How to Fix “You might not have permission to use this network resource”

As a Computer AMC Services provider in New Delhi, we often come across the dreaded message: “\\computername is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this network resource. Contact the administrator of this server to find out if you have access permission.” This error can be frustrating, especially when you need to access important files or resources on another computer in your network. In this article, we will discuss the causes of this error and provide solutions to fix it.

We follow this method to resolve this problem. We will create a troubleshooting guide for file sharing on the network between two computers. Unfortunately, Windows can be problematic and you may not be able to access the share on other computers, even if you think everything should work.

“\\computername is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this network resource. Contact the administrator of this server to find out if you have access permission”

What Causes the “You might not have Permission to Use this Network Resource” Error?

The “You might not have permission to use this network resource” error message can appear for several reasons. The most common cause is a permission issue. If the user trying to access the network resource does not have the appropriate permissions, they will be unable to access the resource. This issue can occur when a user tries to access a network resource that is password-protected or requires specific user credentials.

This problem usually occurs when Windows 10 users want to access data stored on other computers, servers, and networks. After trying to access the server, the following message appears indicating that access is not possible. Check out the list below in order to see the most common causes for this specific problem. Identifying the correct cause is the first step in resolving the problem successfully and you should definitely check this out:

There are several methods used by users in order to resolve this problem and we recommend you follow the instructions below carefully.

• If you are trying to access a shared printer on the network, you should enable file and printer sharing on the host computer.
• In order to access a remote server or computer, Windows sometimes needs to have a credential in order to trust the connection. Make sure you add it.
• If all computers connected to the network don’t support the same type of encryption, problems like this are bound to occur.

Solution 1: Turning on Printer and Folder sharing

If several computers are connected to a printer, there should be a host PC where the printer is installed. When trying to access the printer from a different computer, you might receive the error message saying you don’t have permission to access the network resource. In order to resolve that, you should definitely check if Printer and Folder Sharing are turned on for the network.

1. Open the Control Panel by searching for the utility in the Start button or by clicking the Search button (Cortana) button at the left part of your taskbar (bottom left part of your screen.
2. You can also use the Windows Key + R key combo where you should type “control.exe” and click Run which will also open the Control Panel directly.
3. Switch the View by setting at the top right section of the window to Category and click on Network and Internet at the upper part of the window. Click the Network and Sharing Center button in order to open it. Try to find the Change advanced sharing settings button at the left menu and click on it.

4. Expand the required network profile (Public or Private) under the “Change sharing options for different network profiles” section.
5. Check the File and printer sharing section and set the radio button next to the Turn on file and printer sharing
6. Click the Save Changes button and make sure you grant administrator permissions. Check to see if the “You might not have permission to use this network resource” error message still appears!

Solution 2: Adding a Windows Credential

If you are trying to connect to a remote server computer and the connection keeps failing, you might want to add a credential that will stop Windows from preventing this connection. In order to proceed, you will need to know the network address, username, and password of the remote computer or server.

1. Start up the Control Panel by searching for the utility in the Start button or by clicking the Search button (Cortana) button at the left part of your taskbar (bottom left part of your screen.
2. You can also use the Windows Key + R key combo where you should type “control.exe” and click Run which will also open the Control Panel directly.

3. Change the View by option to Large icons at the top right part of the Control Panel window and try to locate the Credentials Manager
4. Switch the view from Web Credentials to Windows Credentials and click the Add a Windows credential button under the respective section.
5. Enter the remote server computer name (IP address) in the Internet or network address, and enter the User name and Password respectively. This will ensure a better connection and hopefully resolve the problem.

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Solution 3: Editing LSA Registry Entry

Editing the LSA key in the registry should enable you to connect to the remote computer. This set of steps should be performed on the host computer of the workgroup, homegroup, or any other network with a centralized host computer. Make sure you are careful when handling the keys.

PRO TIP: If the issue is with your computer or a laptop/notebook you should try using computer Repair Services which can save your time.

1. Since you are going to delete a registry key, Please back up your Registry before deleting the key.
2. Open the Registry Editor window by typing “regedit” in either the search bar, the Start menu, or the Run dialog box which can be accessed with the Windows Key + R key combination. Navigate to the following key in your registry by navigating at the left pane:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa

3. Click on this key and try to locate an entry named restrictanonymous. If it’s not there, create a new DWORD Value entry called restrictanonymous by right-clicking at the right side of the window and choosing New >> DWORD (32-bit) Value. Right-click on it, and choose the Modify option from the context menu.

4. In the Edit window, under the Value data section change the value to 0 and apply the changes you have made. Make sure the Base is set to Decimal. Confirm any security dialogs that may appear during this process.
5. You can now manually restart your computer by clicking Start menu >> Power button >> Restart and check to see if the problem is gone. This will probably resolve the problem immediately.

Solution 4: Enable File Sharing for Devices that use 40- or 56-bit Encryption

This method is mostly aimed at networks where computers consist of several different operating systems which can sometimes go into conflict regarding the encryption used. For example, certain versions of Windows choose the 128-bit encryption by default which is not compatible with other versions. Either way, choose the same encryption for all connected computers in order to avoid problems.

1. Start up the Control Panel by searching for the utility in the Start button or by clicking the Search Button (Cortana) button at the left part of your taskbar (bottom left part of your screen.
2. You can also use the Windows Key + R key combo where you should type “control.exe” and click Run which will also open the Control Panel directly.
3. Switch the View by setting at the top right section of the window to Category and click on Network and Internet at the upper part of the window. Click the Network and Sharing Center button in order to open it. Try to find the Change advanced sharing settings button at the left menu and click on it.

4. Expand the required All Networks section under the “Change sharing options for different network profiles” section.
5. Check the File sharing connections section and set the radio button next to the Enable file sharing for devices that use 40- or 56-bit encryption.
6. Click the Save Changes button and make sure you grant administrator permissions. Check to see if the “You might not have permission to use this network resource” error message still appears!

Solution 5: Check Firewall Settings

The third solution is to check the firewall settings. If the firewall is blocking the connection, users will be unable to access the network resource. To check the firewall settings, go to Control Panel > Windows Defender Firewall > Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall. Ensure that the app or feature needed to access the network resource is allowed through the firewall. You can follow the detailed tutorial on How to Turn Microsoft Defender Firewall on or off.

Conclusion

The “You might not have permission to use this network resource” error message is a common problem in computer network sharing. It can be caused by permission issues, misconfigured networks, or firewall settings. By checking permissions, network configuration, firewall settings, and restarting the computer, users can resolve this error and gain access to the network resource. As a computer repair service provider in New Delhi, we recommend following these solutions to fix the error and ensure smooth network sharing.