FreeNAS: SMB folder unavailable when using a different user account (RESOLVED)
FreeNAS: SMB folder unavailable when using a different user account (RESOLVED)
I’ve been really frustrated with Windows lately. So here’s the situation: I’m using FreeNAS 11 with multiple shares via SMB. Mostly I rely on SMB for archiving, hiding it behind a login so it stays out of reach until needed. For regular tasks, iSCSI is my go-to. To let Plex connect, I had to set up an SMB share with guest access. It was straightforward except I mistakenly used guest access with the wrong username—“root” instead of my usual one. Windows blocked me from all other shares, showing a confusing message. Eventually, I figured it out by restarting network adapters, changing owners, and disabling guest access. I even tried resetting the Credential Manager and using `net use` commands. After some trial and error—restarting Explorer, logging out, rebooting—I finally got in. Now I’m wondering if anyone else has faced this issue? Why does Windows seem to tie itself to the root guest account so tightly? It’s exhausting!
That's Samba for you. I started with just restarting the Linux host and the Windows box that needed the share—it worked fine before the reboots. Now I’ve gotten lazy and use FileZilla since I don’t want to set up things for Ubuntu. It could be a Windows bug, but it probably came from Samba being a pain.
You wonder if SMB might have restricted the credentials. I assumed it could be server-side, which is why I used another machine. However, I don’t have Active Directory, and the other computer has a different account than the PC I was using. I’ll need to explore Samba more since I’m not very familiar with it.
i have limited knowledge about samba, just the quick setup tips are either read through completely before hoping it functions or you must configure a properly set smb.conf file for it to operate. enable ssh and use filezilla easily—use the same password/username as you would for a regular terminal connection. i wouldn’t suggest tying credentials on one side; until that side is rebooted, it won’t accept them. this issue usually disappears when moving to more complex troubleshooting setups, like when windows works but map drive operations fail due to access problems.
Based on my observations, the issue tends to occur most often with Windows, often after a restart or when you log out and back in, unless you have saved your login details, which then makes recovery difficult.
Continuing the struggle, the network reset didn't help. It seems like a random occurrence. Or perhaps the owner of the share differs from the credentials you're using compared to the other share. Windows appears to be intentionally closing the connection. I checked if it's indexing the share or caching data, but nothing makes sense for why it insists on keeping the link open after shutdown. The only solution is to turn off networking and wait around 30 minutes before trying again. I'd love to understand where Windows saves that connection so I can stop it. The best way to avoid this is logging in directly to my share before accessing any shares with "guest" access enabled.
Ironically after my post I encountered the same issue again. I had a drive letter assigned for a samba share and it was behaving differently, preventing my regular login while blocking normal credentials. I unmapped the share which restored access using my usual login. The key point is that you can only use one user at a time for remote shares. It’s unclear if this restriction applies per server or per Windows login.
After extensive testing, I discovered this discussion on the Microsoft forums. It suggests restarting the "Workstation" service to fix the problem. I attempted this twice and it worked each time. I’ll follow up if the situation improves.