Windows 11 Can't Find NAS

Question

I have a NAS at home - built with a Raspberry Pi and a spare 2TB HDD using the openmediavault package.

Until today I could see it fine as a network drive on my home network using my Windows 11 PC (which I set up to map it to drive letter Z:). Today this broke - I can't access the drive in File Explorer - I get an error code 0x80070035.

I can still find the NAS fine using my iPad, and also on my PC I have a web interface for it which is working fine.

If I go to command prompt and type "NET USE" I see the following:

Status       Local     Remote                    Network

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disconnected Z:        \\RASPBERRYPI\PiShare     Microsoft Windows Network

Does anyone know how I can fix this please?

Edit (to respond to initial comments):

Network discovery is enabled (wired connection to router - PC doesn't have wi-fi)

If I type ping RASPBERRYPI at the command prompt I get:

Ping request could not find host RASPBERRYPI. Please check the name and try again.

If I type nslookup RASPBERRYPI I get:

C:\Windows\System32>nslookup RASPBERRYPI
Server:  dsldevice.lan
Address:  192.168.1.254

Name:    RASPBERRYPI.lan
Addresses:  192.168.1.123
          192.168.1.123

Does that help?

Answer 1

I was able to fix this by doing the following (as advised in the comments):

• Open Command Prompt
• Execute ipconfig /flushdns at command line
• Execute netsh interface IP delete arpcache at command line
• Reboot PC and router

The drive reappeared on my network in Windows File Explorer. The mapping to drive letter Z: had disappeared, but this is very easy to recreate.

Answer 2

To troubleshoot the issue of your Windows 11 PC not being able to find your NAS (Raspberry Pi) on the network, you can try the following steps:

1. Check Network Connection: Ensure that both your Windows 11 PC and Raspberry Pi NAS are connected to the same network (the same router). Verify that your PC has a stable network connection.

2. Verify NAS Accessibility: Since you mentioned that you can access the NAS using your iPad and the web interface on your PC, it suggests that the NAS is functioning correctly. However, double-check the NAS's IP address and hostname to ensure they haven't changed.

3. Disable Firewall/Antivirus: Temporarily disable any third-party firewall or antivirus software on your Windows 11 PC to see if they are causing any interference. If you can access the NAS after disabling them, you may need to adjust the firewall or antivirus settings to allow network access to the NAS.

4. Check Network Discovery Settings: Confirm that network discovery is enabled on your Windows 11 PC. Here's how to check: ---- Go to "Settings" by clicking on the Start button and selecting the
   gear icon. ---- Click on "Network & Internet." In the left sidebar, select "Ethernet" or "Wi-Fi," depending on your connection. ---- Scroll down and click on "Network and Sharing Center." ---- In the Network and Sharing Center, click on "Change advanced sharing settings" on the left. ---- Ensure that the following options are enabled: ---- ---- Turn on network discovery ---- ---- Turn on file and printer sharing

5. Flush DNS Cache: Sometimes, DNS cache issues can prevent proper name resolution. To clear the DNS cache, follow these steps: ---- Open the Command Prompt as an administrator. Right-click on the Start button and choose "Command Prompt (Admin)." ---- Type the following command and press Enter: ipconfig /flushdns ---- Wait for the command to execute, and then restart your PC.

6. Check Hostname Resolution: Since you mentioned that you can access the NAS using the IP address, but not the hostname, there may be a hostname resolution issue on your Windows PC. To troubleshoot this: ---- Open the Command Prompt. ---- Type the following command and press Enter: notepad C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts ---- In the Notepad window that opens, check if there is an entry for your Raspberry Pi NAS. If not, you can manually add an entry in the following format: RASPBERRYPI ---- Save the file and close Notepad.

7. Restart Devices: Restart both your Windows 11 PC and your Raspberry Pi NAS. Sometimes a simple restart can resolve temporary network issues.

After trying these steps, check if you can access the NAS from your Windows 11 PC. If the problem persists, please provide any additional error messages or details you encounter, as they may help further diagnose the issue.