Here's a strange one. I had to reset my server password--for some reason--so I rebooted my unRaid server the not nice way. All is well. Jellyfin is undisturbed, as are the other docker apps I've got installed. After rebooting my desktop, running Windows 11 Home, version 25H2, refused to connect to the SMB shares. Error 1208 or 0x80070035, depending on how I approached the issue.

However.

I can access the SMB share via my Laptop running Windows 11 Home, version 25H2. No issues. There's another machine that accesses the shares just fine as well.

Clearly this is a Windows problem, but where do I start?

Did you read the "sticky thread" pinned near the top of this subforum?

I did. Home doesn't have the Local Group Policy Editor.

Try this:

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

Thanks, but that didn't work.

Check this out:

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

No go. This is the error I get:

OK... Let's try this. SETTINGS >>> SMB then

EDIT: You should not be using SMBv1 unless your hardware has not had a firmware/software update since about 2010!

Edited October 26, 2025Oct 26 by Frank1940

OH. One more thing. After you make any changes to the SMB settings on the Win11 client, you should reboot that machines so that they are actually being applied! (Stopping and starting the array on Unraid should do the same thing...)

I've made the changes suggested, but this comes down to a problem with Windows 11 on this particular machine. As mentioned in my OP I can access the shares as normal in their entirety on two other computers that are also running Windows 11.

Having made these changes I still get the same error.

If it's a problem with that specific Windows install, it may be easier to do a full reinstall. In my experience with this kind of Windows issues, you can lose hours trying to troubleshoot, and in the end will need to reinstall anyway.

Dang it. I know you're right, and I've been hoping to avoid it. It's things like this that tempt me to switch to Linux on my desktop.

I appreciate everyone's help.

I'll decide what I'm going to do and update this thread so anyone else who comes along knows how it turned out.

Update: So I found some more (useless to me) information in the Event Viewer logs. As follows:

Under Operational:

Event 1025: SMBServer

One or more named pipes or shares have been marked for access by anonymous users. This increases the security risk of the computer by allowing unauthenticated users to connect to this server.

Registry Key: HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters

Registry Values: NullSessionPipes, NullSessionShares

Default Value: Empty (or not present)

Current Value: Non-empty

Guidance:

You should expect this event when modifying the default values of NullSessionShares and NullSessionPipes. On a typical file server, these settings do not exist or do not contain values, which is the most secure configuration. By default, domain controllers populate the NullSessionShares entry with netlogon, samr, and lsarpc to allow legacy access methods.

---

Under Security:

Event 551, SMBServer

SMB Session Authentication Failure

Client Name: \\[fe80::a18:4ad7:b0b5:7a71]

Client Address: [fe80::a18:4ad7:b0b5:7a71%6]:59916

User Name:

Session ID: 0x2D00000000005

Status: The attempted logon is invalid. This is either due to a bad username or authentication information. (0xC000006D)

SPN: session setup failed before the SPN could be queried

SPN Validation Policy: SPN optional / no validation

Guidance:

You should expect this error when attempting to connect to shares using incorrect credentials.

This error does not always indicate a problem with authorization, but mainly authentication. It is more common with non-Windows clients.

This error can occur when using incorrect usernames and passwords with NTLM, mismatched LmCompatibility settings between client and server, an incorrect service principal name, duplicate Kerberos service principal names, incorrect Kerberos ticket-granting service tickets, or Guest accounts without Guest access enabled

---

Still not settled on reinstalling Windows, not if I can avoid it.

Noteworthy: While all of this is going on, my other machines are still happily able to access Unraid's SMB shares without a solitary hiccup.

Finally, the OS install with all the problems can see, but not play, the video and audio shares available via Jellyfin since Windows has classified the server as a Media server.

(The error says the authentication is wrong, but it isn't. I've double checked.)

Edited October 27, 2025Oct 27 by hastypixels
Authentication note.

Open up PowerShell in the Administrator mode and run the command in this thread:

https://forums.unraid.net/topic/170027-smb-windows-settings-available-through-power-shell-and-linux-samba-tools-informational-posting/#findComment-1441603

Note particularity the 'UserName' for all connections. It should be the one that you set in Windows Credential. (That name will be proceeded by the Computer name assigned to your Windows 11 Computer.)

Note that there are several other very useful PowerShell commands in this thread as well as some that can be run on the Unraid server (smbstatus and testparm) to provide information on its Samba status.

Edited October 27, 2025Oct 27 by Frank1940

Here's what I get...

I would suspect that a Reinstall or repair is necessary.

I would start by googling windows 11 repair in place. IF that works, you will not have to setup Windows the way your want it and reinstall all your programs. See below for Google's AI overview:

I’ll give that a go. Thanks.

2 hours ago, hastypixels said:

Here's what I get...

S#!T... I just checked and that is the result if you don't run Power Shell in the Administrator mode. To do that, You search for it and you right-click (NOT the normal left-click) and pick "Run as Administrator". Accept the popup to allow changes...

Get-SmbConnection turns up zilch. I know about the admin-mode...should have checked that. Sorry.

I'm trying the Recovery with Windows Update.

Edited October 27, 2025Oct 27 by hastypixels
Recovery attempt.

So in the end a total scrape and wipe (read: reformat and reinstall) was required to get Windows 11 recognizing the SMB shares of my Unraid server.

This time I'm not going to be keeping anything critical on this machine and I'll experiment with Linux the instant I don't have to use it for school.

You're kicking people out the door, Microsoft...

Edited October 28, 2025Oct 28 by hastypixels

I can connect just fine typing the server address into explorer on 2H25. I do have all the credentials stored and get no network path trying to use the \\tower\share.

Using: \\10.10.10.10\ or \\10.10.10.10\share work just fine. It may help some soul somewhere.