Access Denied when Connecting to a Windows 7 Share

If FileBrowser connects to your Windows 7 PC but displays an “Access Denied” error when opening a shared folder, the issue is usually related to Windows sharing permissions or administrator account settings.

This guide explains the most common causes and how to resolve them.

Before you begin

Check the following first:

• File Sharing is enabled in Windows
• Your PC and iPhone or iPad are on the same network
• You are using the correct Windows username and password
• The shared folder is configured to allow access for your user account
• Windows Firewall allows file sharing connections

If those settings are correct, choose the issue below that best matches what you’re seeing.

Access denied when opening the C: share

You need to be the Administrator to access some shares. On Windows 7 the real Administrator account is disabled by default and using an account that is a member of the Administrators group won't have any effect when accessing these shares over a network.

If you want to be able to access all your folders using shares such as "C:", you can enable the Administrator account and give it a password. Then configure FileBrowser to use "Administrator" in the "Username" field.

• Enabling the Administrator account

1. Start a Command Prompt as Administrator by right-clicking on the "Command Prompt" icon in the Windows Start Menu and choose "Run as administrator".
   Click Continue if you are presented with a confirmation popup message box.
2. In the new command prompt, enter "net user administrator /active:yes".

• Setting the Administrator password

The Administrator password must be strong, otherwise your system will not be secure. We recommend using a password that has uppercase and lowercase letters, at least 1 number and at least one punctuation mark.

1. Go to Control Panel->User Accounts and click the link "Manage another account" and you will see all your users. There should be one that is named "Administrator", with "Administrator" listed under it as well. This is the real Admin account.
2. Click this user and then click the "Create a password" link and then enter a strong password.

• Disabling the Administrator account

Follow the instructions as per Enabling the Administrator account above but replace step 2 with "net user administrator /active:no"