Network credentials on your PC matter because they keep other people from using your computer over the network. The feature is essential for protecting your important files and improving the overall security of your system, but it can also cause problems from time to time.
A common one is when the network Credential Manager keeps showing the "Enter Network Credentials" dialog, even when you enter the correct credentials. In this guide, we walk through several troubleshooting methods you can try to put an end to the problem for good.
1. Modify the Advanced Sharing settings
Incorrect Advanced Sharing settings are one of the most common causes of this error. Ideally, your PC should be allowed to manage homegroup connections. You can also use the Advanced Sharing settings page to turn off password protected sharing, which lets you share files without signing in.
Here is how to configure the Advanced Sharing settings correctly:
1. Find the network icon on your taskbar and right-click it.
2. Select Network and Internet settings from the context menu.
3. In the next window, select Network and Sharing Center.
4. Choose the Change advanced sharing settings option on the left.
5. Now turn on the Allow Windows to manage homegroup connections (recommended) option under Homegroup connections.
6. Click Save changes (you will need admin access for this).
7. Now expand the All Networks section and turn on the Turn off password protected sharing option.
8. Click the Save changes button to finish the process.
After you transfer your files, turn password protected sharing back on so other people can't easily access your PC.
2. Use your Microsoft account credentials or the computer name
You can also try signing in to the target PC with your Microsoft account credentials instead of a local username and password.
Alternatively, try entering the name of the computer you are using together with your username in the text field labeled Username. Don't type spaces, hyphens, or any other symbols between the names.
If the problem comes down to your sign-in details, one of these two methods may get rid of it permanently.
3. Manually add the target computer's credentials to Credential Manager
Another way to fix the problem is to add the target computer's credentials to Credential Manager by hand and see whether that makes a difference.
Here is how to do it:
1. Type "Credential Manager" into Windows Search and click Open.
2. Select Windows Credential and click Add a Windows Credential.
3. Now add the username, computer name, and password of the computer you are trying to access. Check whether you can now share files with the other device successfully.
4. Create a new user account on both devices
Sometimes a user account gets corrupted and keeps you from performing certain actions. If that happens on your PC or the target computer, it can interrupt file sharing.
To fix this, first try switching to a different user account on your computer and see if that works. If it doesn't, create a new user account on both devices with the same username and password. Make sure both accounts have admin privileges. While you do this, temporarily disable any third-party antivirus program you may be using, since it can sometimes block network access.
If a corrupted user account is the root of the problem, this is enough to fix it.
5. Restart the Credential Manager service
The problem can also lie with the Credential Manager service itself rather than the target computer or the network settings on your device. With this method, we first enable the Credential Manager service if it is turned off.
If it is already running, restart the service and see whether that helps. Here is what to do:
1. Press Win + R to open Run.
2. Type services.msc into Run and press Enter.
3. In the next window, find the Credential Manager service and right-click it.
4. Select Properties from the context menu.
5. If the service is stopped, click the Start button to enable it.
6. If the service is already running, click the Stop button, wait a few seconds, then click the Start button.
7. Make sure the Startup type is set to Automatic.
8. Click Apply > OK to save the changes.
Now try connecting to the target computer and see whether you can do so without any trouble.
6. Make changes to Local Security Policy
Some users have also fixed the problem by changing the setting of the "Accounts: Limit local account use of blank passwords to console logon only" policy. Here is how you can try it:
1. Press the Win + R keys to open Run.
2. Type "secpol.msc" into Run and press Enter.
3. In the window, navigate to the following location:
Local Policies > Security Options > Accounts: Limit local account use of blank passwords to console logon only4. Select Disabled and click Apply > OK to save the change.
5. Restart your computer and check whether the problem is resolved.
7. Try Safe Mode With Networking
If the credentials you are entering and all the network configurations on your system are correct, a system-level error may have occurred.
In that case, you can boot into Safe Mode to pinpoint the cause. Safe Mode starts Windows with only a basic set of drivers and applications, the ones the operating system needs to run.
There are several types of Safe Mode, including Minimal, Alternate Shell, Active Directory Repair, and Network. In this method, we boot Windows into Safe Mode With Networking. This mode launches Windows with the drivers and programs needed to connect the system to the Internet or other devices over the network.
If the current error doesn't appear in Safe Mode, malware or another software problem is likely causing it. Here is what to do:
1. Go to the Start menu and click the Power button.
2. Select Restart while holding the Shift key.
3. Wait for Windows to boot into recovery mode, then select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options.
4. Navigate to Startup Settings > Restart.
5. In the next window, press the F5 key on your keyboard to boot into Safe Mode With Networking.
6. After you sign in to Safe Mode, try connecting to the device you were trying to reach before. If the error doesn't appear in Safe Mode, you may want to report the issue to Microsoft's official support team and wait for them to fix it.
If you can't reach this Windows state using the steps above, you can try other ways to boot into Safe Mode.
