Windows 7 keeps asking "Enter Network Password" to connect to netwo

[dre2112 1]

I have 3 computers and 1 laptop on a home network and all of a sudden my laptop cannot connect to the PC with the printer attached to it. Every time I try to print I get an error message so I checked and when I try to access the PC from my laptop through the network it keeps asking me to enter a password.

I never had this problem before. I never had to enter a password before, btu all of a sudden it asks me for one. I have file and printer sharing ON and network passwords OFF but it still asks for one when accessing the PC from my laptop. None of the other PCs/laptops on my network require a password to connect to that PC.

It's driving me nuts!

[articuno1au 1,264]

Do you have the same username on the computer with the printer and the one you are having issues with?

If you do, that could be causing the issue..

[dre2112 1]

Nope, different usernames. We're on the same network and everything too. Not sure what's going on

[+PeterUK 63]

When the login comes up try user name guess without a password.

[Original Poster 324]

remove the program bonjour from your computer. this seems to be the cause of some networking issues on windows 7 machines (occasionally) ... remove.... restart every machine (and your network just to be sure) turn everything back on 5 mins later.... try again (remove bonjour from every pc most people never use/need or even know what it is )

[dre2112 1]

sorry, none of those things worked.

Not sure why my printer PC is only asking my wireless laptop for a network password when it doesn't for any of the others.

[+PeterUK 63]

On the PC with the printer try sharing a folder for everyone and then try accessing it.

[dre2112 1]

that doesn't change anything. still asks for password

[Anthonyd 104]

I have 3 computers and 1 laptop on a home network and all of a sudden my laptop cannot connect to the PC with the printer attached to it. Every time I try to print I get an error message so I checked and when I try to access the PC from my laptop through the network it keeps asking me to enter a password.

I never had this problem before. I never had to enter a password before, btu all of a sudden it asks me for one. I have file and printer sharing ON and network passwords OFF but it still asks for one when accessing the PC from my laptop. None of the other PCs/laptops on my network require a password to connect to that PC.

It's driving me nuts!

Does it asks for a user password or homegroup password?

Also, are you using any firewall? Make sure that you have selected the good network profile (you know, where it asks you between home/enterprise or public).

[bjoswald 210]

Have you tried removing the password and making a new one? It seems obvious but I have to ask. ;)

[dre2112 1]

Does it asks for a user password or homegroup password?

Also, are you using any firewall? Make sure that you have selected the good network profile (you know, where it asks you between home/enterprise or public).

It's asking for a "network password"

Firstly, I have this setting disabled. Second, I never even set it up to have a password. I have the firewall disabled but I'll take a look at it again

Have you tried removing the password and making a new one? It seems obvious but I have to ask. ;)

As mentioned above, I never created a password in the first place.

[Anthonyd 104]

It's asking for a "network password"

Firstly, I have this setting disabled. Second, I never even set it up to have a password. I have the firewall disabled but I'll take a look at it again

Screenshot plz, sounds like 3rd party software, not Windows who is bugging you.

[+BudMan 3,648]

Its not 3rd party -- this is what your seeing right?

Well then just auth and be done with it! Save your creds.

As already mentioned, easy solution for auth issues is to use the same username and password on both machines. BLANK is not a password btw.

[+PeterUK 63]

If your PC with the printer is setup correctly to allow everyone then clicking “Use another account” with user name guess without a password should work...it works here.

[Anthonyd 104]

The best way is to go on "device and printer" menu, click on your shared printed and click on "impressoin server properties", then "security tab" and allow everybody or just the user you are using on your laptop.

[dre2112 1]

It looks like this below:

I've also uninstalled McCafee so I am without an anti-virus. I have Windows firewall disabled too.

As for the PC with the printer... all the other computers on the network work fine and use the printer without issue. Even the printer PC can connect to my laptop but not my laptop to the printer-PC

[+BudMan 3,648]

Well auth to it correctly then and be done with it.. Put in the valid username and password and save it.

[dre2112 1]

I purchased the computer from Dell a month ago. It came installed with Windows 7. I never set any usernames or passwords.

and that doesn't take away from the fact that I never had this problem up until a few days ago. I never had a problem connecting to my PC/printer

[+BudMan 3,648]

Thats great you never had a problem, well you have a problem now don't you.

So lets troubleshoot the issue -- clearly you changed something if was working before without you authing?? And now its not.

Post up your settings from the pc sharing the printer, and the share permissions on the printer and we can work through the issue.

As asked before -- were you in a HOMEGROUP before, which would make sense is your machines are all in a homegroup and this machine has left or is having issues with it??

Can not do anything for you unless we see your settings.

[Eric 1,605]

This sounds like a homegroup issue to me too. On the PC you're having trouble with, type "homegroup" and run the control panel.

Make sure the PC is in a group. If it's not, get the password from another computer that's in it and re-join it.

[dre2112 1]

I'm not on a homegroup. It's just a basic workgroup because the other PCs run XP so a homegroup wouldn't work anyways. And even when I try to set up a homegroup, the printer PC says it cannot join the homegroup.

[+BudMan 3,648]

So did your win7 PC create a homegroup? The one that can not access the XP machine?

Need some clue to your settings so we can fix them, because clearly something is wrong.

Or you could let someone Teamviewer into the 2 machines and work it out for you. Your other machines that are accessing the printer, are they XP, Vista, 7? Do they have accounts that match up with the XP machines accounts.

Normally I setup password auth, and use usernames and passwords to auth to a machine -- this is the more secure option!!! Allowing anonymous access is never a good idea! Also keep in mind that anonymous is no longer part of the everyone group.. Just be cause you give everyone group permissions, this is not the same as anonymous.

Really this could be fixed up with like 5 minutes access to your machines. Best to see the Printer sharing machine, and a machine that is working like you want - and then the machine that is not working so can work out what is actually wrong and what settings your using - for all we know the other machines have credentials saved and are using those to auth to the machine.

But without MORE to go on then you saying its asking for auth there is no way for us to tell you what is wrong. If you want run teamviewer and PM the info and I would be happy to take a look.

[+PeterUK 63]

As for the PC with the printer... all the other computers on the network work fine and use the printer without issue. Even the printer PC can connect to my laptop but not my laptop to the printer-PC

In “Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Network and Sharing Center” change your network to public network then in “Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Network and Sharing Center\Advanced sharing settings” have for the public profile:

network discovery on

file and printer sharding on

public folder sharing off

use 128-bit

password protected sharing off

Its how I have it setup then user name guess without typing a password.

[+BudMan 3,648]

^ NO he should not be using a public profile, he is not on a public network -- he is on a PRIVATE/HOME network -- which is the profile he should be on.

Public locks down sharing and such - blocks all inbound traffic.. Which is what he would want to be setup when he say takes his laptop to starbucks or something.

win7 will identify the network when you connect and ask what it should be, public/private, etc.. This is how you can turn off your firewall when at home, and have it ON and blocking access to your shares when at home.

Also he stated he can access this PC from his other machines - its this machine can not connect to the XP box without getting prompted for AUTH. His win7 PC should be in private/home profile not public!!

[Intersect 239]

ive seen the same problem happen when setting up a new laptop for a friend, installing windows 7 home prem 64bit and when it got to the setup screen

that askes for a password he decided to power down the laptop and continue with it later. (god knows why he did this) any way when he started it back up

the next day he went to the control pannel and set his password. and when he tryed to access his NAS by clicking the orb and typing \\nas he was asked for a

username and password. how ever when i setup a totaly seprate pc built from scratch using the same OS and wen thru the entire setup procecss

inputting a username an password when asked for one, i was able to access the NAS with no problems what so ever.

[Anthonyd 104]

I purchased the computer from Dell a month ago. It came installed with Windows 7. I never set any usernames or passwords.

and that doesn't take away from the fact that I never had this problem up until a few days ago. I never had a problem connecting to my PC/printer

All Dell PC are asking for an username and password at first start.

You probably didn't bought a new computer.