Windows 10: Can only see public files on my networked PCs

I have three windows 10 PCs. An HP laptop, an HP all in one and an old Desktop.

All PCs are fully up to date on Software.

I have applied all the suggestions on local services - Function Discovery Provider and Function Discovery resources set to automatic delayed start, DNS Client on automatic and running, UPnP device host on automatic and running. All PCs have ALL the correct settings for file sharing. The "C" drive and all the folders that I want to share all have the correct permissions set to everyone.

When I go to file explorer and network I see the other two PCs and I see c (drive) as well as users, but when I try to access any folder I get the cannot access message. I can however access any file or folder that is in a public area.

I run Bullguard on all the PCs and have already uninstalled it on all of the PCs but the problem still exists.

I have also tried turning the windows firewall off - still no difference.

This problem occurred after a recent update, but not sure which one as we have had so many problems with HP printers that I was not looking at the networking.


Any thoughts ?

:)

 

Network showing as public

Hi Connor,

By default, the public network location type is assigned to any new networks when they are first connected. A public network is considered to be shared with the world, with no protection between the local computer and any other computer. Therefore,
the Windows Firewall rules associated with the public profile are the most restrictive.

To change settings from public to private, follow the steps below:

• Open the Locale Security Policy.
• In the left pane, click/tap on Network List Manager Policies.
• In the right pane of Network List Manager Policies, double click/tap on your network name
• Click/tap on the Network Location tab.
• Under Location type, select Private.
• Under User permissions, select (dot) User cannot change location.
• Click/tap on OK, and close Local Security Policy.

Note: You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to change the network location of a network adapter.

Let us know if you have other questions.

 

Public Network

It's good to know that you have already contacted your service provider. This helps us to further isolate the issue. Before we can conclude that a hacker has gotten into your computer and making changes to the system, we need to identify first, whether or
not this is a system issue. There are other Windows 10 users, although not common, who are experiencing the same issue as you and found different resolutions that you can try. Try the methods below and check if it helps:

Method 1: Change the network location using the Settings App.

• Click on Start.
• Click on Settings.
• Click on Network & Internet.
• Click on Ethernet.
• Click on the network where you're connected.
• Turn on the option to Make this PC discoverable. This turns your public network location into a private one.

Method 2: Change the network location using Windows PowerShell.

We have a found a thread with a similar issue to yours. Check the Answer provided by
NiklasE rlhm in this thread and check if it applies.
Other Community members have found it helpful.

Method 3: Refresh network adapter connections in Device Manager.

You may follow the steps provided in this article. Note that the steps in the article
are supposedly for Windows 7, but should still work with Windows 10, although, the step-by-step provided might be a bit different.

Should you encounter any further issues, please do get back to us.

 

Change Network from Public to Private

Hi,

Thank you for your interest in Windows 10.

I suggest you to follow the steps below to
change your network from Public to Private:

• 
  Type PowerShell in Search Window and then right click on it and click on
  Run as Administrator.
  
• 
  Type the following command to find your interface Index:
  Get-NetConnectionProfile
  
• 
  Use your interface index (for example 5) with this command:
  Set-NetConnectionProfile -InterfaceIndex 5 -NetworkCategory Private
  
• 
  Now reboot the device and check if the network has changed from Public to Private.
  

Hope this information is helpful. Please do let us know if you need further assistance, we’ll be glad to assist you.