Windows 10 1903/1803 Boxes Can't Share Folders

[Kevin Jones]

Two Windows 10 computers. Both were running 1803. File sharing worked flawlessly. No domain - just two Windows 10 boxes on the same simple home network.

One automatically upgraded to 1903. File sharing stopped. I found a page suggesting starting services "Peer Networking Grouping" and Peer Networking Identity Manager". That worked and everything was good. A few days later file sharing stopped working again. I have tried enabling numerous services referenced in various articles and setting options on such as SMB 1.0 client/server. Nothing is working. Neither computer can see the other. Neither seems to be broadcasting. I have tried sharing folders every which why I can find without success.

I tried to upgrade the 1803 box to 1903 but Windows won't do it. Something about it isn't ready yet.

Any ideas? File sharing seems like such a basic networking function.

I have seen a few references to Microsoft no longer supporting things like HomeGroup and wanting us all to use OneDrive. That is NOT going to happen in my house!

Kevin

[#2]

I brought in a third computer and discovered that the 1903 system is working perfectly regarding file sharing. It shares and sees other shares.

It's the 1803 system that is problematic. It doesn't broadcast shares nor can it see any shares other than itself. While the 1903 system sees many other devices on my network, the 1803 system sees nothing. Yet it can print to my HP printer and I can scan to it from that same device. The network interface (WiFi) appears to be functioning normally.

All of the settings in the Advanced Sharing panel are set correctly.

Any ideas on how to get Windows 10 1803 to start sharing?

[#3]

Well here are few things that come to my mind:
1. check in computer properties of both computers and see if they are both on the same workgroup. if they have have the same name "default is workgroup" then change both to something else. the point is to get the share flow working again.
2. you can manually upgrade your 1803 to 1903 using this tool media creation tool, it's easy and straightforward:
https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows10