Fix: Network storage drives not showing up in Windows 11

NAS or network attached storage has long been a viable solution and an effective alternative to cloud storage in smaller setups. But many people find that their NAS doesn’t show up under the Network tab in Windows 11.

Whether it’s Synology, RasperryPi, Iomega, etc., as well as office and home setups, operating systems and manufacturers face this problem. Our research has found that this is usually a user-side error.

Why is the NAS not visible on the network?

• SMB1 not enabled
• Network discovery is down
• Corrupted DNS or IP cache
• Firewall or third-party application interfering with connection

What should I do if my NAS drive is not visible on the network in Windows 11?

Before we move onto a slightly more complicated solution, try these quick fixes first:

• Restart your computer and NAS setup, and make sure both are connected to the same network.
• Check if there are any available NAS OS updates and install them.
• Disable Windows Defender Firewall or any similar security software installed on your PC.
• Update the network adapter driver. Be sure to check the manufacturer's website for the latest version.
• Enter the IP address of your NAS device into the address bar of File Explorer to search for it.

If none of them work, move on to the fixes listed below.

1. Reconfigure network discovery settings

1. Press to openSettings, go to "Network & Internet" from the left pane and scroll down Go to the bottom and select "Advanced network settings". WindowsI
2. Click Advanced Sharing Settings.
3. Now, enable "Network Discovery" and "File and Printer Sharing" under "Private Network" .

When the NAS drive is not visible on the network in Windows 11, just enable network discovery. This will also help when you cannot access the shared folder.

2. Clear cache

1. Press to open Run, type cmd, and then click . Windows#RCtrlShiftEnter
2. Place an order at the UAC prompt Click "is".
3. Paste this command and click to clear the DNS cache: Enter<strong>ipconfig /flushdns</strong>
4. Similarly, execute Following command: <strong>netsh interface IP delete arpcache</strong>
5. Once completed, verify that the network drive reappears in Windows 11.

3. Install and enable SMB 1

1. Press to open search, type Control Panel in the text field, and click on the relevant result. WindowsS
2. Click Programs.
3. Click "Turn Windows features on or off" under "Programs and Features."
4. Expand "SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support" and check "SMB 1.0/CIFS Automatic Delete", "SMB 1.0/CIFS Client" and "SMB 1.0/ CIFS Server" check box and click OK.
5. Wait for Windows to find the required files and download them, then restart your computer.

When your Windows 11 NAS does not show up on the network, reconfiguring the optional components will help! Additionally, it can fix the problem when you are unable to map your Synology drive.

4. Change local group policy

1. Press to open Run, type gpedit.msc in the text field, and then click . WindowsREnter
2. Under "Computer Configuration", expand "Administrative Templates" and double-click "Network" , and then select "Lanman Workstation".
3. Open the "Enable insecure guest login" policy from the right.
4. Select Enabled, then click Apply and OK to save the changes.
5. Restart your computer to apply changes and check for improvements.

Modifying the policy will also work when the NAS does not appear on the network in Windows 10. Keep in mind that the Local Group Policy Editor does not exist by default on Windows 11 Home edition. But you can always install gpedit.msc manually and make changes.

5. Editing the Registry

Tip Before you start modifying the registry, create a restore point so that you can revert the changes if they cause any inconsistencies.

1. Press to open search, type Registry Editor, and click on the relevant result. WindowsS
2. Click "is" at the UAC prompt.
3. Paste the following path in the address bar and click: Enter<strong>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\MSV1_0</strong>
4. Right-click on an empty section, hover the cursor over "New", select "DWORD (32-bit) Value", and name it "Connected Account SSO ".
5. Now, double-click the DWORD, enter 2 under "Value Data", and click "OK".
6. Finally, restart your computer to apply the changes.

If there is no ConnectedAccountSSO DWORD in the registry, the operating system will automatically set the value to 0, which will deny SSO when the associated network device is "public".

6. Enable NTMLv1 for Synology NAS

1. Open SMB settings and navigate to the "Advanced" tab.
2. Go to Miscellaneous, select the Enable NTMLv1 Authentication checkbox, and save the changes.

When your Synology NAS is not visible on the Windows Network tab, please check the configured settings, especially NTMLv1 authentication. And make sure the SMB service is enabled.

7. Create a new local user account

1. Press to open Run, type netplwiz in the text field, and click OK. WindowsR
2. Click the Add button.
3. Click Sign in without Microsoft account.
4. Now, select Local Account from the bottom. NAS” width=”1020″ height=”968″ data-lazy-srcset=”https://cdn.windowsreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Netplwiz_YJHY3xY49b.png 1020w, https:/ /cdn.windowsreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Netplwiz_YJHY3xY49b-221×210.png 221w, https://cdn.windowsreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Netplwiz_YJHY3xY49b-120× 114.png 120w, https://cdn.windowsreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Netplwiz_YJHY3xY49b-140×133.png 140w, https://cdn.windowsreport.com/wp-content/uploads/ 2023/09/Netplwiz_YJHY3xY49b-64×61.png 64w” data-lazy-sizes=”(max-width: 1020px) 100vw, 1020px” data-lazy-src=”https://cdn.windowsreport.com/wp- content/uploads/2023/09/Netplwiz_YJHY3xY49b.png” data-ll-status=”loaded” data-mce-src=”https://cdn.windowsreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Netplwiz_YJHY3xY49b. png” data-mce-style=”box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; max-width: 100%; height: auto; display: block; margin: 25px auto; width: 450px;”>
5. Enter your username and password (optional) and complete account creation.
6. Select the newly created user profile and click Properties.
7. Go to the Group Membership tab, select Administrators, and click "OK" to save the changes. Network Storage” width=”655″ height=”814″ data-lazy-srcset=”https://cdn.windowsreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Netplwiz_8ThZM6ObCE.png 655w, https: //cdn.windowsreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Netplwiz_8ThZM6ObCE-169×210.png 169w, https://cdn.windowsreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Netplwiz_8ThZM6ObCE-97 ×120.png 97w, https://cdn.windowsreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Netplwiz_8ThZM6ObCE-113×140.png 113w, https://cdn.windowsreport.com/wp-content/uploads /2023/09/Netplwiz_8ThZM6ObCE-51×64.png 51w” data-lazy-sizes=”(max-width: 655px) 100vw, 655px” data-lazy-src=”https://cdn.windowsreport.com/wp -content/uploads/2023/09/Netplwiz_8ThZM6ObCE.png” data-ll-status=”loaded” data-mce-src=”https://cdn.windowsreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Netplwiz_8ThZM6ObCE .png” data-mce-style=”box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; max-width: 100%; height: auto; display: block; margin: 25px auto; width: 325px;”>
8. Finally, grant the new account access to the files and public folders on the NAS, then log in using it and the storage should be listed.

Normally, when the QNAP NAS is in "Network ” tab is not visible even on other tabs, creating a new local account will work. Make sure to grant it administrative rights for a bug-free experience.

Keep in mind that when a Windows 11 NAS does not show up on the network, quickly changing network settings or local policies will definitely fix the problem. But you may still find that the "Map network drive" option is missing, which can be fixed by editing the registry.

All that’s left to do is get effective antivirus software for NAS storage and protect your data!

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