Fix Error 0x80070035 – Can't Access Shared Folder on Network

You try to open a shared folder on another computer and get error 0x80070035. It's usually a network discovery or permission issue. Fixing SMB settings or firewall usually sorts it.

You're sitting at your desk, double-clicking a shared folder on another PC on your network. Windows spins for a few seconds, then pops up a box: Error 0x80070035 – The network path was not found. This happens a lot with Windows 10 and 11 machines that were set up fast or after a big update. Last month I had a call from a small law office – all five PCs suddenly couldn't see the server's shared drive after a Windows 10 22H2 update. Same error code. Drives me crazy each time.

Why does 0x80070035 happen?

Plain and simple: Windows can't talk to the other computer because something is blocking the network file-sharing protocol. The usual suspects are:

SMB 1.0/CIFS is disabled – Microsoft turned it off by default years ago. Some older devices still need it.
Network discovery is off – Windows acts like it's on public network instead of private.
Windows Defender Firewall is blocking file sharing – the File and Printer Sharing rules get disabled after updates.
Workgroup mismatch – both PCs must be in the same workgroup, usually WORKGROUP.
DNS resolution fails – Windows can't resolve the computer name to an IP address.

Fix it step by step

Try these in order. Don't skip around – I've seen people waste hours jumping ahead.

Step 1 – Check the network profile

Both PCs must be on a Private network, not Public. Open Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi (or Ethernet). Click your network name. Change the profile from Public to Private if it's wrong. A client last year had his home Wi-Fi set to Public – that alone blocked all file shares for months.

Step 2 – Turn on network discovery and file sharing

Go to Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Advanced sharing settings. Under Private, turn on:

Network discovery
File and printer sharing

Also check All Networks – turn off password-protected sharing if you want easy access. But know that's less secure.

Step 3 – Enable SMB 1.0/CIFS (only if needed)

If you're sharing with an old device like a Windows 7 PC or a NAS from 2012, you might need SMB 1.0. Open Control Panel > Programs > Turn Windows features on or off. Check SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support. Reboot after. But don't leave this on permanently – it's a security risk.

Step 4 – Fix the firewall

Open Control Panel > Windows Defender Firewall > Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall. Make sure File and Printer Sharing is checked for Private networks. If it's not there, click Allow another app and add %SystemRoot%\System32\fdrespub.dll. Then check the box.

Step 5 – Verify workgroup name

On both PCs, open Settings > System > About > Rename this PC (Advanced). Click Network ID. Make sure both are on the same workgroup – default is WORKGROUP. If one says something else like OFFICE or HOME, change it to match.

Step 6 – Flush DNS and reset network

Open Command Prompt as admin and run these:

ipconfig /flushdns
ipconfig /registerdns
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
netsh int ip reset
netsh Winsock reset

Reboot both machines. This clears out old cached DNS entries that can cause the path not found error.

Step 7 – Use IP address instead of computer name

If you still get the error, try accessing the folder by IP: \\192.168.1.100\sharename. If that works, the problem is DNS resolution. Add a static entry in the hosts file on the client PC at C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts. Add a line like 192.168.1.100 SERVER-NAME. Save and retry.

Still failing?

If you've done all that and it's still broken, check three more things:

Windows credentials – Open Credential Manager, delete any stored credentials for the target PC, then try again. Corrupted creds can block access.
Third-party antivirus – Norton and McAfee often block SMB ports. Disable the firewall in your AV temporarily to test.
Make sure the shared folder actually exists – sounds dumb, but I've had clients try to access a folder someone deleted last week. Run net share on the host PC to list all active shares.

One more thing: if you're using Microsoft accounts instead of local accounts, you might need to enter the full email and password when connecting. Try Other user and type MicrosoftAccount\email@example.com as the username.

Most of the time, step 1 through 4 fix it. Don't overthink – just run through them and you'll be back to copying files in ten minutes.