Error 0x80070035 “The Network Path Was Not Found”: How to Fix It

Applies to: Windows 11 and Windows 10, for shared folders on another PC or a NAS drive on your home or office network.

What 0x80070035 means

The full message reads “Windows cannot access \\NAME. Check the spelling of the name. Otherwise, there might be a problem with your network. Error code: 0x80070035. The network path was not found.”

Windows uses a protocol called SMB to open shared folders. This error means it couldn’t find the other device, or found it but the device didn’t answer the SMB request. The cause is almost always a setting on one of the two computers rather than a fault in the network itself, so the fixes below are mostly switches to check.

Find the cause in one minute

Press Win + R, type cmd and press Enter. Then run these two commands, using the other computer’s name and IP address (you can see the IP on that PC by running ipconfig):

ping OTHER-PC-NAME
ping 192.168.1.20

What you see	What it means	Go to
Name fails, IP replies, and \\IP-address opens	Name lookup is broken	Fix 9
Both reply, but the share still won’t open	Sharing, firewall or sign-in settings	Fixes 3 to 7
Neither replies	Not on the same network, or the firewall blocks ping	Fix 1, Fix 5
Only a NAS or older device fails	Guest access or an old SMB version	Fix 7, Fix 8

A failed ping doesn’t prove the PC is unreachable, because Windows Firewall blocks ping on many setups. Treat it as a clue, not a verdict.

Fix 1: Check the path and the connection

1. Check the path format: it must start with two backslashes, like \\OTHER-PC\Documents. Forward slashes or a single backslash won’t work.
2. Make sure the other computer or NAS is switched on and not asleep.
3. Confirm both devices are on the same network. A PC on a guest Wi-Fi network, or connected through a VPN, usually can’t see devices on the main network.
4. If you use cables, check that the link lights on the network port and the router or switch are lit.

Fix 2: Set the network to Private

Windows hides your PC and blocks sharing on networks marked Public. Do this on both computers:

1. Open Settings > Network & internet.
2. Select Wi-Fi or Ethernet, then the network you’re connected to (on Wi-Fi, choose your network’s properties).
3. Under Network profile type, choose Private network.

Only do this on networks you trust, like your home or office. Keep public Wi-Fi in cafes and airports set to Public.

Fix 3: Turn on network discovery and file sharing

1. Windows 11: open Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Advanced sharing settings.
2. Windows 10: open Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Change advanced sharing settings.
3. Under Private networks, turn on Network discovery and File and printer sharing.
4. Repeat on the computer that holds the shared folder.

Fix 4: Check the share on the other PC

On the computer that holds the files:

1. Right-click the folder and choose Properties > Sharing. The Network Path shown there is the exact path to type on the other PC.
2. If it says Not Shared, select Advanced Sharing, tick Share this folder, and note the share name.
3. Select Permissions and make sure the account you’ll sign in with has at least Read access.
4. On the other PC, type the path exactly as shown, for example \\OFFICE-PC\Shared.

Fix 5: Allow File and Printer Sharing in the firewall

1. Open Control Panel > Windows Defender Firewall > Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall.
2. Select Change settings.
3. Find File and Printer Sharing and tick the Private box. Leave Public unticked.
4. Select OK.

If you use third-party security software with its own firewall, it replaces Windows Firewall. Look in its settings for a trusted or home network option, or a rule for file sharing (SMB, port 445).

Fix 6: Start the services sharing needs

Press Win + R, type services.msc and press Enter. Check that these services are running, and set their Startup type as shown:

Service	Needed on	Startup type
Workstation	The PC opening the share	Automatic
Server	The PC sharing the folder	Automatic
Function Discovery Resource Publication	The PC sharing the folder	Automatic (Delayed Start)
Function Discovery Provider Host	Both	Manual (or Automatic)
SSDP Discovery	Both	Manual

Function Discovery Resource Publication is the one most often stopped. It’s what makes a PC appear under Network in File Explorer. Restart both PCs after changing these.

Fix 7: Sign in instead of using guest access

Many NAS drives and older setups let anyone open shares as a “guest” without a password. Windows 10 and 11 block insecure guest sign-ins on many editions, and Windows 11 24H2 also requires SMB signing by default. Either change can make a share that worked for years suddenly show 0x80070035 or a message about guest access being blocked.

1. On the NAS or the sharing PC, create a user account with a password, and give it access to the share.
2. On your PC, open Control Panel > Credential Manager > Windows Credentials > Add a Windows credential.
3. Enter the NAS or PC name (for example NAS01), plus the username and password you created. Save it.
4. Open the share again. If the NAS offers a firmware update, install it too: newer firmware usually supports SMB signing.

We don’t recommend turning guest access back on or switching off SMB signing. Both protect you from someone on the network pretending to be your file server. Using an account is the safer fix and works on every Windows version.

Fix 8: Old NAS drives and SMB1

Very old NAS drives and network media players only speak SMB1, the original version of the protocol. Windows 10 and 11 don’t include SMB1 by default because it’s insecure, so these devices can’t be reached.

1. Check the NAS admin page for a setting like Minimum SMB version and set it to SMB2 or SMB3.
2. Update the NAS firmware.
3. If the device can’t do SMB2 or later, it’s time to replace it, or copy the files off with another method such as USB or FTP.

Turning SMB1 back on in Windows is possible but leaves your PC open to the kind of attacks used by WannaCry. Avoid it unless there is truly no other way, and turn it off again afterwards.

Fix 9: Fix name lookup and reset the network

If the IP address works but the name doesn’t, the quickest everyday fix is to use the IP address, or give the other device a fixed (reserved) IP in your router so it never changes. To repair name lookup itself, open Command Prompt as administrator and run:

ipconfig /flushdns
nbtstat -R
netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset

Restart the PC afterwards. If it still fails, open Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Network reset. This reinstalls your network adapters and sets networking back to defaults, so you’ll need to re-enter Wi-Fi passwords and any VPN settings.

For older devices that rely on NetBIOS names, open Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Change adapter settings, right-click your adapter, choose Properties > Internet Protocol Version 4 > Properties > Advanced > WINS, and select Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP.

Frequently asked questions

What does error 0x80070035 mean?

It means “the network path was not found”. Windows couldn’t reach the shared folder, either because it couldn’t find the device or because the device refused the file-sharing connection.

Why did 0x80070035 start after a Windows update?

Updates sometimes reset a network to Public, or bring in stricter security. Windows 11 24H2 requires SMB signing and blocks guest access by default, which stops some NAS drives from working without a username and password. Fixes 2 and 7 cover both cases.

Can I just use the IP address instead of the computer name?

Yes. \\192.168.1.20\Share works the same way as the name. Reserve that IP for the device in your router settings so it doesn’t change after a restart.

Should I enable SMB1 to fix it?

Only as a last resort for a device that can’t be updated. SMB1 has serious security flaws, and Microsoft removed it from new Windows installs for that reason.