WIN 11 Updates broke private network mapping/sharing

Try3 · Nov 17, 2025

Ruester said:
I havent gotten to the point of restoration yet

So I think you're saying that you can solve the problem, for the time being, by restoring system images made during the good period before then disabling further updates.
Pleased to hear that.

The cause of the problem remains a mystery & it does not affect all computers.
My Windows 11 Home x64 Version 25H2 Build 26200.6899, for example, has had no network problems either way round.
Added 15 mins later - I've just updated to Windows 11 Home x64 Version 25H2 Build 26200.7171 and still have no network problems either way round.

Best of luck,
Denis

motoman · Nov 17, 2025

Did you make the same account on all PC's? If that doesn't work, have you tried via I.P instead of PC name?

Ruester · Nov 17, 2025

Try3 said:
So I think you're saying that you can solve the problem, for the time being, by restoring system images made during the good period before then disabling further updates.
Pleased to hear that.

The cause of the problem remains a mystery & it does not affect all computers.
My Windows 11 Home x64 Version 25H2 Build 26200.6899, for example, has had no network problems either way round.
Added 15 mins later - I've just updated to Windows 11 Home x64 Version 25H2 Build 26200.7171 and still have no network problems either way round.

Best of luck,
Denis

Thanks and ill update once i get somewhere with it. Strange this has been an issue all of our business computers until i rolled back updates and then it went away immediately. Too bad i cant do that again, but ill keep cracking at it.

Ruester · Nov 17, 2025

motoman said:
Did you make the same account on all PC's? If that doesn't work, have you tried via I.P instead of PC name?

I have done the account thing on all of them. Same username and passwords. Local accounts. Ill try the IP method and see what happens. Working through some of the steps from previous posts first.

glasskuter · Nov 17, 2025

The solution that worked for me was to create windows credentials on every machine for each of the other machines on the network.(even if the other machines use same user/PW) In other words, Each computer should have a credential for each of the other computers it is sharing files or printers to/from.

Then access the other machines by PC name. You can create shortcuts to each of the other machines using its computer name and forget about using the network map.
For me, this option has held through multiple windows updates and the 25h2 upgrade.

To create a credential:
Go to Control Panel>Credentials> Windows Credentials>add a windows credential

In the "Internet or network address" box, type the name of the computer on the network that you want to access.
In the User name and Password boxes, type the user name and password that you use for that computer, and then click OK.
Note: It must be a password, not a pin.

Ruester · Nov 18, 2025

Ruester said:
Unfortunately i have done that multiple times, and no luck. Wont recognize the password, even its told there doesnt need to be one

motoman said:
I've never seen anything work other than this.

The quickest way to get everything talking again is to set up one real account for sharing and always use that over UNC paths.

On the Windows 11 PC create a local account with a password, go to Settings > Accounts > Other users > Add account > I do not have this persons sign in info > Add a user without a Microsoft account. Call it for example UserShares and set a password. Sign out is not required.

On that Windows 11 PC share a test folder with that user and keep sharing secured. Right click any folder you want to share > Properties > Sharing > Advanced Sharing. Check Share this folder > Permissions. Remove Everyone if it is present. Add UserShares and give it Change and Read. OK all dialogs.

Now open the old Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Change advanced sharing settings. Under Private make sure Network discovery and File and printer sharing are On. Under All networks set Password protected sharing to On.

From the other PC's, press Win+R and type \\W11ComputerName\SharedFolder then Enter. If you are prompted, choose More choices > Use a different account. Enter W11ComputerName\UserShares and that password. Tick Remember my credentials.

That's it, problem solved.

Ran through this exactly. Notta

Ive gone through every possible fix suggested on this thread and still notta

Looks like a reimage is going to be the only way....FML so stupid

motoman · Nov 19, 2025

Yeh it's time to do what Try3 suggested a while back.
They 'MS" need to drop Home version of Windows and do just Pro for home and another version for Corp. All this security isn't needed at home.
They keep doing silly things, anyone remember Windows Home Server? That, for my use was great, yet poof they had to kill that.

Ruester · Dec 4, 2025

IF anyone comes across this thread in the future i finally found a working fix after literally breaking my sanity trying to fix this issue.

Windows 11-24H2 Update KB5065426 Causes RDP, File Sharing And Printer Connectivity Issues With PVS And MCS Machines

support.citrix.com

Run the tool, then edit the policy, it targets the one update that broke the Network share capabilities. No having to mess with SIDs or the million other things i have tried and failed

glasskuter · Dec 4, 2025

Thank you for your post. The sad thing is that sharing has been screwed up for many folks long before the update of Sept. 2025. Microsoft has never 100% mastered keeping networking solid, especially when mixed systems are in the network. The issues encountered (and the solutions) are varied, even more so with MS tightened security measures. There is no one size fits all, especially in consumer networks.

Try3 · Dec 4, 2025

Ruester said:
i finally found a working fix

And well done for posting.

The Citrix explanation indicates that the problem only ocurred for computers that had been set up from a master image and that therefore had identical SIDs.

Citrix said:
Each machine local SID in a Citrix MCS or PVS catalog will be identical, all machines sharing a particular vDisk or Master Image will be affected by this update. The duplicate SID leads to this problem where new Microsoft enforcement has been applied

1 Were your computers in this position or did both your problem & that solution apply to conventionally set up systems as well?
2 Did you monitor the Registry changes that the policy changed [that Home users would have to do manually]?

I had got the impression from the many people reporting problems that the loss of network was affecting all kinds of setups. I thought I saw some commonality in that several people reporting that they had SMB1 enabled.

I have the Home edition [Win10, Win11, Win7, WinXP, WinMe] and have only experienced one networking problem in twenty-five years.
That exception was an inability to transfer very large files [>2MB, I think] over my network and that was caused by my failure to use their specialist tool when I uninstalled Norton about fifteen years ago.

All the best,
Denis

garlin · Dec 4, 2025

Ruester said:
IF anyone comes across this thread in the future i finally found a working fix after literally breaking my sanity trying to fix this issue.

Windows 11-24H2 Update KB5065426 Causes RDP, File Sharing And Printer Connectivity Issues With PVS And MCS Machines

Windows 11-24H2 Update KB5065426 Causes RDP, File Sharing And Printer Connectivity Issues With PVS And MCS Machines

support.citrix.com

Run the tool, then edit the policy, it targets the one update that broke the Network share capabilities. No having to mess with SIDs or the million other things i have tried and failed

For everyone else, you don't need to install the KIR download. This is the same change written as a reg file, or you can use ViveTool to turn off that Windows feature.

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Policies\Microsoft\FeatureManagement\Overrides]
"1517186191"=dword:00000000

Code:

ViveTool.exe /disable /id:55115949

pseymour · Dec 4, 2025

Try3 said:
The Citrix explanation indicates that the problem only ocurred for computers that had been set up from a master image and that therefore had identical SIDs.

Citrix has specifically said not to Sysprep, in particular with MCS. I think the advice for PVS was the same, but it's been a while since I used Provisioning Server.

Create machine catalogs | Citrix DaaS™

Collections of physical or virtual machines are managed as a single entity called a machine catalog. Within a machine catalog, all machines share a common operating system type, which can be either multi-session OS or single-session OS, such as Windows or Linux-based systems.

docs.citrix.com

jeaniak · Dec 10, 2025

Nothing I have found has worked at all. It's insanity.

WIN 11 Updates broke private network mapping/sharing

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