This article describes how to set up sharing of files and folders without a password on Windows 10.

This instruction will look at the simplest case of setting up shared access to Windows 10 folders. When you need to provide access to Windows 10 shared resources without a password. This is the most common situation in home networks and small office networks. This setting assumes that network access will be without a password, without restrictions.

Note. If you have Windows 10 2017 or 2018 and are experiencing the " Windows 10 does not see other computers on the local network", then read another article -. It describes a solution to the problem of connecting Windows 10 to older versions of Windows. This article may also be relevant for connecting Windows 10 to older versions of Linux.

But at the beginning of a silent theory.

Local and global networks

Today there is only one global computer network, the Internet. Local computer networks differ from global ones in the following factors:

• The number of computers connected in this network.
• The quantity and quality of resources shared (available) in this network.

The global Internet connects hundreds of millions (possibly more than a billion) computers. These computers provide a large number of different types of resources. The most common of which are text and graphic information. In addition to the information itself on the Internet, it is also possible to process this information - there are services for working with images and documents. Also available on the Internet are services that are not related to computer topics, for example, the sale of goods and services (for example, the sale of tickets for various transport).

A local computer network most often combines from two to several computers. Much less often, the number of computers on a local network can be several tens or hundreds (in large commercial or government organizations). As a rule, only a few resources are distributed on local networks - files, printers, scanners and Internet access.

Computers are physically connected to a network either using a cable or via a radio signal (WiFi). But in any case, setting up a local network is done the same way.

So, what, and in what order, needs to be done in order to configure the Windows 10 network?

Windows 10 sharing without password

This instruction will describe how to set up a Windows 10 network so that shared access to folders (files) and printers is provided without requiring a password. This is a trusted network option. This type of organization of a local computer network is most convenient to use (no need to remember passwords for each computer). Moreover, such a network is easier to create and maintain.

It is best to start setting up a local network by checking the necessary conditions.

Checking local network connection

First, you need to check whether your computer has a local network connection. To do this, you need to open the applet of available network adapters and network connections. The easiest way to open this applet is through the " Execute Windows + R ncpa.cpl and click " OK":

Note: there is a longer way - open "" and click on the link there " Change adapter settings".

This is what the network connections applet looks like:

This example shows that there is a physical network adapter on the computer and there is also a network connection to the local network. This example uses a cable connection to a local network (Ethernet). If connected via WiFi, the adapter will be called "802-11 Wireless Connection".

Possible errors that can be found in the Network Connections applet:

• This applet may not contain adapters at all - in this case, you need to check the list of equipment (Device Manager). The network adapter may be disabled or the drivers may not be installed.
• The adapter may be crossed out with a red cross. This means that there is no physical connection to the local network. You need to check the cables. In the case of WiFi, this means that the computer is not connected to a WiFi access point (router).
• The adapter may have the inscription " Unidentified network". This means that there is a physical connection to the local network, but the computer was unable to receive the settings of this network. Most often this happens if there is no router on the local network and you need to manually specify the local network parameters.

By default, Windows is configured to automatically receive network settings from the network router. If there is a router on the local network, then you just need to plug in a network cable or connect to a WiFi access point. If there is no router on the local network, and this sometimes happens when using small cable networks, then you will need to manually specify the network settings in the properties of the network adapter. More information about manually setting up local network parameters is written in the article “Setting up a network between Linux and Windows”. The setup is described there for Windows XP, but for Windows 10 it will be exactly the same.

The next step is to check the computer name and workgroup. To do this, you need to open the applet " Properties of the system"The easiest way to open this applet is through the dialog box" Execute". It is accessible through the Start menu or by pressing the keys Windows + R on keyboard. In this window write sysdm.cpl and click " OK":

This is what the applet looks like" Properties of the system" (you need to open the tab " Computer name"):

Here you need to check:

• Full name- it should not be written in Cyrillic and should not have spaces.
• Working group- it should not be written in Cyrillic and should not have spaces. In addition, the workgroup name must match the same name on other computers on the local network. That is, the workgroup name must be the same on all computers on the local network.

If you need to change the computer or workgroup name, click the Change button. After such a change, you will need to restart Windows.

Now you can proceed to setting up the Windows 10 network.

Setting up a Windows 10 network

Open "Windows Explorer" and in it find and open the item " Net". By default, sharing is disabled on Windows 10 and when you open Network, there will be a warning message at the top:

You need to click on this inscription and then select " Enable network discovery and file sharing":

Note: Another way to enable network discovery and file sharing via " Network and Sharing Center"and then click on the link" More sharing options" and then open the desired profile.

After that "Windows Explorer" will prompt you to select a network type, where you need to select the first option:

Note: if you later need to change the network type - instructions in the article "Change network type Windows 10".

After that "Windows Explorer" will show a list of computers on the local network:

You can now log into the shared folders on these computers.

Login via local network to a computer named "Home":

The next step is to configure Windows 10 folder sharing.

How to set up folder sharing in Windows 10

IN "Windows Explorer" Locate the folder you want to share. Right-click on this folder and select " Properties" (in this illustration the folder is called lan):

Note: The folder name must be in Latin and without spaces.

In the folder properties window, you need to open the " tab Access"and then press the button" General access":

In the next window, you need to open the list of local users (accounts on this computer) and select “All” from this list:

After that, click the "Add" button:

After this, you need to specify read and write access rights for the “Everyone” group:

After this, you need to click the “Finish” button:

After this, the window will open again" Folder properties". In it you can check the tab " Safety"there should be full access for the group" All" (Windows automatically changes NTFS file system permissions):

That's it, setting up access to a specific folder is complete. If you want to share another folder, these steps must be repeated for each one.

Note: There is no need to share individual files. All files that are in the shared folder will be accessible over the network. All will also be available online nested folders.

One last step left...

Need to open" Network and Sharing Center" and on the left side click on " Change advanced sharing options":

In the next window you need to open your profile " All networks":

And there disable the parameter " shared access with password protection" and of course click the "Save changes" button:

This completes setting up network access without a password for Windows 10. Now you can log into this computer via the local network and Windows will not require you to enter a password.

To check, let's go to a Windows 10 computer from a Windows XP computer:

The shared folder "lan" opens and you can edit and create files in it via the local network.

But if, nevertheless, Windows requires a network password

Despite the fact that the settings described above have been made, when you log into this computer, another computer may request a network password. This is possible in two cases.

Local users with the same name (login)

Both computers have local users with the same name but different passwords.

Example. There are Comp1 and Comp2. Each of them has a user named User. But on Comp1 the user's password is 123, and on Comp2 his password is 456. When trying to log in to the network, the system will ask for a password.

Solution. Or remove matching user logins. Or for users with the same login, specify the same password. An empty password is also considered the same.

There are no local users on Windows 10

On Windows 10, you can log in and work with a Microsoft account if you have Internet access. At the same time, it is possible that when installing Windows 10, a local user was not created at all (the login was via a Microsoft account). In this case, Windows will also require a password when logging in via the local network.

Solution. Create a local user on your Windows 10 computer.

If there are old computers on your local network

If there are computers on your local network running older versions of Windows or Linux, then you may encounter a problem where Windows 10 does not “see” such computers.

The reason may be that in the latest versions of Windows 10, support for the SMB version 1 protocol has been disabled. How to enable support for SMB version 1 is written in the article Local network between Windows 10 and Windows XP.

Unshare a Windows 10 folder

On Windows 10, canceling sharing is not at all obvious (unlike Windows XP). On the "tab" Access"(folder properties) there is no option, as there was in Windows XP. It is useless to click the "Sharing" button; you cannot cancel sharing there.

Now, to cancel sharing, you need to go to the " Access"press button" Advanced setup":

And disable access there (uncheck the “Share this folder” option):

As they say, “guess three times.”

Share a Windows 10 folder through the command line

Everything can be done much faster if you use the command line (console, cmd.exe). There are only two teams:

net share lan=c:\lan

net share lan /delete

The first command shares the folder c:\lan and sets a network name for it lan.

The second command deletes the network (public) folder lan. Real folder c:\lan Of course it stays in place.

Share Windows 10 files using the Shared Folders snap-in

The Windows 10 management toolkit includes a special program (snap-in) for managing shared resources on your computer. It's called "Shared Folders" and you can run it with the command fsmgmt.msc(in the console or via Win + R):

Alternatively, this snap-in can be opened through the Start menu: “Control Panel - Administrative Tools - Computer Management - Shared Folders”.

Windows 10 Printer Sharing

Printer sharing is configured in the same way as for a folder. You need to open the “Devices and Printers” applet, find the desired printer there, open its properties and on the “Access” tab define the network access parameters.

Setting up a local network for other operating systems

If you live in Krasnodar and you need to set up a local network in Windows

Ivan Sukhov, 2017, 2019 .

If you found this article useful or simply liked it, then do not hesitate to financially support the author. This is easy to do by throwing money at Yandex Wallet No. 410011416229354. Or on the phone +7 918-16-26-331 .

Even a small amount can help write new articles :)

In the dialog boxNew Registry Propertiesselect the following:

• Action:Create


• Bush: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE


• Path to section:SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Lanman Server\Parameters


• Parameter name:SMB1


• Value type:REG_DWORD.


• Meaning: 0

This will disable SMB version 1 server components. This group policy must be applied to all required workstations, servers, and domain controllers in the domain.

Note. WMI filters can also be configured to exclude unsupported operating systems or selected exceptions such as Windows XP.

Attention!Be careful when making changes to controllers where legacy systems such as Windows XP or later Linux and third party systems(which do not support SMB version 2 or SMB version 3 protocols) requires access to SYSVOL or other shared folders where SMB version 1 has been disabled.

Disable SMB client version 1 with Group Policy

To disable the SMB version 1 client, the registry key service key must be updated to disable MRxSMB10 from starting, and then the dependency on MRxSMB10 must be removed from the entry for LanmanWorkstation so that it can be started in the standard way without prompting MRxSMB10 on first startup.

This update replaces the default values ​​in the following two registry items

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControl Set\services\mrxsmb10

Parameter: Start REG_DWORD: 4 = disabled

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControl Set\Services\LanmanWorkstation

Parameter: DependOnService REG_MULTI_SZ: “Bowser”,”MRxSmb20″,”NSI”

Note. Contains MRxSMB10 by default, which is currently excluded as a dependency

To configure using Group Policy:

1. Open Group Policy Management Console. Right-click the "Group Policy Object (GPO)" that should contain the new preferred item, then click Edit.


2. In the console tree in the section Computer configuration expand the Settings folder, then expand the Windows Settings folder.


3. Right-click the Registry node, click New, and select Registry Item.

In the dialog box New Registry Properties select the following:

• Action: Update


• Bush: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE


• Partition path: SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\mrxsmb 10


• Parameter name: Start


• Value type: REG_DWORD.


• Data value: 4

Then remove the dependency in MRxSMB10 that was disabled

In the dialog box New Registry Properties select the following:

• Action: Replace


• Bush: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE


• Partition path: SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Lanman Workstation


• Parameter name: DependOnService


• Parameter type REG_MULTI_SZ


• Data value:
  
  
  • Bowser
  
  
  • MRxSmb20
  
  
  

Note. These three lines will not have markers (see below)

The default values ​​contain MRxSMB10 in a large number of versions of Windows, so replacing them with a multi-valued string will remove MRxSMB10 as a dependency for LanmanServer and go from the four default values ​​to just the three values ​​described above.

Note. When using the Group Policy Management Console, you do not need to use quotation marks or commas. Just enter each entry on a separate line as above

Reboot required:

Once the policy is applied and the registry settings are entered, SMB version 1 will be disabled when the system is rebooted.

annotation

If all the settings are in one Group Policy Object (GPO), then Group Policy Management will display the settings below.

Testing and verification

Once configured, give permission to the policy to perform replication and update. Because this is necessary for testing, run gpupdate /force from the CMD.EXE line and then browse the target machines to ensure that the registry settings are applied correctly. Ensure that SMB version 2 and SMB version 3 are running for all systems in the environment.

Attention! Don't forget to reboot the target systems.

In connection with the recent outbreak of the WannaCry ransomware, which exploits the SMB v1 vulnerability, advice on disabling this protocol has again appeared on the network. Moreover, Microsoft strongly recommended disabling the first version of SMB back in September 2016. But such a disconnection can lead to unexpected consequences, even funny things: I personally came across a company where, after fighting SMB, Sonos wireless speakers stopped playing.

Especially to minimize the likelihood of being “shot in the foot,” I want to remind you of the features of SMB and consider in detail the consequences of ill-considered disabling its older versions.

SMB(Server Message Block) is a network protocol for remote access to files and printers. This is what is used when connecting resources via \servername\sharename. The protocol initially worked on top of NetBIOS, using UDP ports 137, 138 and TCP 137, 139. With the release of Windows 2000, it began to work directly, using TCP port 445. SMB is also used to log into and work in an Active Directory domain.

In addition to remote access to resources, the protocol is also used for interprocessor communication through “named streams” - named pipes. The process is accessed along the path \.\pipe\name.

The first version of the protocol, also known as CIFS (Common Internet File System), was created back in the 1980s, but the second version appeared only with Windows Vista, in 2006. The third version of the protocol was released with Windows 8. The protocol was created in parallel with Microsoft and was updated in its open Samba implementation.

With each new version of the protocol, various improvements were added to increase performance, security, and support for new functions. But at the same time, support for old protocols remained for compatibility. Of course, there were and are quite a few vulnerabilities in older versions, one of which is exploited by WannaCry.

Under the spoiler you will find a summary table of changes in SMB versions.

Version	operating system	Added compared to the previous version
SMB 2.0	Windows Vista/2008	The number of protocol commands has changed from 100+ to 19
		Possibility of “conveyor” work – sending additional requests before receiving a response to the previous one
		Symbolic link support
		Signing HMAC messages with SHA256 instead of MD5
		Increase in cache and write/read blocks
SMB 2.1	Windows 7/2008R2	Performance improvement
		Larger MTU support
		Support for the BranchCache service - a mechanism that caches requests to the global network on the local network
SMB 3.0	Windows 8/2012	Possibility to build a transparent failover cluster with load distribution
		Support for direct memory access (RDMA)
		Manage via Powershell cmdlets
		VSS support
		AES–CMAC signature
		AES–CCM encryption
		Ability to use network folders to store HyperV virtual machines
		Ability to use network folders to store Microsoft SQL databases
SMB 3.02	Windows 8.1/2012R2	Security and performance improvements
		Automatic balancing in a cluster
SMB 3.1.1	Windows 10/2016	AES–GCM encryption support
		Integrity check before authentication using SHA512 hash
		Mandatory secure “negotiations” when working with SMB 2.x clients and higher

We consider conditionally victims

It’s quite easy to view the currently used protocol version; we use the cmdlet for this Get-SmbConnection:

Cmdlet output when network resources are open on servers running different versions of Windows.

The output shows that a client that supports all versions of the protocol uses the maximum possible version supported by the server to connect. Of course, if the client only supports the old version of the protocol, and it is disabled on the server, the connection will not be established. You can enable or disable support for older versions on modern Windows systems using the cmdlet Set–SmbServerConfiguration, and see the state like this:

Get–SmbServerConfiguration | Select EnableSMB1Protocol, EnableSMB2Protocol

Disable SMBv1 on a server running Windows 2012 R2.

Result when connecting with Windows 2003.

Thus, if you disable the old, vulnerable protocol, you can lose the functionality of the network with old clients. Moreover, in addition to Windows XP and 2003, SMB v1 is also used in a number of software and hardware solutions (for example, NAS on GNU\Linux using an old version of samba).

Below the spoiler, I will provide a list of manufacturers and products that will completely or partially stop working if SMB v1 is disabled.

Manufacturer	Product	A comment
Barracuda	SSL VPN
	Web Security Gateway backups
Canon	Scan to a network resource
Cisco	WSA/WSAv
	WAAS	Versions 5.0 and older
F5	RDP client gateway
	Microsoft Exchange Proxy
Forcepoint (Raytheon)	"Some Products"
HPE	ArcSight Legacy Unified Connector	Old versions
IBM	NetServer	Version V7R2 and older
	QRadar Vulnerability Manager	Versions 7.2.x and older
Lexmark		Firmware eSF 2.x and eSF 3.x
Linux Kernel	CIFS Client	From 2.5.42 to 3.5.x
McAfee	Web Gateway
Microsoft	Windows	XP/2003 and older
MYOB	Accountants
NetApp	ONTAP	Versions up to 9.1
NetGear	ReadyNAS
Oracle	Solaris	11.3 and older
Pulse Secure	PCS	8.1R9/8.2R4 and older
	P.P.S.	5.1R9/5.3R4 and older
QNAP	All storage devices	Firmware older than 4.1
RedHat	RHEL	Versions up to 7.2
Ricoh	MFP, scanning to network resource	In addition to a number of models
RSA	Authentication Manager Server
Samba	Samba	Over 3.5
Sonos	Wireless speakers
Sophos	Sophos UTM
	Sophos XG firewall
	Sophos Web Appliance
SUSE	SLES	11 and older
Synology	Diskstation Manager	Control only
Thomson Reuters	CS Professional Suite
Tintri	Tintri OS, Tintri Global Center
VMware	Vcenter
	ESXi	Older than 6.0
Worldox	GX3 DMS
Xerox	MFP, scanning to network resource	Firmware without ConnectKey Firmware

The list is taken from the Microsoft website, where it is regularly updated.

The list of products that use the old version of the protocol is quite large; before disabling SMB v1, you should definitely think about the consequences.

Still turning it off

If there are no programs and devices using SMB v1 on the network, then, of course, it is better to disable the old protocol. Moreover, if shutdown on a Windows 8/2012 SMB server is performed using the Powershell cmdlet, then for Windows 7/2008 you will need to edit the registry. This can also be done using Powershell:

Set–ItemProperty –Path "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters" SMB1 –Type DWORD –Value 0 –Force

Or in any other convenient way. However, a reboot will be required to apply the changes.

To disable SMB v1 support on the client, just stop the service responsible for its operation and fix the dependencies of the lanmanworkstation service. This can be done with the following commands:

sc.exe config lanmanworkstation depend=bowser/mrxsmb20/nsi sc.exe config mrxsmb10 start=disabled

To conveniently disable the protocol throughout the network, it is convenient to use group policies, in particular Group Policy Preferences. Using them you can conveniently work with the registry.

Creating a registry element through group policies.

To disable the protocol on the server, just create the following parameter:

path: HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters;

new parameter: REG_DWORD with the name SMB1;

• value: 0.

Create a registry setting to disable SMB v1 on the server through group policies.

To disable SMB v1 support on clients, you will need to change the value of two parameters.

First, disable the SMB v1 protocol service:

path: HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\mrxsmb10;

parameter: REG_DWORD with the name Start;

• value: 4.

We update one of the parameters.

Then we will correct the dependency of the LanmanWorkstation service so that it does not depend on SMB v1:

path: HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanWorkstation;

parameter: REG_MULTI_SZ with name DependOnService;

• value: three lines – Bowser, MRxSmb20 and NSI.

And we replace it with another one.

After applying Group Policy, you must restart your organization's computers. After a reboot, SMB v1 will no longer be used.

It works - don't touch it

Oddly enough, this old commandment is not always useful - ransomware and Trojans can appear in rarely updated infrastructure. However, careless shutdown and update of services can paralyze the work of an organization just like viruses.

Tell me, have you already disabled the first version of SMB? Were there many casualties?

This fall, Microsoft plans to completely disable the SMBv1 protocol in Windows 10.

The first version of the SMB network protocol was developed by Microsoft a couple of decades ago. The company is clearly aware that the days of this technology have long been numbered.

However, this change will only affect new installations of Windows 10. If you simply upgrade to the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, the log will still remain on the system.

In the Windows 10 Insider Preview build 16226, SMBv1 is already completely disabled. In the Home and Pro versions, the server component is removed by default, but the SMB1 client still remains on the system. This means that you can connect to devices over SMB1, but no one can connect to your machine over it. In Enterprise and Education versions, SMB1 is completely disabled.

Microsoft's Ned Pyle explained that the main reason for this decision was to improve security:

“This is the main, but not the only reason. The old protocol has been replaced by the more functional SMB2, which provides more advanced capabilities. Version 2.02 ships with Windows Server 2008 and is the minimum recommended version of SMB. To get maximum security and functionality, you should use SMB version 3.1.1. SMB 1 has long been obsolete.”

While SMBv1 will still remain on devices updated to the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, it can be disabled manually.

How to disable SMB1 in Windows 10

1. Type in the search menu Start Control Panel and go to Programs and Features.
2. In the left menu, select the “Turn Windows features on or off” option.
3. Uncheck the box next to the object “ SMB 1.0/CIFS file sharing support”.

or using PowerShell:

1. Right-click on the Start menu, select the option Windows PowerShell (Administrator)
2. Run the command Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName smb1protocol

SMB or Server Message Block is a network communication protocol designed for sharing files, printers, and various other devices. There are three versions of SMB – SMBv1, SMBv2 and SMBv3. For security reasons, Microsoft recommends disabling SMB version 1 as it is outdated and uses technology that is almost 30 years old. To avoid infection by ransomware viruses like WannaCrypt, you need to disable SMB1 and install updates for the operating system. This protocol is used by Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2003 R2 - therefore network file access to these versions of the OS will not be available. The same applies to some network storages, scanners, etc.

Disabling SMB1 from Control Panel

Start -> Control Panel -> Programs and Features -> Turn Windows features on or off

Disable ‘Support for SMB 1.0/CIFS file sharing’

Disabling SMB1 via Powershell

Open a Powershell console with administrator rights and enter the following command:

Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters" SMB1 -Type DWORD -Value 0 –Force

Disable SMB1 using Windows Registry

You can also disable SMBv1 by running regedit.exe and moving on to the next section:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters

Create a DWORD in this section SMB1 with meaning 0 .

Values ​​for enabling and disabling SMB1:

• 0 = Off
• 1 = Enabled

After this you need to install the update MS17-010. The update was released for all versions of Windows, including Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, which are no longer supported.

And in conclusion, I would like to say that, despite the installed antivirus and regular operating system updates, if you value your data, you must first think about backup.

Why and how you need to disable SMB1 in Windows 10/8/7