To anyone encountering issues with Volumio not being able to connect to a Windows 10 shared folder, especially when guest access or no credentials are used, the root cause often lies in how Windows 10 handles SMB authentication and protocol negotiation by default. These settings have tightened significantly in recent versions of Windows, often blocking unauthenticated clients like Volumio by default.
Here is a comprehensive list of Windows Registry changes that can be made to ensure compatibility. Each change is followed by an explanation of what it does and what to expect after applying it.
1. Allow Insecure Guest Authentication
This setting enables Windows to accept guest connections from SMB clients that do not supply a username and password. Without this, Windows may refuse access, even if the share is marked as accessible to “Everyone”.
Registry path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanWorkstation\Parameters
Key:
AllowInsecureGuestAuth (DWORD) = 1
Expected result: Volumio can attempt a guest SMB connection and will not be immediately denied with a “credentials required” message.
2. LAN Manager Authentication Level
This setting determines what authentication protocols Windows will allow. The default on modern Windows is NTLMv2 only, which blocks some Linux CIFS clients trying to use NTLM or guest authentication.
Registry path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa
Key:
LmCompatibilityLevel (DWORD) = 1
This value allows Windows to accept LM, NTLM, and NTLMv2, offering broader compatibility. For most situations where Volumio does not send credentials, level 1 is sufficient. Higher levels may reject the connection.
Expected result: Authentication attempts from Volumio using NTLM will be accepted, rather than blocked.
3. SMB Protocol Version Controls
Windows supports SMB versions 1, 2, and 3, but SMB1 is disabled by default. Some embedded clients may attempt to negotiate older versions. Enabling SMB2 and SMB3 ensures modern compatibility. Enabling SMB1 is only necessary if the client specifically requests it.
Registry path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters
Keys:
SMB1 (DWORD) = 1
SMB2 (DWORD) = 1
SMB3 (DWORD) = 1
Set these as needed. If you do not want to enable SMB1 due to security concerns, omit it.
Expected result: Volumio’s CIFS client can successfully negotiate a supported SMB protocol version (such as SMB2 or SMB3). Without these keys or with incorrect values, you may see “protocol not supported” errors in logs.
4. Disable SMB Signing Requirements
SMB signing adds security but is not supported by all clients, and guest sessions often fail when signing is required. Disabling signing can improve compatibility.
Registry path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters
Keys:
RequireSecuritySignature (DWORD) = 0
EnableSecuritySignature (DWORD) = 0
Expected result: Volumio can complete the SMB handshake without being forced to use an unsupported signing mechanism.
5. Disable SMB Encryption
Encryption is used in some versions of SMB3, but not all clients support it. Disabling encryption can prevent negotiation failures during mounting.
Registry path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters
Key:
EncryptData (DWORD) = 0
Expected result: Volumio can complete SMB mounting without being blocked due to encryption requirements.
6. Enable Plaintext Passwords (Optional)
Only necessary if the client tries to send unencrypted credentials. Not typically needed for Volumio, but worth testing in difficult cases.
Registry path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanWorkstation\Parameters
Key:
EnablePlainTextPassword (DWORD) = 1
Expected result: If Volumio sends a password without encryption, the server will still allow it.
7. Workgroup and NetBIOS Configuration
This section ensures Windows and Volumio are on the same workgroup and that NetBIOS resolution works for hostname-based connections.
Registry path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NetBT\Parameters
Keys:
EnableProxy (DWORD) = 1
EnableLMHOSTS (DWORD) = 1
NodeType (DWORD) = 1
Workgroup (REG_SZ) = WORKGROUP
NodeType=1 enables broadcast-based name resolution, which is suitable for simple LAN setups. WORKGROUP should match the workgroup defined in Volumio’s SMB configuration.
Expected result: Volumio can resolve the hostname of the Windows PC, and Windows will respond to requests over NetBIOS.
8. Define Null Session Shares
If you want a particular share to be visible and accessible by unauthenticated clients (like Volumio), add it explicitly.
Registry path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters
Key:
NullSessionShares (REG_MULTI_SZ)
Value: list of share names such as
Music
Media
Expected result: The named shares will be visible and mountable without credentials.
9. Restart Services or Reboot
After making the above changes, restart the SMB-related services or reboot the system.
Command:
net stop lanmanworkstation
net start lanmanworkstation
net stop lanmanserver
net start lanmanserver
Expected result: Registry changes take effect, and SMB sessions from Volumio can now connect with guest access and appropriate protocol support.
10. Mount Options in Volumio
Once Windows is configured correctly, use these advanced mount options in Volumio:
vers=3.0,sec=ntlm,guest,uid=volumio,gid=volumio,noperm
Or from SSH:
sudo mkdir /mnt/test
sudo mount -t cifs //192.168.1.X/Music /mnt/test -o guest,vers=3.0,sec=ntlm,uid=volumio,noperm
Expected result: The share should mount without prompting for credentials and without protocol errors.
This set of changes comprehensively addresses all known Windows registry controls that influence SMB connectivity and guest session handling. If the mount still fails after these changes, it’s advisable to inspect Volumio’s logs for mount.cifs errors, which can further indicate where negotiation or authentication is breaking down.
If, after applying all of the above settings, Volumio still refuses to mount your Windows 10 share - despite your registry looking like a Christmas tree of legacy compatibility - then congratulations:
you’ve officially made your PC more welcoming than a 1998 cybercafé, and it still won’t share its files.
At that point, it might be time to consider that Windows File Sharing is less of a “feature” and more of a trust exercise between operating systems that don’t particularly like each other.
As a last resort, enabling DLNA on Windows Media Player is like giving up on polite conversation and just shouting your music across the room. Volumio will usually hear it.
Kind Regards,