File Share Not Working -

Hi Digital Ocoee,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A.

I'm sorry to hear you're having trouble accessing the shared folder from your new Windows 11 laptop. Since other devices work, the issue is likely due to a missing service, firewall rule, or SMB setting on the new laptop. Thank you for providing all the troubleshooting steps you tried, with that we can focus on other possible and more advanced fixes:

1 - Quick checks:

• Press Win + R > type services.msc > Ensure Running and Automatic for:
  • Function Discovery Provider Host
  • Function Discovery Resource Publication
  • (If available) SSDP Discovery & UPnP Device Host
• Right-click the shared folder > Properties > Sharing > Advanced Sharing > Share this folder > Permissions > Allow Everyone > Apply
• Temporarily disable Windows Defender Firewall on both PCs to test:
  • Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Windows Security > Firewall & network protection > Turn off.
  • If it works, re-enable the firewall and allow File and Printer Sharing through it.

Disclaimer: Keep in mind that if you disable Windows Defender Firewall, your device may be vulnerable to threats. So please turn it on immediately once the issue is fixed.

• Open Control Panel > Power Options > Choose what power buttons do > Change settings currently unavailable > Uncheck Turn on fast startup > Restart both PCs.

2 - Reset the sharing settings

• If the issue persists, go to Settings > Network & Internet > Advanced network settings > Advanced sharing settings > Temporary turn off:
  • Network discovery
  • File and printer sharing
  • Password protected sharing
• Restart the PC > go back to the same settings and turn on the options mentioned above (password protected sharing is optional, can remain off if preferred) > Restart again.

3 - Check SMB protocol support and force compatibility

• Open Control Panel > Programs > Turn Windows features on or off.
• Ensure SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support is checked.
• Open PowerShell as Admin (on the Windows 11 laptop) > Run the prompt: Set-SmbClientConfiguration -RequireSecuritySignature $false -EnableInsecureGuestLogons $true
• Restart the laptop after enabling and force compatibility

4 - Fix via Registry Editor (advanced)

• Find regedit > locate the following path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHIN\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
• Right-click Configuration > New > DWORD (32-bit) Value:
  • Name: EnableLinkedConnections.
  • Value data: 1
• Exit Registry Editor > restart the computer.

Disclaimer: Generally, modifying registry subkeys or work group is intended for advanced users, administrators, and IT Professionals. It can help fix some problems, however, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For further protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click How to back up and restore the registry in Windows - Microsoft Support to view the article.

If the issue persists, it'd be helpful if you can check the System Windows Logs in Event Viewer eventvwr.msc for errors like STATUS_BAD_NETWORK_NAME. This problem might also be related to Windows 11’s stricter SMB defaults. Please understand that the first answer doesn't always solve the problem, but with more information, we can work together to find a solution. Thank you.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".  

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.