[TIP] LAN sharing using Microsoft Account credentials

[Metanis]

Situation: 2 machines on single non-domain LAN. Local user accounts. Networked File Sharing worked perfectly.

Changed: User switches to using a Microsoft Account to login to the same local account. Both machines are using the same Microsoft Account now.

Symptom: Machines will no longer share, constantly prompts for "network credentials". (Nothing seems to work!)

Solution:

1. Settings>Sign-in options> Disable "Require Windows Hello sign-in for Microsoft Accounts"!
2. Remove Windows Hello Pin (force password login)!
3. Reboot machine.
4. When prompted to enter network credentials use the format: MicrosoftAccount\username@maildomain and correct current password (not PIN!).

For whatever internal reason, file sharing will not work if a Windows Hello PIN is enabled. Must use a password login.

 

[britechguy]

Thanks for the tip. Much appreciated!

 

[Sky-Knight]

The pin doesn't work because it's not a password. SMB requires the UPN + password pair to authenticate.

What I do in these cases is make a 2nd account on each machine that's a local user, non admin. It's a local account, unique username and password. This account exists for the sole purpose of allowing each machine to talk to each other. Since in environments of this scale, security really isn't a consideration.

Then it's winkey + r, \\computername\sharename, username / password from above, tick the box to save, and watch the thing work. No reboots, no configuration changes, just working shares.

I don't even want to think about how many small networks I support that have a quickbooks user on them, I'll give you 1 guess what it's for!