Ive gotten my server to finally work more or less properly on the server-side of things, but now im trying to use my personal pc to connect and access files on said server. Ive got a share i want to acess with a user account for my pc made and configured, and the server itself has shown on the network tab, but any deeper, and it gives me the "Windows cannot access" error, but all steps i can see do not work. I do not have a gpedit.msc file to use, cant seem to access edit group policy from the windows search, nothing. By typing into the address bar of file explorer, i can get into the .local directory, but no files or folders are showing up. I do also have a windows creditential with my chosen user information on my pc, but that didnt do anything. For reference, im using 7.1.4 with about 8gb of ram, a ryzen 5 2400g process, with a 500gb and 2tb hdd for storage. Im literally only trying to use this as a diy nas and jellyfin combo. If i need to post any system logs or whatever, i can, but idk what all i will need to post, plus it kinda seems more like a windows issue, not unraid.

If it's Win 11 24H2 see here:

https://forums.unraid.net/topic/177975-formatted-my-pc-and-installed-fresh-windows-11-now-cant-access-smb-shares/?do=findComment&comment=1478526

Im using the Home version of windows rn, so i dotn have the group policy editor, and the command that it gave me in the article gave me errors, as did any reasonable interpretaion of the command. And creating the user with the same name as me and putting that into windows credentials didnt work either.

Start with this post and the next two posts in this thread:

https://forums.unraid.net/topic/191221-some-musings-on-smb-and-samba-and-unraid-and-windows/#findComment-1561581

And you do have to reboot the Windows client after making any change to the SMB/Samba settings on either machine.

Im on a private network already, and ive already tried twice now with matching the user and credentials with 2 seperate users, and i just tried rebooting my pc. Still unable to connect.

Try with a different PC if available to confirm if it's a client or server problem. There have been cases where it's a Windows problem, and a full reinstall was required to solve it.

A different windows 11 pc i have connected to the same network can "access" the server, but still nothing is showing. And this is a fresh install less than 2 weeks old. Ive only been using the defualt settings for unraid, is there something specfic i would need to enable for it to work properly, or is it just the shares and user accounts i need?

Edited September 8, 2025Sep 8 by VALOR
Forgot to include something, didnt see the point in making a new comment.

10 hours ago, VALOR said:

Ive gotten my server to finally work more or less properly on the server-side of things

I missed the significance of this statement. Let's have a look at the Unraid side of the equation. (Most of the questions that we see about no connection via SMB are because the security restrictions that MS has on Windows clients!) First, look at SETTINGS >>>> SMB and see that SMB is enabled:

Next check to see that you are 'exporting' the share via SMB. See this screen shot before:

To enable a share, click on the Share NAME in the left column an look at the settings. If you set the security to anything but 'Public' (Very bad choice-- IMO), you have to set the access right for every user that you want to have access to the share.

IF this does not fix the problem, attach your diagnostics file in your next post.

Edited September 8, 2025Sep 8 by Frank1940

im now able gain access using \\*servername*.local, but in the network tab that shows my server, it gave me the credentials tab once, came back as wrong even though they were definitely right, and now its back to the same error of the network path not being found. This is the diagnostics file from after i have connected through the .local path, but if possible, id like to be able to use the network tab, but i wont stress if its not plausible.

server-diagnostics-20250908-1424.zip

28 minutes ago, VALOR said:

im now able gain access using \\*servername*.local, but in the network tab that shows my server

This was a bit confusing to me. If you are having problem seeing your Unraid server under the 'Network section, you are not alone! See here to address that issue:

https://forums.unraid.net/topic/191221-some-musings-on-smb-and-samba-and-unraid-and-windows/#findComment-1561585

Having to use ''\\*servername*.local" is something that some folks seem to experience. I am not sure what cause the condition at this point. (I seem to recall that Apple OS users seem to have the problem more than Windows users...) Use whatever works to get to the server. (\\*IP_ADDRESS* may work also.)

35 minutes ago, VALOR said:

it gave me the credentials tab once,

I hate that tab. What can happen is that if you make a mistake in the user name, Unraid will log you in the 'guest' account. Since Windows allows only one login into each server, you would be denied access to a private share. When you try access to access that share (as I recall), it throws a memory error and puts up the login box which will always fail (even with the correct credentials) because your Windows client already is logged into that server!

Also please note that Unraid Share user names have restrictions on the characters in the user name.

If you are having problem seeing your Unraid server under the 'Network section, you are not alone!

I am able to see it, but it cant find the file path to access the shares within. It is showing up under Network, but im not able to actaully access the shares unless i manually type it in, or unless i make a shortcut to it.

I hate that tab. What can happen is that if you make a mistake in the user name, Unraid will log you in the 'guest' account. Since Windows allows only one login into each server, you would be denied access to a private share. When you try access to access that share (as I recall), it throws a memory error and puts up the login box which will always fail (even with the correct credentials) because your Windows client already is logged into that server!

Is there a way to delete that login confirmation from the system memory, or force a different credential to be used?

9 minutes ago, VALOR said:

Is there a way to delete that login confirmation from the system memory, or force a different credential to be used?

Two ways that I am aware of:

1-- reboot the Windows client.

2-- This:

12 minutes ago, VALOR said:

I am able to see it, but it cant find the file path to access the shares within. It is showing up under Network,

(I almost hate to suggest this as it seems so obvious to most of us....) Double left-click on the Unraid server name under Network and the share(s) should open up as folders in the right pane of Windows File Explorer. Then double left-click on that folders to open up more folders with in the share.

Another possible solution is to re-read this post again and this put the path to the share itself as the path in the shortcut. (Name it something besides 'Network Neighborhood'.) Then pin that shortcut to Windows File Explorer using the “Pin to Quick Access” option.

45 minutes ago, Frank1940 said:

https://forums.unraid.net/topic/191221-some-musings-on-smb-and-samba-and-unraid-and-windows/#findComment-1561585

4 hours ago, Frank1940 said:

(I almost hate to suggest this as it seems so obvious to most of us....) Double left-click on the Unraid server name under Network and the share(s) should open up as folders in the right pane of Windows File Explorer. Then double left-click on that folders to open up more folders with in the share.

Another possible solution is to re-read this post again and this put the path to the share itself as the path in the shortcut. (Name it something besides 'Network Neighborhood'.) Then pin that shortcut to Windows File Explorer using the “Pin to Quick Access” option.

While i do appreciate you breaking things like this down for me, I have some, if limited knowledge of the more advanced side of computers. I was part of a cyber security club in highschool and while i mainly used Ubuntu, i did a little bit with the windows images, so I do understand that, but the issue is that the shares arent showing up unless I use the .local address or the IP address in the search bar. What im unable to see and the main thing im still having the issue with is the actaul device that is automatically discovered by my windows pc over the network is showing up, but im unable to access the shares from that. I dont mind having the shortcut pinned with one of the known addresses, i was simply just trying to get the automatic discovery to work, if not how to remove that device from showing up and how to get the shortcuts to appear under the network tab. Im sorry for any confusion my previous comments have made.

6 hours ago, VALOR said:

i was simply just trying to get the automatic discovery to work, if not how to remove that device from showing up and how to get the shortcuts to appear under the network tab. Im sorry for any confusion my previous comments have made.

If this is your problem, I can feel for you. Look at this section in this thread:

https://forums.unraid.net/topic/191221-some-musings-on-smb-and-samba-and-unraid-and-windows/#findComment-1561585

I think that explains it all at this point in time. What is aggravating is that it sometimes works and sometimes it partially works... I don't expect an solution anytime soon! (This morning after booting this PC that I am composing this message on, either of my two 24-7 Unraid server are showing up! I have gotten to the point that I never even look even look to see what is there. I just use the 'pinned to quick access' shortcuts.)

I had a light bulb minute when I was thinking about the .local issue. I suspect that is actually a router thing. The .local tells the router that the resource is on the LAN and not the WAN. That would explain why it shows up so randomly on the forum. (I just check and my router does correctly resolve the \\*server_name*.local correctly. But it does not normally need it.)