Fix Error Code 0x80070035 in Windows 10 & 11

You click a shared folder, a NAS drive, or a colleague’s PC, and Windows throws this at you: “Windows cannot access \COMPUTERNAME. Check the spelling of the name. Error code: 0x80070035. The network path was not found.”

It’s one of the most common Windows networking errors, and it’s fixable in nearly every case. This guide explains what error code 0x80070035 means and walks through the fixes in the order that saves the most time.

What Error Code 0x80070035 Actually Means

Error code 0x80070035 is a Windows network error that translates to “The network path was not found.” Your PC tried to reach another device over SMB (Server Message Block), the protocol Windows uses for file and printer sharing, and the connection failed before it got started.

Notice the wording. The error doesn’t say “access denied” or “wrong password.” It says Windows couldn’t find or reach the path at all. That points to name resolution, network discovery, firewall, protocol, or service problems, not a permissions problem.

Bold lead-in: where it shows up. You’ll typically see it when:

• Opening a shared folder on another PC (\\DESKTOP-ABC123\Documents)
• Mapping a network drive to a NAS (Synology, QNAP, WD, TrueNAS)
• Connecting to a shared printer
• Accessing a Windows share from a virtual machine or a Mac or Linux box

Error 0x80070035 vs. Similar Network Errors

People often mix these up. The distinction tells you where to look.

If you see 0x80070035, work through the fixes below from top to bottom. The early ones are quick, and they solve most cases.

Why This Error Happens: The Real Causes

Most guides throw a random list of registry tweaks at you. It helps more to know the actual culprits, roughly in order of how often they cause the problem:

1. Name resolution failure. Windows can’t turn the computer name into an IP address.
2. Network profile set to Public. Windows blocks discovery and sharing on Public networks.
3. Required services aren’t running. Function Discovery and related services are stopped.
4. Firewall or antivirus blocking SMB. Port 445 is closed.
5. Wrong or stale credentials. Cached logins conflict with the target device.
6. SMB version mismatch. Older NAS devices and printers only speak SMB1, which modern Windows disables.
7. Guest access or SMB signing restrictions. Newer Windows builds, especially Windows 11 24H2, are much stricter by default.

Before You Start: The 2-Minute Checklist

Run through this first. It rules out the obvious causes.

• [ ] Both devices are powered on and awake (sleeping PCs drop off the network)
• [ ] Both are on the same network (not one on guest Wi-Fi, or a VPN splitting them)
• [ ] The target device actually has the folder shared
• [ ] You can ping the target. Open Command Prompt and run ping DEVICE-NAME or ping 192.168.1.50
• [ ] You’ve restarted both devices and your router if you haven’t recently

Bold lead-in: read the ping result. If pinging the IP address works but pinging the name fails, you have a name resolution problem, and Fix 1 will likely solve it. If neither works, the devices aren’t reaching each other at all, so focus on the network profile, firewall, and router settings.

See More: 401 Response Code: What It Means and How to Fix It

Fix 1: Connect Using the IP Address Instead of the Name

This is the fastest test and often the fastest fix. It bypasses name resolution entirely.

1. Find the target’s IP address. On that device, open Command Prompt and run ipconfig. Look for the IPv4 Address.
2. On your PC, press Win + R, type \\192.168.1.50 (use the real IP), and press Enter.

If it opens, the problem is name resolution. You can map the drive using the IP, add an entry to your hosts file, or set a DHCP reservation in your router so the target’s IP never changes.

Pro tip: Mapping a network drive by IP is the most reliable long-term setup for a NAS, because it doesn’t depend on NetBIOS or DNS behavior.

Fix 2: Set Your Network Profile to Private and Turn On Discovery

Windows treats Public networks as hostile and locks down sharing. This one catches a lot of people after a Windows update or a router change.

On Windows 11

1. Go to Settings > Network & internet.
2. Click Wi-Fi or Ethernet, then your connection’s properties.
3. Set Network profile type to Private network.

Turn on network discovery and file sharing

1. Open Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Advanced sharing settings.
2. Under Private, select Turn on network discovery and Turn on file and printer sharing.
3. Under All Networks, review password-protected sharing (see Fix 8 for guidance).

Do this on both computers. One locked-down device is enough to produce the error.

Fix 3: Start the Services That Network Discovery Depends On

Several background services must run for Windows to find other devices. If any are disabled, 0x80070035 follows.

1. Press Win + R, type services.msc, press Enter.
2. Find each service below, double-click it, set Startup type to Automatic, and click Start.

Bold lead-in: Function Discovery Resource Publication is the big one. In Windows 10 and 11, it’s the most common reason a PC can see others but isn’t visible itself. Restart it after changing the startup type.

Fix 4: Check That Port 445 Is Reachable

File sharing runs over TCP port 445. If a firewall blocks it, you get the “path not found” error even though everything else looks fine.

Run this in PowerShell on the PC that shows the error:

• Test-NetConnection 192.168.1.50 -Port 445

Look at TcpTestSucceeded. If it says False, something is blocking the connection.

What to check:

• Windows Defender Firewall on the target: make sure the File and Printer Sharing rules are enabled for the Private profile.
• Third-party antivirus or “internet security” suites. These often add their own firewall. Temporarily disable the firewall component (not your whole protection) to test.
• Router client isolation. If you’re on guest Wi-Fi or “AP isolation” is on, devices can’t talk to each other. Move both to the main network.

To enable the firewall rule quickly, go to Control Panel > Windows Defender Firewall > Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall, click Change settings, and tick File and Printer Sharing for Private.

Fix 5: Clear Saved Credentials and Re-Enter Them

Stale or mismatched credentials can trigger errors that look like network problems, especially after you change a password on the target device.

1. Open Control Panel > Credential Manager > Windows Credentials.
2. Remove any entries for the target computer or its IP address.
3. Try the connection again and enter the username and password when prompted. Tick Remember my credentials.

You can also add credentials from the command line:

• cmdkey /add:192.168.1.50 /user:USERNAME /pass:YOURPASSWORD

Important detail: If you sign in to Windows with a Microsoft account, the username for the other PC may need to be the full email address, or in the format COMPUTERNAME\username. A plain username that works locally often fails over the network.

Fix 6: Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP

Some networks, especially older or mixed setups, rely on NetBIOS for name resolution. If name lookups fail, this setting is worth checking.

1. Press Win + R, type ncpa.cpl, press Enter.
2. Right-click your active adapter and choose Properties.
3. Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties > Advanced.
4. Open the WINS tab and select Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP.
5. Click OK through the dialogs and test again.

Also confirm File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks and Client for Microsoft Networks are ticked in the adapter’s properties list.

Fix 7: Reset the Network Stack

If settings look right but nothing works, corrupted network configuration may be the cause. Open Command Prompt as administrator and run these one at a time:

• ipconfig /flushdns
• netsh winsock reset
• netsh int ip reset
• ipconfig /release
• ipconfig /renew

Restart your PC afterward. This clears out cached name entries and rebuilds the TCP/IP and Winsock configuration, which fixes problems left behind by VPN clients, security software, or failed updates.

Fix 8: Deal With Guest Logon and SMB Signing Restrictions

This is where many modern cases of 0x80070035 come from, and most older guides skip it.

Microsoft has tightened SMB security in recent Windows versions:

• Insecure guest logons are blocked by default on Windows 11 and Windows 10 Pro and above. If your NAS or shared folder allows “guest” access with no password, Windows may refuse to connect.
• Windows 11 24H2 requires SMB signing by default for connections. Some NAS devices, older routers with USB shares, and third-party SMB servers don’t support signing and will fail.

Check your current settings

Run in PowerShell as administrator:

• Get-SmbClientConfiguration | Select EnableInsecureGuestLogons, RequireSecuritySignature

The safer fix first

Create a real user account with a password on the NAS or sharing PC, and connect with those credentials. This avoids loosening any security setting and is the right long-term answer.

Also check your NAS for a setting to enable SMB signing or raise its minimum SMB version to SMB2 or SMB3. Most current Synology, QNAP, and TrueNAS firmware supports this.

If you must allow guest access

Only do this on a trusted home network, and understand that it weakens security:

• Set-SmbClientConfiguration -EnableInsecureGuestLogons $true

You can also set this through Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) at Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Network > Lanman Workstation > Enable insecure guest logons. Windows Home doesn’t include the Group Policy Editor, so use the PowerShell command there.

Pros and cons of enabling insecure guest logons:

Fix 9: Enable SMB 1.0 (Last Resort Only)

Very old devices, such as pre-2015 NAS boxes, some scanners, and legacy media servers, may only support SMB1. Windows disables it because of serious vulnerabilities (it’s the protocol exploited by WannaCry).

Try everything else first. If you truly have no alternative:

1. Open Control Panel > Programs > Turn Windows features on or off.
2. Expand SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support.
3. Tick SMB 1.0/CIFS Client only. Leave the server component off.
4. Restart.

Better option: Update the device’s firmware. If the manufacturer no longer supports it, consider replacing it. Running SMB1 is a real risk, and the hardware cost is usually lower than the cleanup after an incident.

Fix 10: Check the Less Obvious Causes

If you’ve worked through everything above and the error persists, look at these.

• VPN software. Active VPN clients can reroute traffic and break local discovery. Disconnect the VPN and retest.
• Different subnets. If your PC is on 192.168.1.x and the target is on 192.168.0.x (common with a second router), name discovery won’t cross the boundary.
• IPv6 conflicts. Disabling IPv6 on the adapter occasionally helps on stubborn networks, though it’s a workaround, not a clean fix.
• Recent Windows updates. If the error started right after an update, check whether a security baseline changed (see Fix 8) before rolling anything back.
• Mac or Linux hosts. Make sure SMB sharing is on, and that the account you use is enabled for SMB access, not just AFP or NFS.

See More: Cybersecurity Journalist Profile Evaluation Criteria: A Practical 100-Point Scorecard

Quick Troubleshooting Decision Table

How to Prevent Error 0x80070035 From Coming Back

A few habits make this error much less likely:

• Assign static IPs or DHCP reservations to NAS devices and shared PCs.
• Map network drives by IP address, not computer name.
• Keep devices on a Private network profile.
• Update NAS and router firmware so they support SMB2 or SMB3 with signing.
• Use named user accounts instead of guest access.
• Avoid sleep or hibernate on machines that host shared folders.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How can I fix error code 0x80070035?

Connect using the device’s IP address (\\192.168.1.50) instead of its name. If that works, name resolution is the problem. If not, set your network to Private, turn on network discovery and file sharing, and confirm port 445 is open.

2. How to fix 0x80070035 when accessing shares from Windows 11 24H2?

24H2 requires SMB signing by default and blocks insecure guest logons. Create a real user account with a password on the target device and sign in with it. Also enable SMB signing on your NAS or raise its minimum protocol to SMB2/SMB3. Only enable guest logons as a last resort, on a trusted home network.

3. How do I fix “network path not found”?

Work through four checks in order:

• Ping the device by name and by IP
• Switch the network profile to Private
• Start Function Discovery Resource Publication in services.msc
• Clear old entries in Credential Manager

4. What does error code 0x80070043 mean?

It means “The network name cannot be found.” Unlike 0x80070035, the device usually responds, but the share name is wrong or doesn’t exist. Check the folder’s share name, make sure sharing is still enabled, and confirm the Server service is running on the host.

5. How to fix error code 0x800703EE?

This error means a file operation was attempted on a file with a mapped section that can’t be opened. It most often appears when copying files to a USB drive or external disk. Try these in order:

• Run chkdsk X: /f (replace X with the drive letter)
• Reformat the drive to NTFS if it’s FAT32 and you’re copying large files
• Try a different USB port or cable
• Update or reinstall the drive’s driver in Device Manager

I’m less certain of the exact cause for 0x800703EE than the others, and it can vary by situation, so if these steps don’t work, tell me where the error appears and I can narrow it down.