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Not using SERVER server because I don't (think I) need the robustness of it, plus I've never touched it.

Like 4 users at a time max, doing file serving, and will be hitting licensed software that will be appropriately licensed.

Basically, I need 5 client computers to be able to have full access of a shared, mapped drive.

That's it.

First boggle:

If client computer is signed in to with a Microsoft ID, it can't access the server, nor the drive within it. Getting a user/password prompt on client machine. No credentials I enter seem to work.

If I log into a local ID on client computer, it seems to access server and drive just fine.

Whether server is logged in with local or Microsoft account, same issue. Client logged in with Microsoft can't access shared computer/drive.

Any thoughts on boggle #1?

I haven't done this in at least 10 years. So rusty.

What specific version of Windows are you using?

Are they on a network?

Have you set permissions for the Microsoft ID on the "server"?

Win11 Pro. Yes, network is established and works on the server I'm replacing.

"Permissions on Microsoft ID." What? Do you mean file permissions, like what the "Everyone" group can access?

Not just file permissions, but remote access permissions too.

Also, 'splain the differences in accounts. Why aren't your other IDs officially MS accounts? MS kind of forces that shit these days. Is there a reason they can't be MS accounts or why this one must be an MS account?

There are official Microsoft accounts. Server has one, it's the general account for the office. Client has one, for whose particular desk that is.

For testing purposes, I have created "Local user" accounts on both the server, and a local PC on the LAN.

When server is on Microsoft account:
Local PC can access shared server drive when signed in as local user. Not when logged in on a Microsoft account.

When server is on local account:
No difference.

The problem seems to be with the client, signed in with a Microsoft account.

When client is logged in as local user, no problem. Mapped server drive available.

"Require password for sharing" is turned off on server, in advanced sharing permissions.

I have required all systems to require password at login, not the pin. Which is a pain in the ass because when creating an account you are forced to set it.to pin. You have to undo it.

Ok. So who knows of a tech support service I can call and pay them for an hour to figure this out? I assume Microsoft doesn't give live tech support for their products.

Yeah, sorry I can't help you with this odd setup and issue.

MS has live support, but you'll get charged and will probably get told to buy MS Server.

I would start with free tech forums on the web, even MS' own.

I can't wait for someone to read a message and maybe respond within a couple days and then they didn't understand the question that was clearly stated.

I'll pay an hour for live support.

In my research I've seen a hundred, "Try this!" and then the microsoft agent says "Ok it looks like there's a solution, closing ticket!" and then the original person says "Yeah, that didn't work."

Currently in with Microsoft live tech support. They're controlling client and server. They have gone through all of my network settings, and changed nothing. They're like, "huh."

It's being escalated.

For the record. Me not dumbass.

GORDON wrote: ↑Tue Jan 02, 2024 2:17 pm Currently in with Microsoft live tech support. They're controlling client and server. They have gone through all of my network settings, and changed nothing. They're like, "huh."

It's being escalated.

For the record. Me not dumbass.

Or.... tech support is also dumbass

TheCatt wrote: ↑Tue Jan 02, 2024 2:25 pm

GORDON wrote: ↑Tue Jan 02, 2024 2:17 pm Currently in with Microsoft live tech support. They're controlling client and server. They have gone through all of my network settings, and changed nothing. They're like, "huh."

It's being escalated.

For the record. Me not dumbass.

Or.... tech support is also dumbass

I mean...

I'm actually surprised they haven't told you "We're not fixing this way of getting around buying a server license."

Why would one need a server license for the sole purpose of wanting to share/map a network drive?

ALmost 2 hours online. It got escalated at least once. The person kept going over and over the same settings I went over and over a dozen times. Then, after a long pause, someone went directly into Network settings, went to the NIC hardware properties, turned a thing on that had been off, then it all worked.

GORDON wrote: ↑Tue Jan 02, 2024 3:33 pm Why would one need a server license for the sole purpose of wanting to share/map a network drive?

Cuz that's literally what a server is?

GORDON wrote: ↑Tue Jan 02, 2024 3:33 pm went to the NIC hardware properties, turned a thing on that had been off, then it all worked.

Was it like Microsoft File Sharing or something? Or what? C'mon for posterity.

TheCatt wrote: ↑Tue Jan 02, 2024 3:45 pm Was it like Microsoft File Sharing or something?

That would be hilarious.

TheCatt wrote: ↑Tue Jan 02, 2024 3:45 pm

GORDON wrote: ↑Tue Jan 02, 2024 3:33 pm Why would one need a server license for the sole purpose of wanting to share/map a network drive?

Cuz that's literally what a server is?

And has been a functioning thing on every personal windows version.

TheCatt wrote: ↑Tue Jan 02, 2024 3:45 pm

GORDON wrote: ↑Tue Jan 02, 2024 3:33 pm went to the NIC hardware properties, turned a thing on that had been off, then it all worked.

Was it like Microsoft File Sharing or something? Or what? C'mon for posterity.

I was trying to follow along, but the new person drilled down to it quick, scrolled quick, clicked quick.

Maybe something something multiplexer?

But I'm not certain.

GORDON wrote: ↑Tue Jan 02, 2024 4:05 pmmultiplexer

Now he's just making up sci-fi words.

Funny post script:

Server working, I waited for this weekend to migrate to the new machine.

Migrated the data, while waiting for that I went to a client and was just double checking that it was all still good to go.

Nothing was. Nothing that was working when I left Monday was still working. I went into the same NIC setting that I briefly saw them change, and the change was undone. I redid the change. Hit OK. I went back into the setting immediately, and it was undone. Redid it. Hit OK.

It doesn't stick.

Fuck it, I'm just making sure everyone in the office is signed into Windows with a local account. Everything works fine then.

My problem is that I was never a network guy, I just learned some stuff to make games work better. This is very frustrating when that turns me into 24/7 IT expert.

Everything seems to be working, knock on wood. They've been on the new server all morning.

I was worried about "file already in use by someone else" issues, but none so far.

For the record, Windows Home Server 2011 on a Lenovo ThinkServer was a stable AF platform. It was on nearly continuously for over 10 years, no crashes. And when the office was hit by ransomware about 5 years ago, the server/data didn't get encrypted.