How to Fix Network Share Access Denied on Windows
Can't access shared folders on your network, getting "Access is denied" or "You do not have permission"? Fix Windows network sharing and SMB access issues.
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Main Troubleshooting Guide
How to Fix No Internet Connection →Complete symptoms, causes, and step-by-step solutions
Symptoms
You might be experiencing this problem if you notice:
- •"You do not have permission to access this" when opening a share
- •"Access is denied" error for network folders
- •Can see the computer on network but can't open its shares
- •Network sharing worked before but stopped after update
- •"Windows cannot access \\computername\share" error
- •Share accessible from some PCs but not others
Common Causes
- ⚠SMB1 protocol disabled (required by older NAS/printers)
- ⚠Network discovery or file sharing turned off
- ⚠Credential mismatch between computers
- ⚠Guest access disabled (Windows 10/11 default)
- ⚠Firewall blocking SMB traffic
- ⚠Share permissions not set correctly
Solutions
Solution 1: Enable Network Discovery and Sharing
- 1Go to Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center
- 2Click "Change advanced sharing settings"
- 3Under your current profile: enable Network Discovery
- 4Enable "File and printer sharing"
- 5Under "All Networks": turn ON "Public folder sharing"
- 6Turn OFF "Password protected sharing" for easy local network access
Solution 2: Fix SMB and Guest Access
- 1Windows 10/11 disables guest access to SMB shares by default
- 2If accessing an older NAS: open Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc)
- 3Navigate to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Network > Lanman Workstation
- 4Set "Enable insecure guest logons" to Enabled
- 5For SMB1 (old devices): Settings > Apps > Optional features > Add "SMB 1.0/CIFS Client"
- 6Restart after making these changes
Solution 3: Fix Share Permissions
- 1On the sharing computer: right-click the shared folder > Properties
- 2Go to Sharing tab > Advanced Sharing > Permissions
- 3Ensure "Everyone" has at least Read permission
- 4Go to Security tab > Edit > Add "Everyone" with Read & Execute
- 5If using credentials: ensure the username/password match an account on the sharing PC
- 6Try accessing using: \\IP-address\sharename instead of \\computername\sharename
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