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windowsshared-directory

How to restore access to a windows shared folder after host password change?


I have a shared folder on a windows 10 host machine. I could access it from a windows 10 client machine, where I had set "remember credentials" when first accessing the share. I changed the password on the host. Now the client cannot access the shared folder. That was expected. But I could not find a way on the client to allow the user to re-establish access to the shared folder.

I expected it would ask for credentials again. However I got a network error saying that windows cannot access the host machine.

Based on a number of entries on various forums, I tried a few things. The credentials manager on the client does not show the host. I stopped and restarted file and printer sharing on the client, without any change in the result. Network diagnosis and the windows troubleshooter gave no help.


Solution

  • The problem was due to some previous connections remaining in the network table, even though disconnected, as presented by the "net use" command from the command prompt.

    >net use
    
    Status        Local       Remote                 Network
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Disconnected              \\192.168.1.71\IPC$    Microsoft Windows Network
    Disconnected              \\HOST\IPC$            Microsoft Windows Network
    

    After deleting them (via "net use /delete") the next attempt to access the host asked for credentials. Yay!

    I began the path to the solution when I tried

    net use z: \\host\shared /user:admin password 
    

    which gave system error 1219 stating multiple connections to a server are not allowed. Disconnect all previous connections and try again. Obviously, even though known to be disconnected, the entries prevented reconnection.