How to fix the âNetwork Error â Windows Cannot Access \\ Shared Driveâ Error?
âWindows Cannot Access \\ Computer Nameâ is mainly a network related problem of your Local Area Connection and generally this error occurs due to the lack of network permissions, improper installed Network Drivers, and sometimes a single corrupted windows registry can be the reason too.
Most of the times people have this problem right after creating a new LAN Connection in their network and mainly the error popup message appears when every time you try to open the shared folder located on the other computer.
The bad thing which I really hate about this network error is, not only on the folder you can also get this error message on any network file or even on the network shared drive too. And believe it or not but sometimes it gets really hard to find where the actual fault is, and what do we really need to do to fix the problem.
Network error
Windows cannot access \\ Computer Name
You do not have permission to access \\ Computer Name contact your network administrator to request access.
If youâre having this problem on your Local Area Network, then I donât think you should really need to worry about it;
Because with the help of this tutorial Iâll definitely going to help you out by showing you, how you can change the permissions configuration of your computer to read and write the files or folder on the shared network drive through your Windows Network Place.
This problem can occur on any version of windows, even if you are using the latest Windows 10 or running an old Windows 7 Computer. Normally, Access Denied Network Error comes because of some kind of network related permission problem. But sometimes there are some other reasons for this error to shows up on your computerâs screen and hereâs the list of those reasons which can be possibly happening on your computer:
Improper LAN Connection
Improper LAN Sharing Setting
Improper Drive or Folder Security Setting
TCP/IP NetBIOS Setting is Unconfigured
Windows Registry got Corrupted
Network Driver got Corrupted
Improper LAN Connection and Sharing Setting
If you have recently created a LAN connection by yourself, or maybe tried to start the file sharing, or changed the LAN Wire or Modem, or just made any changes in your LAN configuration, then this is the time where youâll need to rectify it all.
Letâs start with the connections and wires;
To make a connection between two different network devices like a Modem and Computer, we actually need to use a Straight cable. On the other hand, the same network devices like âPC to PCâ or âModem to Modemâ need a Cross-over cable to interact properly.
The reason behind explaining that is because if you have recently changed any cable in your network then make sure the cable you used is suitable for the proper connection.
Both of the cables look exactly the same but the internal wiring is completely different and thatâs why people usually get confused while creating their PC to PC LAN connection.
The next configuration is the âSharing Settingâ. Check for the proper IP configuration on every connected device in your network. If all the PCâs have an IP address configured in it, then make sure it wonât conflict. Confliction mainly happens when two different PC has the same IP configuration.
Youâll also need to assign the IP address to all of your Share PCs if you found the setting is pre-set on âObtain the IP Address Automaticallyâ.
To change or check your saved setting, you can go to the âNetwork and Sharing Centerâ and then on the left sidebar, click on âChange Adapter Settingsâ option. Now right-click on your network adapter and select âPropertiesâ. After that, select âInternet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)â and then click on its âPropertiesâ button.
Then on the âAdvanced sharing settingâ, make sure everything is configured as listed below:
Turn on network discovery.
Turn on file and printer sharing.
Allow windows to manage homegroup connection (recommended).
Turn on sharing so anyone with network access can read and write files in the public folders.
Use 128-bit encryption to help protect files sharing connections (recommended).
Turn off password protected sharing.
Note: Make these changes on your current selected network profile.
Youâll also need to check that all your shared PC is working on the same network Workgroup. To check or change the workgroup, you can go your âComputer propertiesâand click on the âChange settingâ button under the âComputer name, domain, and workgroup settingsâ, and then click on âChangeâŠâ.
After that click on the âNetwork IDâ on the same pop-up window and then follow the instruction given in the picture below:
Improper Drive or Folder Security Setting
80% of you will be going to fix your problem by following this particular solution because generally, people do forget to change the security setting while making any drive/file/folder shared in their network place.
So now Iâm going to show you how you can easily configure the permission setting to connect with all devices in your network just to read and write the files or folder.
If youâre having this problem with all of your network drives and folder and wanted to grant permission to all of those shared folders or drives at once, then itâs not possible and youâll need to repeat all these steps for all of your shared drives and even for a single file and folder.
If the list of sharable File/folder contains in a single drive, then granting permission for that single drive can make all the internal File/Folder read and writeable for the other network computer.
Give Sharing Permission to Everyone
To configure the sharing permission, First, youâll need to right click on that drive, file or folder which you wanted to share and then select âPropertiesâ.
In the properties window, select the âSharingâ tab and then click on âAdvanced Sharing âŠâ button. Now make sure you have ticked on the âShare this folderâ button.
After that, click on the âPermissionâ button and give âEveryoneâ user the Full Control.
Add âEveryoneâ Username in Security Tab.
This step allows you to add a new username into the security tab of your file/folder/driveâs properties, just to make it accessible to all users which is connected to your LAN.
To grant the access to everyone, we actually need a username called âEveryoneâ under the security tab, so your OS can permit other connted PCâs to cross the security. But still, there is no username called âEveryoneâ is mentioned under the security tab of your shared drive, file or folder.
So now again in the properties windows, click on the Security Tab and then select the âEditâ button which will lead you to another pop-up window, where you can add the username by clicking on another âAddâŠâ button.
Now in the third pop-up window, youâll have to click on the âAdvanced âŠâ button which will help to find all of the linked usernames connected to your PC.
On the fourth pop-up, click on the âFind Nowâ button to make your computer to show you the list of all available users;
And in between all those usernames, youâll find the username called âEveryoneâ in the list, which you need to select and then click on âOKâ.
After that, youâll again need to click on the âOkâ and at this moment you will be seeing the username âEveryoneâ is showing under the users and groups setting.
Allowing Permission to âEveryoneâ.
When you have done with adding the username, then itâs the time when you need to grant the full permission to the username âEveryoneâ in the security tab, just to make it accessible from any LAN connected computer.
Now, click on the username âEveryoneâ and then tick on the Full control option and then click on âApplyâ.
After that, you will able to see the âWindows Securityâ pop-up on the screen, which will apply the setting for all of your files containing in that shared drive or folder.
So, at this moment youâll just need to sit back and watch the whole process until it gets completed and make sure you donât click on the cancel button or otherwise youâll get the same problem while accessing some files in the future.
After that, you can actually able to read and write the files on that drive right after when this whole security configuration gets done. If not, then just continue.
Configure TCP/IP NetBIOS
âTCP/IP NetBIOSâ also known by its another name âNetBTâ and itâs a network protocol based on session layer of the OSI model, allowing applications on separate computers to communicate over a local area network.
Using the NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT) service on the network allows users to share files, printers, and log on to the network. If the NetBT service is unconfigured, some of these functions might not be available to the user. If this service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend on it will fail to start.
So, make sure on every shared computer of your network the âNetBIOS over TCP/IPâ is enabled and to confirm that, here is the procedure given below:
To change the configuration, first, youâll need to search the âservices.mscâ on the Windows Starts Menu to open the âWindows Serviesâ (where you can easily start, stops, and configures any Windows services).
Now on the Services window, search for a service named âTCP/IP NetBIOS Helperâand double-click on it. Then on the pop-up general tab, change the âStartup type settingâ to the âAutomaticâ.
After when you have done with the services configuration, then now itâs the time when you need to enable the âNetBIOS over TCP/IPâ setting in your computerâs Network Adaptor.
To do that, youâll have to again open the âInternet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)âproperties. Then on the pop-up, click on the âAdvancedâŠâ button, select âWINSâ tab and pick âEnable NetBIOS over TCP/IPâ as your main preference. And thatâs it.
Corrupted Windows Registry
The Windows Registry is a hierarchical configuration storage database that stores settings for the Microsoft Windows Operating System and other installed software in your Windows.
The registry is the main target when a virus or malware starts to corrupt your windows and a single changed value in your Windows Registry can cause this network related problem.You can fix your Windows Registry by using some best in class Registry Cleaner and that will fix your problem by just doing some simple steps.
But before using that, I have some couple of manual registry settings which you can try to fix the issue;
First, open your Windows Registry Database by using the run command âregeditâ. You can press Windows + R Key to instantly show the Run Commander. Or you can just search the âregeditâ on Starts Menu.
When it gets open, go to this location âHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSLicensing\â into the database.
Now expand the âMSLicensingâ folder and then delete both of the âHardwareIDâ and âStoreâ sub-folders listed under the expansion. Make sure you only delete sub-folders and not the whole MSLicensing.
This can fix the connection licensing problems in case, your connection is having any.
After that, go to the âHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\systemâ location and then create a new DWORD Value named LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy and then click Modify or double click on the key and type â1â under the âValue dataâ.
Corrupted Windows Drivers
Computer operating systems are able to support network adapters via software known as Network driver. Network drivers are actually what that you need in order to connect your computer to any network. If something bad happens to your network drivers then itâs quite possible that you get some constant errors on your screen while working in the network area.
