When you run into the “network path not found” issue, you need to try several methods to troubleshoot the real culprit. Here, we will list all kinds of solutions and offer detailed steps to help you fix them. NewsPivot will always provide news and troubleshooting methods for common issues.

What Causes the Network Path Not Found Error?

When you attempt to access the remote device, an error message appears to tell you that the network path was not found. It is a troublesome issue for those who want to share data and resources between devices.

Typically, the error message occurs due to issues with network connectivity or permission settings on the shared resources. Also, misconfigured system settings can make the process fail. If you are struggling with the network path was not found error, the following methods are available to try for troubleshooting.

Also read: 192.168.10.1: What Is It & How to Login and Change Password?

How to Fix the Network Path Not Found Error?

Fix 1: Check the Path Name and Enable the Sharing Feature

First and foremost, you should double-check the path name. Any tiny mistake in the spelling will make the sharing and transmission process paused. At the same time, you should make sure the sharing feature to this file has been enabled.

To check if the sharing feature has been enabled, you can do as follows.

Step 1: Right-click on the drive and choose Properties.

Step 2: In the Sharing tab, click Advanced Sharing… if you see the network path is not shared.

click Advanced Sharing…

Step 3: Check the option of Share this folder and click Apply > OK.

Then you can try the sharing again to see if the network path not found error has been gone.

Fix 2: Use IP Address to Access Computer

Apart from the network path, you can try another channel to access the remote computer – by using the IP address.

Step 1: Type Command Prompt in Search and choose Run as administrator.

Step 2: Input ipconfig /all​​​ and press Enter to execute it.

input ipconfig /all

Step 3: Scroll down to locate the IPv4 address and remember it.

Step 4: Open Run by pressing Win + R, type this command, and press Enter.

\\IPv4 Address\<the drive you want to access>

For example, \\192.168.43.168\c

Now, you can check if you can connect the device correctly.

You may also like: Full Guide to WAN Miniport: What Is It & How to Fix Its Issues?

Fix 3: Temporarily Disable Antivirus

Antivirus can stop you from accessing devices and it may regard you as an unauthorised infiltration. You can temporarily disable the protection and try the access again.

Step 1: Open Settings by pressing Win + I and choose Update & Security > Windows Security > Virus & threat protection.

Step 2: Click Manage settings and turn off Real-time protection.

Notice that you should re-enable the protection when you finish the task.

Fix 4: Restart the TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper Service

TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper is an important service for connecting to a remote device and sharing files. You can restart the service to make sure it is running.

Step 1: Open Run by pressing Win + R and type services.msc to press Enter.

Step 2: In the window, locate TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper and right-click on it to choose Properties.

Step 3: If the service is running, you can stop and then re-start it. Make sure the Startup type is set to Automatic.

Step 4: Then click Apply > OK to save the changes.

Fix 5: Modify Network Security Settings

Network security settings might block access to shared resources, leading to the network path not found error.

Step 1: Open Run and type secpol.msc to enter.

Step 2: Go to this location:

Local Policies > Security Options > Network Security: LAN Manager authentication level

Step 3: Expand the menu to choose Send LM & NTLM-use NTLMv2 session security if negotiated and click Apply > OK.

click Apply > OK

Fix 6: Enable SMB 1.0

SMB is a communication protocol used to share files, printers, serial ports, and miscellaneous communications. You can check if it is enabled in the following steps.

Step 1: Open Control Panel and click Programs.

Step 2: Click Turn Windows features on or off and locate SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support to enable this feature.

click OK

Bottom Line

How to fix the network path not found error? This article has provided multiple useful methods and you can try them one by one to fix your issue.

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