Background:
Microsoft has been progressively increasing the security measures in Windows, and disabling insecure guest logins is one of those steps. Insecure guest logins can pose a significant security risk because they allow access to network shares without requiring a username or password. This change aligns with the security enhancements seen in Windows Enterprise editions.
Your Situation:
After updating to Windows 11 24H2, you found that connecting to network shares without requiring a login (everyone access, password protected sharing turned off) no longer works. Shares with a password and those configured in group policy to allow insecure guest logins function correctly.
Explanation:
Based on the behavior you described, it seems Microsoft is indeed defaulting insecure guest logins to disabled in Windows 11 24H2. This change would enhance security by preventing anonymous access to network shares.
Steps to Address the Issue:
1. Enable Insecure Guest Logins via Group Policy:
- Press **Win + R**, type `gpedit.msc`, and press Enter to open the Group Policy Editor.
- Navigate to **Computer Configuration** > **Administrative Templates** > **Network** > **Lanman Workstation**.
- Double-click **Enable insecure guest logons** and set it to **Enabled**.
- Apply the changes and restart your computer.
2. Enable Insecure Guest Logins via Registry Editor:
- Press **Win + R**, type `regedit`, and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
- Navigate to `HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanWorkstation\Parameters`.
- If the `AllowInsecureGuestAuth` entry does not exist, right-click and select **New** > **DWORD (32-bit) Value**, and name it `AllowInsecureGuestAuth`.
- Set the value of `AllowInsecureGuestAuth` to `1`.
- Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer.
3. Consider Alternative Security Measures:
- Instead of enabling insecure guest logins, consider setting up password-protected sharing for better security.
- Ensure that all users have appropriate permissions to access the necessary shares.
source https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsclient/forum/all/windows-11-24h2-and-insecure-guest-logins-settings/20502d71-4324-44a3-8ec2-40d8b778a523
