How To Access Network Shares With Windows 8

Posted on Everything Microsoft - Latest Microsoft News, Guides, Reviews & Themes

Another significant change in Windows 8 is that the primary login method is via a Microsoft Live account, rather than via a local account.  This causes problems if you don’t use a homegroup to share files around your home network, or if you’ve setup traditional network shares to share files between PCs as you’ll no longer be able to access Network shares in Windows 8.

How To Access Network Shares in Windows 8

If you’ve tried to access a network share in Windows 8, you’ve either not been able to open folders or been presented with a login dialog.

The problem with the login dialog is even though there is a ‘remember my credentials’ button, it doesn’t seem to work, so you’ll have to enter your credentials each and every time.  To avoid having to enter any details when accessing network shares using a Windows 8 Live account, you can store your credentials using the Windows Vault utility.

1. Go to the Start screen and type vault
   
2. Click on the Settings filter on the right to display Manage Windows Credentials – select this option
   
   
3. In the Credential Windows that opens up, select Add a Windows credential
   
   
4. In the popup windows that appears, enter the name of the PC you want to connect to – just the name e.g Homeserver not \Homeserver
   
5. Also enter the Username and password and then click ok
   
   
6. Reboot when convienient
   

After rebooting you’ll be able to connect to your network shares directly with your windows 8 live account in the same way as you would with an old style windows local account.

Thanks to WinSuperSite for the tip.

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