How to Fix “You Can’t Access This Shared Folder Because Your Organization’s Security Policies Block”

If you’re encountering the error message “You can’t access this shared folder because your organization’s security policies block unauthenticated guest access”, it means your system is preventing access to shared folders due to security settings. This guide will help you resolve the issue and regain access to shared folders.

Step 1: Enable Guest Access in Group Policy Editor:

1.1 Open Group Policy Editor

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type gpedit.msc and press Enter.

1.2 Navigate to Network Security Settings

1. In the Group Policy Editor, go to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Network > Lanman Workstation.
2. Double-click on Enable insecure guest logons.

1.3 Enable Insecure Guest Logons

1. In the Enable insecure guest logons window, select Enabled.
2. Click Apply and then OK.

Step 2: Modify Registry Settings:

2.1 Open Registry Editor

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type regedit and press Enter.

2.2 Navigate to the LanmanWorkstation Key

1. In the Registry Editor, navigate to:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanWorkstation\Parameters.
2. Look for the AllowInsecureGuestAuth key.

2.3 Modify the AllowInsecureGuestAuth Key

1. Double-click on AllowInsecureGuestAuth.
2. Set the Value data to 1.
3. Click OK.

Step 3: Disable Password Protected Sharing:

3.1 Open Network and Sharing Center

1. Press Windows + S and search for Control Panel.
2. Open Control Panel and go to Network and Sharing Center.

3.2 Change Advanced Sharing Settings

1. In the Network and Sharing Center, click on Change advanced sharing settings.
2. Under All Networks, expand the section and find Password protected sharing.
3. Select Turn off password protected sharing.
4. Click Save changes.

Step 4: Restart Your Computer:

1. Save all your work and restart your computer to apply the changes.

Step 5: Test Access to the Shared Folder:

1. After restarting, try accessing the shared folder again.
2. If the issue persists, ensure that the shared folder permissions are correctly configured on the host computer.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the “You can’t access this shared folder because your organization’s security policies block unauthenticated guest access” error. If the problem persists, double-check your network settings and ensure that both computers are on the same network.