Windows 10 - Network PC vanished, no longer connected to shared drives
Windows 10 - Network PC vanished, no longer connected to shared drives
I set up my system this way: Main Rig (DAEDALUS) runs Windows 10 Pro, version 1803 Build 17134.48 with M.2 OS and an SSD plus a single mechanical hard drive for extra space. Secondary (PROMETHEUS) also uses Windows 10 Pro, version 1803 Build 17134.48, but all mechanical drives are in a separate room. I’ve connected the mechanical drives from the secondary rig to my main system as network locations. However, Daedalus isn’t linking to Prometheus’ network sites anymore. When I try again, it shows no network at all. On the actual computer (DAEDALUS), it doesn’t appear in the Network and Sharing folder, and the TV, router, and Roku aren’t showing up either. The drive computer (PROMETHEUS) is still sharing its drive, but file sharing is enabled on both machines. Both have internet access, and Prometheus can stream videos to the TV, so it’s reaching the network in some way. EDIT: Permissions on the shares are fine, and both PCs are linked via Cat6 cables to the router. No recent changes I’m aware of. What could be wrong?
Open Credential Manager on your PC (Daedalus), remove all Prometheus login details, clear saved network paths from Explorer, then restart the system. After rebooting, reposition drives in Explorer either using the static IP of the share machine or its network name like \\NAME\Share. You’ll be prompted for credentials again—enter them now and remap any remaining drives. This resolved the issue after updating to 17134.48, where both desktops lost their shares and couldn’t connect until credentials were reset.
Both devices use identical DNS settings (1.1.1.1 & 1.0.0.1) and share the same IP range (192.168.0.5 & 192.168.0.6). This was my final option since I didn’t want to remove the shares, which are tied to my Plex library—so I’d have to rebuild them. I plan to remap them exactly as they are and hope Plex won’t detect any changes. EDIT: After this, the system blocked me from remapping the drives because it couldn’t recognize PROMETHEUS.
It looks like you've resolved the issue by disabling SMB support and then reactivating it through the settings. Make sure to keep your login details and shares intact before testing this again. A recent update had turned off SMB, so turning it back on should restore functionality.
Just a quick note to make sure my answer is clear: I wasn’t recommending using a computer browser to change drive mappings. Instead, I suggested doing it manually by entering the network address or hostname of the machine where the shares are stored. You don’t need a browser for this. Refer to the spoiler section for more details.
The CIFS/SMB 1.0 feature is only required for certain browsers, but it’s also very risky. It has been phased out over the past five years, and even with SMB 3.0+ on Windows 10, the shares still rely on SMB 1.0 if both systems are running that version. There are plenty of resources explaining why this is dangerous and why it shouldn’t be used. This issue played a role in attacks like Wannacry, Petya, and NotPetya. Securing it is practically impossible.
Unless you have physical hardware you’re certain won’t work without SMB 1.0, I strongly advise against using it. There are workarounds that avoid disabling all your security settings. It’s like asking someone to enable a DMZ while turning off their firewall because they don’t understand port forwarding. A brute-force fix is the only realistic path.
SMB1 enabled didn't solve the issue I expected. It let me view the computers in Network Explorer, but still blocked any connection. Both machines might benefit from a fresh Windows install.