Meet “the specified network name is no longer available” error when trying to access the shared resources? Don’t know how to fix it? Take it easy. You can find multiple useful methods in this post written by MiniTool to fix the error.

When you try to access the shared resources but receive an error message saying that “The specified network name is no longer available”, then this post is what you need because there are several methods you can take to fix the error.

So how to fix “the specified network name is no longer available” error? Keep reading.

Method 1: Disable Antivirus Software Temporarily

The culprit of “the specified network name is no longer available” error may be your antivirus software on your computer. Sometimes, the antivirus can prevent you from accessing the shared resources.

So in order to fix this error, it is recommended to disable your third-party antivirus tools temporarily if you have installed. Here is the tutorial:

Note: When disabling anti-virus features, pay special attention to the sites you visit, the emails you open, and the files you download.

Step 1: Press the Win key and the X key at the same time to choose Task Manager.

Step 2: Go to the Process tab, and find your third-party antivirus software, right-click it to choose End task.

Step 3: Check whether the issue ‘the specified network name is no longer available’ is solved. 

And if this method works, it means that the problem is caused by this antivirus program and you need to uninstall it. Then restart your computer and switch to another antivirus software.

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Method 2: Enable SMB 1.0

You may encounter “the specified network name is no longer available” error when you’re trying to access a device that supports SMB 1.0 (Server Message Block), but the system doesn’t support SMB 1.0.

If you are using Windows 10 computer, then the SMB 1.0 could be the culprit because SMB isn’t installed by default on Windows 10 latest version. And SMB is responsible for providing shared access to files, printers and serial ports.

Therefore, you can enable SMB 1.0 to solve the problem. Here is the tutorial:

Step 1: Type windows feature in the Search box, then click Turn Windows features on or off.

Step 2: Scroll down to SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support and then check the box next to it. Click OK to save changes.

enable SMB 1.0

Step 3: Click Restart Now.

Step 4: After your PC reboots, check to see whether the error is gone.

Method 3: Enable Computer Browser, Server and Workstation Services

In order to access shared resources successfully, you should make sure that the Computer Browser, Server & Workstation services are running. Follow the instructions below to configure the services to run automatically:

Step 1: Press the Win + R keys at the same time to open the Run box.

Step 2: Type services.msc in the box and then click OK to open Services.

Step 3: Double-click Computer Browser in the Services window. Under the General tab, change the Startup type to Automatic, and click Start. Then click Apply and OK to save changes.

enable services

Step 4: Double-click Server in the Services window. Under the General tab, change the Startup type to Automatic, and click Start. Then click Apply and OK to save changes.

Step 5: Double-click Workstation in the Services window. Under the General tab, change the Startup type to Automatic, and click Start. Then click Apply and OK to save changes.

Once all steps are finished, restart your computer and then check whether the issue of ‘the specified network name is no longer available’ is fixed. 

Method 4: Map Network Drive Using IP Address

The last method you can try is to use the IP address to map the network drive instead of the computer’s name. Here is a quick guide:

Step 1: Open File Explorer and then click This PC.

Step 2: Click Computer and then click Map Network Drive.

click Map network drive

Step 3: In the Map Network Drive window, choose a drive letter from the drop-down menu next to Drive.

Step 4: Enter the address of the shared folder you want to access next to Folder. The address would be like: \\IP address\share folder.

Step 5: Click Finish and then check if the error still exists.

After all steps are finished, restart your computer and then check whether the issue of ‘the specified network name is no longer available’ is fixed. 

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Bottom Line

In this post, you can find four useful methods to fix “the specified network name is no longer available” error. Therefore, when you meet the error, you can try the methods mentioned above.

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