Access Unraid Share From Windows [Causes & Solution]

This article will explain everything about Access Unraid Share From Windows. Windows sometimes suffers from connectivity, permissions, or unresponsive file explorer trials in accessing Unraid shares– whatever the case may be with either Windows 10 or Windows 11, the guide below takes you from start to finish for easy connection to your Unraid shares. Therefore, common reasons for failure will also be discussed and backed with solutions so that you can be productive.

Access Unraid Share From Windows [Fixed]

To access Unraid share from Windows, enabling SMB protocol on Unraid, proper share permissions, network discovery active on Windows, and connecting through File Explorer  \\Unraid-IP\Sharename.

How to Access Unraid Share from Windows 10 And 11?

Connect to the Unraid Server from a Windows PC through these details:

Enable SMB on Unraid

• Go to Unraid web GUI.
• Under the Settings category, locate SMB.
• Enable SMB either for the Workgroup or Active Directory according to your setup.
• Click Apply to save the configuration.

Create and Configure the Share  

• Go to the Shares Tab, click Add Share; enter a name for the Share, e.g., Media, Backups.
• Set Export: Yes (SMB).
• Set Security: Desired access level: Public, Secure, Private.

Create User with Proper Access

• Go to the Users tab; Click Add User, enter username and password; grant the user either read-only or read/write access to the share.

Setup Your Windows

• Make sure that Private is selected as your network type and not Public; open Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center; select Change advanced sharing settings.
• Enable Network Discovery; enable File and Printer Sharing. If guest access is in use, disable password-protected sharing.

Accessing the Share through File Explorer

• Press the Win + R key, type \\Unraid-IP\Sharename, and press Enter. Type in Unraid credentials when prompted. Another option is to map the network drive:
• Map a Network Drive using a right-click on This PC. Assign a letter to the drive and specify the path: \\Unraid-IP\Sharename.

Why I Am Unable To Access Unraid Shares From Windows File Explorer?

Assuming you are facing trouble accessing Unraid shares from Windows File Explorer, several common causes could account for it. The following are the reasons and corrections:

Causes

• If the SMB service is turned off in Unraid, shares will not connect from Windows.
• Access may be denied if the user account on Unraid is missing, is misconfigured, or doesn’t have the permission set for the share.
• Without network discovery enabled on your Windows machine, it will not be able to see or connect to network devices such as Unraid.
• Older Unraid setups or shares use SMBv1, which Microsoft has disabled by default on Windows 10 and 11 for security reasons.
• SMB ports (137, 138, 139, and 445) could be disabled by default either by Windows Firewall or possibly by any other third-party security program installed on the PC.
• When the share is set to private or secure and guest access is not allowed, an access denied error will be encountered while trying to connect without credentials.

Solution

• Verify that SMB is enabled by going to Unraid Web GUI>Settings>SMB. Click on Apply to effect the changes made thereafter.
• Check how your user is set up in the Users tab of Unraid. Be sure that the user does exist and has the corresponding read/write or read-only access to the share that you are trying to open.
• Go to Control Panel> Network and Sharing Center> Change advanced sharing settings. Enable the options for Network Discovery and File and Printer Sharing.
• Change your Unraid share settings to use SMBv2 or SMBv3 if they are not already set by going to Settings>SMB>SMB Extras and setting both the Minimum and Maximum protocol versions correspondingly.
• In the Control Panel, go to Windows Defender Firewall>Allow an app or feature, and ensure that File and Printer Sharing is allowed in Private Networks and Public Networks.
• Either set the share to Public with guest access enabled or set up proper user-level access to connect from Windows.

How to Set Up Unraid Shares For Windows?

Windows integration is smooth when Unraid shares are configured correctly:

Under the Shares Tab

• Click Add Share.
• Give an appropriate name (e.g., Documents or Media Library) for the share.

Define Export Method

In SMB Security Settings:

• Export: Yes (SMB)
• Security: Select Public (no password), Secure (read access), or Private (login required).

Define Permissions

• Go to Users > [Username] > SMB Permissions.
• Select Read/Write, Read-Only, or No Access.

Testing from Windows

• Use the IP address of the Unraid server or \\Tower\Sharename to connect.
• If prompted for credentials and you plan on visiting often, save the credentials.

How Do I Access A Shared Folder From Windows To Linux?

Cross-platform working:

Moving from a Linux machine to a Windows machine

To mount a shared folder in a Linux machine using CIFS to access it, the following command is to be entered in the terminal.

• sudo mount -t cifs //192.168.x.x/Sharename /mnt/windows -o username=your_user,password=your_pass,vers=3.0.
• Replace 192.168.x.x with the assigned IP of your Windows machine.
• This command uses vers=3.0 so that it is compatible with SMBv3.

Now from Windows to Linux (Unraid)

• Follow the same instructions as described earlier.
• Make sure that on your Linux distro or Unraid, Samba (SMB) is enabled.

How Do I Give User Access To Unraid Shares?

To give user access level control over Unraid shares:

Create a User

• Go to Users > Add User
• Specify a username and a strong password.

Assign Permissions

• Go to Shares > [Share Name] > SMB Security Settings. Under Private, assign access rights per user.

Test Access

• By attempting to use that user’s credentials to access the share from a Windows computer.

Optional Guest Access

• If you want to go open, the public can be set, but this is less secure.

Conclusion

To conclude, accessing an Unraid share from Windows is crucial for uninterrupted cross-platform file sharing. Whether you are configuring from scratch or trying to troubleshoot access errors, these simple steps will ensure that your Unraid shares are accessible and secure. Make sure to keep your SMB versions up-to-date, users properly configured, and Windows settings aligned for best performance.

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