Windows Security Is Asking For Network Credentials

Windows Security asks for network credentials when a shared folder, printer or server needs to verify your account before granting access. Use an account recognised by the device hosting the resource. If the prompt keeps returning, check the username and password, remove outdated saved credentials.

Identify which device and account the prompt needs

A network credential prompt does not automatically mean something is wrong with Windows Security. It can be an expected part of opening a protected resource. Repeated prompts need investigation, especially if access worked before a password change.

Read the computer or server name shown in the dialogue. It should match the resource you intended to open. If the prompt appears unexpectedly, cancel it and confirm the destination before entering a password.

The account you use on your own PC may not have access to another computer. A home file server, workplace domain and network storage device can each maintain different accounts. Your Wi-Fi password grants access to the wireless network; it is not normally the password for a shared folder.

Check the username and password first

Start here when Windows reports that the username or password is incorrect, or immediately returns to the same sign-in dialogue.

1. Confirm the destination computer or server name with the resource owner.
2. Choose the option to use another account if Windows has selected the wrong one.
3. Enter the username in the format required by that destination. For a local account on another Windows PC, this may be COMPUTERNAME\username. A workplace domain account may use DOMAIN\username or an account address supplied by IT.
4. Enter that account's current password. Check Caps Lock and the keyboard layout, particularly if the password contains symbols.
5. Try opening the same resource again. If it still fails, record the exact message before changing anything else.

Passwords are case-sensitive. A recent password change can also leave Windows trying an older saved password, even when you remember the new one correctly.

Use the account password when the dialogue requests a password

Your Windows Hello PIN is tied to your device. It is not a reusable password to enter into another computer's network sign-in prompt. Microsoft explains this distinction in its Windows Hello guidance.

If you normally unlock your PC with a PIN, face or fingerprint and do not know which password the share expects, ask the owner which account is authorised. On a managed network, IT can confirm the correct sign-in method.

Remove an outdated saved credential

If the problem started after a password change, check Credential Manager on the PC you are connecting from. Windows may be reusing a stored login for that server. Microsoft's Credential Manager instructions explain how to find saved network credentials.

1. Search the Start menu for Credential Manager and open it.
2. Select Windows Credentials.
3. Find the entry matching the affected computer, server or network address.
4. Expand the entry and remove it. Leave unrelated credentials in place.
5. Close the affected File Explorer windows, reopen the shared resource and enter the current credentials when prompted.

Removing a stored credential does not change the account password or grant new permissions. It means Windows must obtain login details again. Save the replacement credentials only on a device you trust and where your organisation permits it.

Check permissions when the login is accepted but access fails

An “Access is denied” message calls for a different check from an incorrect-password message. Windows may recognise your account while the folder's access rules prevent you from reading or changing files.

On a Windows file host, both share permissions and the folder's Security permissions can affect network access. Microsoft's guidance for denied access to file shares identifies permission mismatches as a possible cause.

1. Ask the owner or administrator to inspect the folder on the computer hosting it.
2. Have them check the account or group used for the connection under the folder's Sharing and Security settings.
3. Request the access your task requires, such as permission to read files or modify them.
4. Reconnect using the confirmed account and test the intended action.

For a network storage device or printer, ask its administrator to check the device's own user and access settings. Changing permissions on your laptop will not grant access to a remote resource.

Investigate connectivity when the resource cannot be reached

If Windows cannot find the computer or network path, check connectivity before retrying passwords. For a local share, confirm that the host is switched on and both devices are on the appropriate network. For a workplace resource, connect through the organisation's approved VPN if required.

Try the exact shared path supplied by the owner, such as \\SERVER\SharedFolder. Note whether the failure affects one resource or several. This helps distinguish a server problem from a connection problem on your PC.

For local sharing, Microsoft's network file-sharing guide covers network discovery and sharing settings. Enable discovery only on a trusted network where sharing is intended. A private network profile does not itself grant folder permissions.

If you need help locating controls, see where System and Security is in Windows 10. ThinkPad users looking for device-specific security controls can consult where the Windows Security button is on a Lenovo ThinkPad.

Keep access working after the fix

Update saved credentials when the account password changes, and use individual authorised accounts for shared resources. Keep relevant software updated and review access when users join or leave. More related troubleshooting is available in the Windows Security guides.

If access still fails, send the resource owner or IT team the shared path, exact error, account format used and whether another authorised device can connect. Do not include your password.