Windows 10 Desktop Loses Network Sharing After Windows Updates

Question

I have a home file server that was upgraded from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10. The upgrade went off without a hitch and everything has worked great with one exception:

After almost every Windows Update patch, the server loses the Network Sharing settings. During this time, the Networking section of Settings is also insanely slow to respond. Typically if I do a full shutdown and then do a restart, there problem resolves itself. Obviously, that's a bit of a pain to have to do every time there is a patch.

I'll note as well that the typical use case for this machine is to be asleep with Wake-On-LAN set to bring it online the half-dozen or so times it is needed in a given week.

Answer 1

After a year of postponing Windows 10 updates, I finally solved my network connection issue. If you go to network and Sharing, Advanced sharing and cannot Turn on network discover, this solution is for you.

Start the registry editor and go to Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dnscache. Then edit start by changing the value from 4 to 2.

Apparently, the windows 10 update changed it to 4 which is disabled. 2 is automatic. Paul M

Answer 2

I have two Windows 10 Pro 64-bit laptops on a private network. Homegroup just doesn't work anymore. I notice too, with updates, or even a power surge, Windows 10 Pro loses its advanced sharing settings.

Routine to restore the settings, do this for both laptops: Let both laptops leave any Homegroup. Be sure both laptops are in the same named Workgroup.

Open Network & Sharing Center.
Choose: Change Advanced Sharing Settings.

At Private Network: Turn on network discovery. Check: Turn on automatic setup of network connected devices. At File and Printer Sharing:
Turn it on. At Homegroup Connections:
Turn on Use User Accounts. At All Networks: Turn on sharing so anyone with access can read and write to files... (Okay under User/Password Protection, only the favored few have that info.) At File Sharing Connections: Enable file sharing for devices that us 40 or 56-bit encryption. At Password Protected Sharing: Turn OFF password protected sharing.

Restart both laptops.

About sharing files, right click on the file or folder, select Share With > Specific People..., select from the list by the grayed out Add, then hit Add, use drop down arrow to allow both read and write access and hit Share button. You can also check or limit these permissions by right clicking on the file or folder, select Properties, Sharing Tab, Advanced Sharing and Permissions. Hit Apply, OK to save any changes. I set selected file or folder shares to Everybody (just in case) with read and write, since only the favored few that know the proper user and password can get in anyway.