Windows 11 File Sharing on Home Network With Win 10 , & and Older Devices

Hi Stratcat51,

Thank you so much for mentioning me — I’m genuinely happy to help and I appreciate your kind words.

From what you described, it does sound like the issue is related to SMB changes in Windows 11, but there are a few additional areas worth checking to avoid unnecessary hassle:

✔️ 1. Enable SMB1 (only if you have older devices)

Windows 11 disables SMB1 by default.

You can enable it temporarily from:

Control Panel → Programs & Features → Turn Windows features on/off → SMB 1.0/CIFS.

✔️ 2. Ensure SMB Direct & SMB Automatic Removal are enabled

These sometimes get disabled after updates.

✔️ 3. Check “Password Protected Sharing”

On some networks, Windows 11 forces credential-based access.

Go to:

Advanced sharing settings → All networks → Turn off password-protected sharing.

✔️ 4. Verify Function Discovery services

Make sure these two are running on all machines:

•

Function Discovery Provider Host

•

Function Discovery Resource Publication

✔️ 5. Try mapping the share manually

Sometimes the UI fails but mapping works:

\\PCNAME\SharedFolder

I completely understand the frustration — networking between mixed Windows versions can be messy, but I’m more than happy to help you get it working smoothly.

If you want, I can walk you step-by-step based on your exact setup.

Always glad to assist!

Just to add one more thing:

If you ever feel overwhelmed with the technical steps, I’d be more than happy to guide you through them in a simple, clear way. You’re not alone in this — I’m here to help.