WinRE SMB networking broken?

I'm running Windows 11 Pro 25H2 OS build 26200.8894 with WinRE 10.0.26100.8875

When I boot into WinRE, ipconfig shows my NIC. So far so good.

After running winpeinit, ipconfig shows my network and I can ping machines on it. So far so good.

After attempting to unsuccessfully map a drive or even dir via ip a known machine ip and share, looking futher I realize per below that Lanman Workstation isn't running and can't be started because one of the the dependencies, MRxSmb20 can't be started.

Grabbing a current media creation tool I make a bootable usb installer to use for testing a clean WinRE environment. At the time of this writing this builds Microsoft Windows 10.0.26100.1, WinRE 10.0.26100.8873

I get the same results.

Possibly it's related to my NIC?

I've tried with my Lenovo ThinkPad Universal Thunderbolt 4 Dock 40B00135U and a Lenovo USB-C to 2.5G Ethernet Adapter, both are idenitifed as a Realtek USB GbE Family Controller.

Just wondering if I'm the Lone Ranger and if anybody else might be able to confirm they are able to run WinRE (any version) with SMB networking functioning.

Windows 11 Pro 25H2 OS build 26200.8894, WinRE 10.0.26100.8875

C:\Windows\System32>sc query lanmanworkstation

SERVICE_NAME: lanmanworkstation
TYPE : 20 WIN32_SHARE_PROCESS
STATE : 1 STOPPED
WIN32_EXIT_CODE : 1068 (0x42c)
SERVICE_EXIT_CODE : 0 (0x0)
CHECKPOINT : 0x0
WAIT_HINT : 0x0

C:\Windows\System32>sc qc lanmanworkstation
[SC] QueryServiceConfig SUCCESS

SERVICE_NAME: lanmanworkstation
TYPE : 20 WIN32_SHARE_PROCESS
START_TYPE : 2 AUTO_START
ERROR_CONTROL : 1 NORMAL
BINARY_PATH_NAME : X:\windows\System32\svchost.exe -k NetworkService -p
LOAD_ORDER_GROUP : NetworkProvider
TAG : 0
DISPLAY_NAME : Workstation
DEPENDENCIES : MRxSmb20
: NSI
: Bowser
SERVICE_START_NAME : NT AUTHORITY\NetworkService

C:\Windows\System32>sc query nsi

SERVICE_NAME: nsi
TYPE : 20 WIN32_SHARE_PROCESS
STATE : 4 RUNNING
(STOPPABLE, NOT_PAUSABLE, IGNORES_SHUTDOWN)
WIN32_EXIT_CODE : 0 (0x0)
SERVICE_EXIT_CODE : 0 (0x0)
CHECKPOINT : 0x0
WAIT_HINT : 0x0

C:\Windows\System32>sc query bowser

SERVICE_NAME: bowser
TYPE : 2 FILE_SYSTEM_DRIVER
STATE : 4 RUNNING
(STOPPABLE, NOT_PAUSABLE, IGNORES_SHUTDOWN)
WIN32_EXIT_CODE : 0 (0x0)
SERVICE_EXIT_CODE : 0 (0x0)
CHECKPOINT : 0x0
WAIT_HINT : 0x0

C:\Windows\System32>sc query mrxsmb20

SERVICE_NAME: mrxsmb20
TYPE : 2 FILE_SYSTEM_DRIVER
STATE : 1 STOPPED
WIN32_EXIT_CODE : 127 (0x7f)
SERVICE_EXIT_CODE : 0 (0x0)
CHECKPOINT : 0x0
WAIT_HINT : 0x0

C:\Windows\System32>sc qc mrxsmb20
[SC] QueryServiceConfig SUCCESS

SERVICE_NAME: mrxsmb20
TYPE : 2 FILE_SYSTEM_DRIVER
START_TYPE : 3 DEMAND_START
ERROR_CONTROL : 1 NORMAL
BINARY_PATH_NAME : system32\DRIVERS\mrxsmb20.sys
LOAD_ORDER_GROUP : Network
TAG : 7
DISPLAY_NAME : SMB 2.0 MiniRedirector
DEPENDENCIES : mrxsmb
SERVICE_START_NAME :

C:\Windows\System32>sc query mrxsmb

SERVICE_NAME: mrxsmb
TYPE : 2 FILE_SYSTEM_DRIVER
STATE : 4 RUNNING
(STOPPABLE, NOT_PAUSABLE, IGNORES_SHUTDOWN)
WIN32_EXIT_CODE : 0 (0x0)
SERVICE_EXIT_CODE : 0 (0x0)
CHECKPOINT : 0x0
WAIT_HINT : 0x0

C:\Windows\System32>sc start mrxsmb20
[SC] StartService FAILED 127:

The specified procedure could not be found.

Windows Install USB, WinRE

C:\Windows\System32>ver

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.26100.1]

C:\Windows\System32>sc query lanmanworkstation

SERVICE_NAME: lanmanworkstation
TYPE : 20 WIN32_SHARE_PROCESS
STATE : 1 STOPPED
WIN32_EXIT_CODE : 1068 (0x42c)
SERVICE_EXIT_CODE : 0 (0x0)
CHECKPOINT : 0x0
WAIT_HINT : 0x0

C:\Windows\System32>sc qc lanmanworkstation
[SC] QueryServiceConfig SUCCESS

SERVICE_NAME: lanmanworkstation
TYPE : 20 WIN32_SHARE_PROCESS
START_TYPE : 2 AUTO_START
ERROR_CONTROL : 1 NORMAL
BINARY_PATH_NAME : X:\windows\System32\svchost.exe -k NetworkService -p
LOAD_ORDER_GROUP : NetworkProvider
TAG : 0
DISPLAY_NAME : Workstation
DEPENDENCIES : MRxSmb20
: NSI
: Bowser
SERVICE_START_NAME : NT AUTHORITY\NetworkService

C:\Windows\System32>sc query mrxsmb20

SERVICE_NAME: mrxsmb20
TYPE : 2 FILE_SYSTEM_DRIVER
STATE : 1 STOPPED
WIN32_EXIT_CODE : 127 (0x7f)
SERVICE_EXIT_CODE : 0 (0x0)
CHECKPOINT : 0x0
WAIT_HINT : 0x0

C:\Windows\System32>sc qc mrxsmb20
[SC] QueryServiceConfig SUCCESS

SERVICE_NAME: mrxsmb20
TYPE : 2 FILE_SYSTEM_DRIVER
START_TYPE : 3 DEMAND_START
ERROR_CONTROL : 1 NORMAL
BINARY_PATH_NAME : system32\DRIVERS\mrxsmb20.sys
LOAD_ORDER_GROUP : Network
TAG : 7
DISPLAY_NAME : SMB 2.0 MiniRedirector
DEPENDENCIES : mrxsmb
SERVICE_START_NAME :

C:\Windows\System32>sc query mrxsmb

SERVICE_NAME: mrxsmb
TYPE : 2 FILE_SYSTEM_DRIVER
STATE : 4 RUNNING
(STOPPABLE, NOT_PAUSABLE, IGNORES_SHUTDOWN)
WIN32_EXIT_CODE : 0 (0x0)
SERVICE_EXIT_CODE : 0 (0x0)
CHECKPOINT : 0x0
WAIT_HINT : 0x0

C:\Windows\System32>sc start lanmanworkstation
[SC] StartService FAILED 1068:

The dependency service or group failed to start.

C:\Windows\System32>sc start mrxsmb20
[SC] StartService FAILED 127:

The specified procedure could not be found.