Remove network login credentials

I recently did a fresh install of Windows 11 and it's driving me crazy trying to do something as simple as sharing a folder across my home network. Back in Windows 10 I was able to disable password protected sharing and see all the shared folders inside the computer. Windows 11 does not want me to do this. I've run through all the usual network options and it refuses to disable password protected sharing and always insists that I log in to the computer to access my shared folders.

I don't have much reason to do this PC to PC any more, I usually use it for copying things straight across to my phone. The app I'm using, which worked on Windows 10, can see the pc, but nothing happens when I click on it. When I try to access it from my laptop, it asks me to log in. I have looked through the official Microsoft forums, Reddit (even posted there and got absolutely nothing useful), changed registry values, changed stuff in gpedit.msc. I have changed the network to private, enabled public folder sharing, enabled file and printer sharing, disabled password protected sharing, etc. etc. All the usual stuff.

This damn OS does not want to play ball and I'm rapidly losing patience. Can anyone help?

right-click on the folder, select properties, select the sharing tab, then advanced sharing. If it asks for username and password these are for the computer that hosts the folder, not the one that you use to access it over the network. Hope this is clear.

It does not. I cannot access the computer over the network without a login so I can't even get to the point where I can see any shared folders.

You have to do this on the computer that has the folder you want to share. Until you do this you can't access it from a different computer.

Your posts are a little blunt. Do you realise that I am not a paid Microsoft adviser, I am just a user, like you, trying to be helpful in my spare time.

The folder is shared, but the problem has nothing to do with the folder and is elsewhere - Windows wants me to log in when accessing the computer over the network. I can't do this with the app I'm using on my phone. Windows 10 didn't have this problem. The folder isn't visible across the network because it won't let me get to that point - it's stopping me at the first stage, that of accessing the computer across the network.

I give up!

I answered "If it asks for username and password" with "It does not". Would "It doesn't" or "No, it's not doing that" be less blunt? I wasn't trying to be blunt, I was trying to be as clear as possible. Tone can be difficult to ascertain through text alone but I wasn't intentionally being blunt or sharp with you. When you pointed it out I hesitated over saying anything, and I decided not to because honestly, I was confused where you were coming from on that score. I also didn't have a lot of time when writing the posts to be dealing with attempting to explain anything so I chose to not respond to something I was genuinely unsure about.

Given all of that, it's probably for the best.