Windows 11 24H2 causes disconnection errors with some third-party NAS

However, that is also when the problem appears. There have been numerous cases of users reporting problems connecting to third-party NAS. To resolve the issue and clarify things, Microsoft recently published a blog post outlining all the details.

In summary, Windows 11 version 24H2 has two important security changes: SMB (Server Message Block) protocol signing is now required on all connections, to prevent network tampering early on. Additionally, guest fallback is now disabled on Windows 11 Pro to improve security when connecting to untrusted devices. Microsoft said those two changes will make "billions of devices more secure" but at the cost of some headaches for users.

According to an explainer post from Microsoft, users may experience the following issues on systems running Windows 11 24H2 when connecting to third-party network-attached storage:

Windows 11 24H2 causes disconnection errors with some third-party NAS Picture 1

In fact, security changes that can cause NAS connection failures are not new—they have been tested in Canary and Dev for more than a year now. However, with Windows 11 24H2 getting closer and closer to its official launch and with more users testing, Microsoft has decided to provide detailed instructions on how to fix things. Additionally, the Redmond company says its goal is to protect user data, "not help third parties sell you unsafe products."

Affected users can mitigate the error by allowing SMB login to their NAS, disabling guest access, setting username and password in the NAS control panel, updating firmware (if missing necessary options) or buy a mode; Newer, safer.

Of course, there are other, less secure solutions that involve disabling the SMB client signing requirement and client fallback protection. Microsoft understands that not everyone can solve the problem safely, so there are temporary workarounds that users can find here.

Another thing in Windows 11 24H2 that might surprise you is the AC-3 codec. Microsoft has quietly announced that their upcoming update will remove the AC-3 codec for surround sound.

Isabella Humphrey

Update 31 May 2024