the upgrade I could not see some of the computers with shared folders at all, did a internet search and found the previous mentioned solutions which allowed me to see the computers. When I click on the computers on the network tab from my computer I get a cannot access the computer error. I have tried most of the solutions I could find on other forums. I have made sure all the folders I want to share have the same share options on all computers. I have also tried to make sure the options on services and shared folders are the same on all computers on the Network. I am not the only one having this problem as determined by a internet search for "computers not showing up after 1803 upgrade". I mostly use this to share files. I can access the USB drive on my AC-3100 so I have a work around for now. What is frustrating is that sometime I can access the files but that only lasts for a short period of time before the problem reappears.

 

[kfp]

I am clicking on the computers in the network tab in File Explorer. I can see all of my computers on my network from all computers <snip>

Thanks for the detailed reply. Yea exploring in the explorer for “available shares” or “neighbours” or whatever Microsoft calls them, won’t come back.

What works very consistently though is mapping the network drives explicitly. This even survives reboots (used to be very flakey as well).

 

[curlysir]

Thanks for the detailed reply. Yea exploring in the explorer for “available shares” or “neighbours” or whatever Microsoft calls them, won’t come back.

What works very consistently though is mapping the network drives explicitly. This even survives reboots (used to be very flakey as well).

Yes, that is one solution I haven't tried. Was hoping for a solution that did not involve that - if Microsoft doesn't fix it soon I will have to go that route.

 

[ColinTaylor]

if Microsoft doesn't fix it soon I will have to go that route.

Microsoft won't "fix" it because it's not a bug. It's a feature present only in SMBv1 and SMBv1 has been deliberately disabled in recent versions of Windows for reasons of security.

EDIT: Re-reading your post #15 I think we're talking about a different problem. The problem I and kfp were talking about was not being able to access Samba shares. That is, shares on Linux-like machines, i.e. the router, NAS's and Linux PC's. From what you've said it seems like access to those type of shares (i.e. the router) is working OK. But your problem is accessing shared folders residing on other Windows PC's. Is this correct?

 

[FreshJR]

One thing that broke my shares for the longest time was user name assignment.

If you have

Decive1 — username: admin pass: pass1
Decive2 — username: admin pass: pass2

They will not be able to browser each other’s shares since windows always tries using its current username/password to log in before prompting for credentials if a username does not exist.

The incorrect password attempt makes it not even fallback to accessing guest shares before throwing an error.

Terrible design, but that just how Microsoft rolls.

 

[kfp]

One thing that broke my shares for the longest time was user name assignment.

If you have

Decive1 — username: admin pass: pass1
Decive2 — username: admin pass: pass2

They will not be able to browser each other’s shares since windows always tries using its current username/password to log in before prompting for credentials if a username does not exist.

The incorrect password attempt makes it not even fallback to accessing guest shares before throwing an error.

Terrible design, but that just how Microsoft rolls.

Again, for security reasons so users don’t connect to rogue servers unknowingly.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-ca...disabled-by-default-in-windows-10-server-2016