Fix Windows 11 “Enter Network Credentials” Prompts When Accessing Shared Printers

Fixing “Enter Network Credentials” Prompts Between Windows 11 Workstations

If you’ve recently upgraded to Windows 11 and suddenly can’t connect to shared printers or file shares between PCs on the same domain, you’re not alone. Many admins have run into the same issue — a frustrating “Enter network credentials” prompt that doesn’t accept any username or password, even when the machines are domain-joined and configured exactly like before.

The surprising part? Everything worked perfectly on Windows 10. So, what changed?

The short answer: Windows 11 introduced stricter authentication and SMB security defaults, and those changes are breaking older sharing configurations. Let’s dig into why this happens and how to fix it.

What’s Actually Happening

When a Windows 11 workstation tries to connect to another PC’s shared printer or file share (using something like \\WS), it now enforces newer versions of NTLM, Kerberos, and SMB (Server Message Block) protocols.

If your network still relies on older NTLM responses, guest access, or unsigned SMB sessions, Windows 11 will reject those connections — prompting for credentials that it then refuses to accept.

In short, the credentials aren’t wrong. The underlying authentication handshake fails before they’re even validated.

1️⃣ Start With Basic Connectivity Checks

Before digging into policy settings, make sure your PCs can see and talk to each other properly.

Open Command Prompt and run:

ping WS

net view \\WS

If ping fails, check network discovery, firewall rules, and domain name resolution.
If net view \\WS returns a list of shares, connectivity and SMB are fine — your problem is likely authentication policy, not the printer or file share itself.

2️⃣ Understand What Changed in Windows 11

Windows 11 increased baseline security requirements for SMB and authentication protocols:

SMBv1 is completely disabled (it’s insecure and deprecated).
NTLMv1 and LM authentication are blocked unless re-enabled via policy.
Guest access to shared folders is disabled.
SMB signing and encryption may now be required by default.

That’s a big leap from Windows 10, which still tolerated older authentication methods. So when a Windows 11 machine tries to connect to a legacy SMB share, the connection can break unless both ends are aligned on the same security policies.

3️⃣ Check Local and Domain Security Policies

On the target machine (the one hosting the share or printer), open the Local Security Policy Editor (secpol.msc) and review these settings:

Path:
Local Policies → Security Options

Look for and align the following:

Policy	Recommended Setting
Network security: LAN Manager authentication level	“Send NTLMv2 response only. Refuse LM & NTLM.”
Network security: Restrict NTLM: Incoming/Outgoing traffic	Ensure “Deny all” is not selected.
Microsoft network client: Digitally sign communications (always)	Set to “Disabled” unless your environment enforces signing.
Microsoft network server: Digitally sign communications (always)	Should match the client configuration.

If you’re running a mixed Windows 10 and 11 environment, ensure all systems use NTLMv2 and SMB 3.x at minimum.

4️⃣ Review Group Policy and Kerberos Behavior

In domain environments, Group Policy (or Intune security baselines) may enforce stricter Kerberos or NTLM controls.

Check applied policies with:

gpresult /h gp.html

Then, confirm Kerberos authentication health with:

klist

If Kerberos tickets don’t exist or are expired, Windows may fall back to NTLM — which could be blocked. Also, ensure system clocks are synchronized within five minutes of domain controllers; time skew breaks Kerberos authentication.

5️⃣ Verify User Profiles and Permissions

Windows 11 can sometimes fail to authenticate users who’ve never logged into the workstation hosting the share.

If a user account doesn’t yet have a local profile, the system can’t map the SID (security identifier) properly, causing login failures even with valid credentials.

To check this:

Make sure the user has logged on to the target PC at least once.
Confirm the user (or their domain group) has permission to access the shared printer or folder.
Review share and NTFS permissions to make sure domain users aren’t restricted.

6️⃣ Practical Fixes and Workarounds

If the above checks don’t solve it, try these tested solutions:

A. Use NET USE for Manual Authentication

In Command Prompt:

net use * /delete

net use \\WS\sharename /user:DOMAIN\username

This forces Windows to request fresh credentials and create a new SMB session.

B. Clear Old Cached Credentials

Go to Control Panel → Credential Manager → Windows Credentials
Remove any outdated or incorrect entries for the workstation name.

C. Match SMB Versions

Run in PowerShell:

Get-SmbConnection

Make sure both machines use SMB 3.1.1 or later. If not, enable matching SMB versions with:

Set-SmbServerConfiguration -EnableSMB2Protocol $true

D. Disable Password Protected Sharing Temporarily

For testing only:

Settings → Network & Internet → Advanced Sharing Settings → Password Protected Sharing → Off

If it works afterward, your password protection policy may need adjusting.

7️⃣ Common Real-World Fixes from IT Admins

NTLMv2 enforcement mismatch: Align NTLM settings across all Windows versions.
Group Policy resets: Reapply or refresh domain policies after upgrading to Windows 11.
SMB signing issues: Turn off “Always Sign” temporarily if the environment doesn’t require it.
Credential manager cleanup: Old cached credentials often cause silent authentication failures.
Windows Update fixes: Some early 22H2 builds had known SMB credential bugs — patch your systems fully.

8️⃣ Key Takeaway: It’s a Policy Problem, Not a Printer Problem

If Windows 11 keeps prompting for credentials when accessing another workstation’s printer or shared folder, the issue lies in new security defaults, not the printer itself.

Windows 11 tightened SMB and NTLM security to protect networks from spoofing and relay attacks. To restore connectivity:

Align your SMB versions and authentication levels.
Confirm domain time sync and Kerberos health.
Verify permissions and cached credentials.
Test with net view \\WS and check security logs for authentication errors.

Once your SMB and NTLM policies match across all domain systems, Windows 11 will connect to shared printers and folders just as smoothly as Windows 10 did—only now, it’s more secure.