Error 0x80070035 — The Network Path Was Not Found (Fix for Windows 10 and 11)

What This Error Means

When you type \\PCNAME\ShareName in the File Explorer address bar or the Run dialog and see:

Windows cannot access \\PCNAME\ShareName

Error code: 0x80070035
The network path was not found.

0x80070035 is Win32 error 53, ERROR_BAD_NETPATH — the same failure the command line reports as system error 53. It means your PC never reached the other machine's file sharing service at all. Not "the share is missing", not "you lack permission" — no usable connection was made.

That gives you four things to check, in this order:

1. The name did not resolve to an address.
2. The host is off, asleep, or on a different network.
3. TCP 445 is blocked — a firewall, a Public network profile, or third-party security software.
4. Nothing is listening — the host's Server service is stopped, or the two machines share no common SMB version.

If instead the machine answers and only the share name is wrong, you get 0x80070043 — see error 0x80070043.

Root Cause 1 — The Network Profile Is Set to Public

Probability: Very high. Check this first.

Windows disables all file sharing on networks classified as Public. If the host machine's active connection is set to Public, no incoming connections are possible.

Fix: On the host machine (the one being accessed):

1. Settings → Network and Internet → click the active connection (Ethernet or WiFi)
2. Under Network Profile Type → select Private network
3. Try the connection again immediately

Root Cause 2 — The Host Is Not Listening for SMB

Probability: High. Check this second.

The host has to actually be serving SMB. The Server service (LanmanServer) is what listens on TCP port 445 — if it is stopped or disabled, the host is powered on, answers a ping, and still refuses every connection.

Check from the connecting machine (PowerShell, no elevation needed):

Test-NetConnection -ComputerName PCNAME -Port 445

TcpTestSucceeded : True means SMB is listening, so rule this out. False means the host is off, a firewall is blocking 445, or the Server service is stopped.

Then check on the host (PowerShell as Administrator):

Get-Service LanmanServer
Set-Service LanmanServer -StartupType Automatic
Start-Service LanmanServer

What this is not: Function Discovery Resource Publication, SSDP Discovery and UPnP Device Host are discovery services. They control whether a PC appears in the Network pane — they have nothing to do with whether a typed \\PCNAME\Share path connects. If your machines are missing from Network but typed paths still work, that is network discovery, not this error.

Not This — A Missing or Misnamed Share

Worth ruling out explicitly, because it is the most common wrong turn.

If the share name is wrong, deleted, or renamed, you do not get 0x80070035. You get 0x80070043, "the network name cannot be found" — which means the host answered you and simply has no share by that name. Different error, different fix: see error 0x80070043 — Windows cannot access.

0x80070035 means the opposite: your PC never got far enough to ask about a share.

The one-line test: type just \\PCNAME with no share name after it. If you get a list of folders, the machine is reachable and you are on the wrong page — your error is 0x80070043. If you get an error, stay here.

Root Cause 4 — The Host Machine's Firewall Is Blocking SMB

Fix: On the host machine:

1. Control Panel → Windows Defender Firewall → Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall
2. Find "File and Printer Sharing" in the list
3. Ensure the Private checkbox is ticked → OK

If third-party antivirus is installed (Kaspersky, Norton, ESET, etc.), check its network protection settings — these can block SMB independently of Windows Firewall.

Root Cause 5 — SMB1 Was Disabled and the Target Needs It

If the machine being accessed is an older device (NAS, Windows 7 machine, older printer), it may only support SMB1, which Windows 11 no longer installs by default.

Fix (check first): Do not re-enable SMB1 unless the specific device requires it and cannot be updated. SMB1 has serious security vulnerabilities.

If you must: Control Panel → Programs → Turn Windows features on or off → SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support → check the box → restart.

Better option: Update the target device's firmware to add SMB2 support.

Root Cause 6 — The Host Machine's Name Cannot Be Resolved

If Windows cannot translate PCNAME to an IP address, it cannot reach the share by name.

Fix — use the IP address directly:

1. On the host machine: Settings → Network → your connection → note the IPv4 address (e.g., 192.168.1.45)
2. On the connecting machine: type \\192.168.1.45\ShareName instead of \\PCNAME\ShareName

If IP address works but hostname does not: the name resolution layer (LLMNR/mDNS) is broken. Check that the DNS Client service is running on both machines.

Quick Diagnostic Checklist

Run through these in order:

• Host machine is powered on
• Both machines are on the same network (same router)
• Host machine network profile is set to Private
• The four sharing services are running on the host
• The share name is correct (verified via Get-SmbShare)
• Windows Firewall allows File and Printer Sharing
• The connection works by IP address (rules out name resolution)

Why This Error Recurs After Windows Updates

Windows Updates occasionally reset service startup types and network profile settings. A perfectly configured setup stops working after an update. The fix above resolves it, but the same issue may return after the next major update.

If you spend time fixing this repeatedly, an application-level file sharing tool removes the dependency on Windows' SMB stack entirely.

---

Done troubleshooting Windows?

Oxolan fixes file sharing permanently. Installs in 2 minutes — no Windows configuration required.

Get Oxolan for Windows

---

Related Guides

• System error 53 — the same failure on the command line (net use)
• Error 0x80004005 — unspecified error
• Error 0x80070043 — Windows cannot access
• Access denied — error 0x80070005
• "Enter network credentials" keeps asking on Windows 11
• Computers not showing up in the network (Windows 11)
• Network discovery on Windows, explained
• LAN file sharing: the complete guide