Windows 10: Win10 laptop suddenly refusing SMB1 connections

Something has happened to my laptop (running Windows 10) such that Android apps using SMB1 protocol can no longer connect to it. When I try to access the laptop from the Android ES File Explorer app, ES reports "The server that you want to set up requires SMB2.0...". ES gives an option to enable SMB2 but that's no use to me. I need to be able to access this computer from other Android apps that don't have SMB2 support (specifically the Android app I am currently developing).

I can still connect to my other Windows 10 box (tower machine) and my Seagate NAS drive without problem.

It was all working fine a week or so back. I haven't knowingly made any configuration changes in the interim but I did notice that the laptop's Workgroup setting reverted to "Workgroup" (which I subsequently changed back) so I'm guessing there's been some sort of automatic Windows update.

I have tried various remedies I found on the web and nothing has worked. Under "Programs and features", "Windows features", the option "SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support" is checked. I have tried putting an explicit DWORD SMB1=1 in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer
\Parameters. Most recently, I tried the following commands I found in a TechNibble article:

sc.exe config lanmanworkstation depend= bowser/mrxsmb10/mrxsmb20/nsi
sc.exe config mrxsmb10 start= auto
sc.exe config mrxsmb20 start= auto
reg add HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters /v SMB1 /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
reg add HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters /v SMB2 /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
powershell set-smbserverconfiguration -enablesmb1protocol $true
powershell set-smbserverconfiguration -enablesmb2protocol $true

Then rebooted. All to no avail. The laptop remains obstinately listed as "requiring SMB2" according to ES File Explorer, and other Android apps are unable to access it at all.

There's a secondary, minor, problem that started happening at the same time. I only mention it in case it's relevant. Before I had this problem, my Android apps were able to access all Windows shares by server name. Now, I can only access my tower PC and my NAS drive by explicit IP address. The translation of server name to IP seems to have stopped working for Android apps at the same time. Note that's only for Android apps. My Windows PCs can still find and access each other (and the NAS) by name.

Any suggestions why my laptop, and only my laptop, is now being listed as requiring SMB2 when it was working fine a week or so back? Any other diagnostics I can perform to determine whether SMB1 really is enabled? All help and advice gratefully received.

Regards
Keith

:)

 

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Hello, everybody. Paragon Diskmanager uses Window PE for its rescue disk. I have an old but good NAS-Server (iomega) installed, which apparently uses smb1. There is no way to connect to the NAS Server with WIN10-PE. Does someone know whether there is a
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Windows 10 and Server 2003

You should update your unsupported server.

To get your laptops to connect, you need to enable the insecure SMB1 on the laptops.

Control Panel

Programs and Features

Turn Windows features on or off

SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support

Uncheck SMB 1.0/CIFS Automatic Removal

Check SMB 1.0/CIFS Client

Check SMB 1.0/CIFS Server (only if you need to see Win10 shares from an old OS)

You should update your unsupported server.

 

SMBv1 has been disabled for a while in Android, Linux, Mac OS, because it is out dated and also is a huge security risk, which caused systems to be infected with Wanna cry and the last system wiper. The latest updates for Android should be forcing SMBv2 now.

 

Rumour has it that SMB1 may be removed in the Fall Creators Update. It was after all the vector by which Wannacry was spread.

I was worried that removing SMB1 may affect my ability to connect to shares on my router, but checking my 15063.540 system with smbserverconfiguration shows it's already turned off (not by me, so probably by a recent update).

 

No rumor about it. It is supposed to be gone, along with a lot of other legacy stuff. IE is supposed to also get pulled, even though you can always load it if you need it as a backup.

My Synology NAS has not has SMBv1 capabilities for some time. You can force it in SMB advanced, but it gets firewalled.

 

I don't really understand what you mean by disabled in Android. So far as I'm aware, Android itself doesn't offer any facilities to access network shares via SMB. It's all done by third party apps, usually using standard libraries, nearly all of which are currently SMB1. I don't see how Android could force SMB2. Also, in the Android world, the vast majority of devices are not using the latest version. They are normally locked onto whatever version the manufacturer pre-installed and aren't updatable unless rooted (which most lay users won't do).

For my app, I'm not too worried about security issues as it's designed to be used in a closed environment; just one PC and a dozen Android tablets connected by a WiFi router that has no onward connection to the internet.

I have managed to find an SMB2 library that I could use in my app but it's still under development and the programmatic interface is significantly different from the SMB1 library I'm currently using. It's therefore not a trivial task to convert and I'd rather complete my testing with the current library and leave SMB2 for a later release. As I said, my other Win10 box is still reachable using SMB1 so there must be some way I can get my laptop back to that state.

 

But, unfortunately, the Android world hasn't really caught up with this. SMB2 libraries available for app developers like myself to use are only just starting to appear and most legacy apps seem to be SMB1 only.

As I said in a previous post, security isn't an issue for me. Until recently, I had two Win10 boxes happily accepting SMB1 connections. I still have one. I just want to undo whatever happened to the other box so I can carry on with my testing. I assume there's an option to roll-back Windows updates?

 

I would avoid using SMB1, its very insecure.

 

In an ideal world, I would agree but I don't really have that option in the short term. Also, I don't perceive any great danger in a network environment that is isolated from the outside world.

 

Yes there is an option. Keep using SMBv2, since Google does not allow SMBv1 to be used with the OS. I have had zero problems with ES on my NVIDIA shield, Matricom box or Google Pixel, when it comes to connecting to my Synology NAS through FTP.

 

This is getting silly. To "keep" using SMB2 is not an option for me. What ES does or does not do is irrelevant. I am talking about my app that I am developing. Much as I would like to move to SMB2, the SMB libraries shipped with Android Studio were, unfortunately, SMB1 and that is what I developed against. I have recently found some SMB2 libraries but the interface is different and I don't have the time or resources to upgrade my app to SMB2 at this time. It was working perfectly well talking to both my laptop and my tower PC a week or so ago. Now it only works talking to the tower PC. I just want to get my laptop back to where it was.

These philosophical discussions as to whether one should, or should not, use SMB1 are very interesting and I have learned a lot from them but the bottom line is that I want to complete my testing so that my bridge club (who are the end user) can start using the scoring system. To do that, I need my laptop to accept an SMB1 connection. As I said before, the network upon which it is ultimately to be used is closed off from the outside world so I don't forsee any security threats. Once I've got the initial version up and running then, and only then, might I have time to look into upgrading it to use SMB2. As for Google/Android enforcing SMB2, that's a non issue so far as I am concerned. The version of Android in use on our kit is an old one that patently does permit SMB1 and that is unlikely to change in the near future, if ever.

So can we please put aside issues of whether I should, or should not, be using SMB1 and just accept the fact that, rightly or wrongly, that is what I wish to do. That said, can anyone now help me with my original question. What might have happened to my laptop to cause it to appear to Android as requiring SMB2 and is there any way to reverse that change?

 

You will continue to see SMBv1 blocked in Android OS, the developer tools and all OS's since the last wipeout worm that caused so many headaches a few months ago, gave a wakeup call to Microsoft and those who are developing tools. Only issue that we are dealing with are those who continue to not update the Java tools that people are relying on for keeping their older applications working with outdated devices that do not support the latest versions of Android.

Nothing silly. ES has zero issues working with SMBv2, since Google has killed SMBv1 from Android. It has also been stated that ES File Explorer needs to not be used anymore, because the developer has failed to keep up with the better apps that do not allow for various security holes.

There are plenty of better utilities out there. At this point since you are doubting the information that you are being given, it is done at this point and you have already been offered advice and told that Android no longer allows SMBv1 connections because of the security risks. This will back up why I am stating that you cannot use SMBv1 anymore. Stop using SMB1 | Storage at Microsoft

 

Google releases Samba client for Android, adds Windows file shares to the Downloads/Files app A better SMB utility that I use on my NVIDIA Shield. https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...ysesoft.andsmb

If you have anymore issues about android development, I would suggest asking in the Android forums for help, along with developing for the latest versions of Android OS and to start using SMBv2 & 3.

 

Bro67, I don't doubt the information I am being given and I have the greatest respect and gratitude for your help. You have my unreserved apologies if I have mistakenly given a different impression. I was particularly interested to hear that ES file explorer is no longer in favour. For some time now, I have hated that product with a vengeance. It used to be useful but has lately descended into something little better than malware, displaying spurious panic messages in my notifications area intended, no doubt, to dupe me into purchasing some unnecessary piece of bloatware. I now tend to uninstall it whenever I'm not actively using it. I don't suppose you have a recommendation for an alternative product?

As for raising my question in the Android development forum, I fear I fall between two stools and that the advice there would be to raise my enquiry in the Windows forum.

Following your advice, I shall attempt to convert my app to SMB2 as soon as possible but "as soon as possible" is unlikely to be this week or next. In the meantime, I have come up with a bodge so I can complete my testing. I have written a little program to run on my laptop that mirrors my shared folder with a share on my NAS drive, which my app is still able to access. My Android app is thus able to exchange files with my laptop using the NAS drive as an intermediary. Clunky, yes, but it gets me out of a hole.

I remain curious as to why, a week ago, I was able to access both my Windows 10 PCs from Android but now can only access one of them, the other being unaffected, but that's mere curiosity. I'd be interested to learn whether whatever change has occurred can be undone or simply to understand it better but that's no longer a matter of urgency.

Thanks once again for your advice and apologies again for any misunderstanding.