Frequently asked questions about the SMB file service
Last updated:Feb 7, 2025
Frequently asked questions about the SMB file service
Contents
Accessibility and Connectivity
For DSM / Domain / LDAP Users
- How do I save files from a Windows PC to a Synology NAS within the local network?
- How do I access shared folders on my Synology NAS from a Mac computer within a local network?
- How do I access data on Synology NAS via SMB using the Files app on iPhone or iPad?
- How do I access data on Synology NAS via SMB using a VPN connection?
- My Synology NAS does not show up in Windows File Explorer. What can I do?
- I cannot access a shared folder on Synology NAS via SMB or AFP. What can I do?
- My files and folders are visible in File Station, but they are missing in Windows File Explorer or Mac Finder. What can I do?
- I lost access to shared folders via SMB after updating to DSM 7. What can I do?
- I encountered the error message "Cannot connect to the same server with multiple accounts". What can I do?
- I encountered the error message: "No more connections can be made to this remote computer […]". What can I do?
- I got the error message "A specified logon session does not exist" when connecting to my NAS shared folder via SMB. What should I do?
- I encountered network error 0x8007003B when transferring files to Synology NAS via a VPN connection. What can I do?
- After I end an SMB connection via Resource Monitor, the connection remains. What can I do?
- Why can't I see the files in my Synology NAS after double-clicking it in Windows Network?
- I received errors when using Adobe applications to edit or save files on Synology NAS. What can I do?
- I cannot access the files in the "home" shared folder on my Synology NAS when using Microsoft Office for Mac 2011. What can I do?
- I encountered the error message "…folder does not exist. The file may have been moved or deleted. Do you want to create it?" What can I do?
- Why do I see "Sorry, we couldn't find 'FILE'. Is it possible it was moved, renamed or deleted?"
- Can I disallow users to download files via AFP and SMB?
- Why do I always automatically sign in to my Synology NAS as "guest"?
For Domain or LDAP Users
- I cannot access a shared folder via SMB with my domain account, but it works with my DSM user account. What can I do?
- I see a message saying "The user is not allowed to log on from this workstation" when trying to access DSM via SMB with my domain account. What can I do?
- Why does a domain user not get expected group permission for SMB after his domain group is changed on domain controller?
- What can LDAP users do if they cannot access a shared folder on Synology NAS via SMB?
Backup
- How do I back up individual files/folders on Windows PC and File Server using Active Backup for Business?
- How do I migrate files and their domain ACL privilege settings from a Windows server to my Synology NAS?
- How can I copy data from another file server to Synology NAS?
- How do I back up files from my Mac to Synology NAS using Time Machine?
- How can I limit the amount of space taken up by Time Machine backup data?
- What should I do to fix the problem when connecting to Synology NAS using Time Machine?
- Time Machine backup failed. What should I do?
- My Time Machine backup failed due to insufficient space. What can I do?
Performance
- How can I troubleshoot a low data transfer rate?
- What can I do when the file transfer via Windows (SMB/CIFS) is slow?
- What is SMB3 Multichannel and how is it different from Link Aggregation?
- How do I troubleshoot issues related to SMB3 Multichannel?
- Writing data via SMB becomes slower when "Real-time protection" is enabled on my Windows 10 computer. What can I do?
- What can I do to smooth browsing experience when viewing files via Windows Explorer?
- What can I do to improve browsing experience when viewing files on Synology NAS via Finder on Mac?
- What can I do to fix slow SMB file transfers on OS X 10.11.5?
Permission
- What permission does a user need to rename a file or folder?
- What permission is needed for saving a Microsoft Office document?
- My folder permission changes after I run a backup job with Backup Exec. What can I do?
- My folder permission changes after I run a robocopy command to a folder. What can I do?
- Some permission entries in Windows File Explorer are changed to "Unix User\xxxx". What can I do?
File/Folder Naming
- A file or folder name is displayed as something like 12HWA0~8 when accessed via SMB. What can I do?
- My file name is garbled. What can I do?
- Windows File Explorer displays shared folder names with all uppercase letters as all lowercase letters. What can I do?
- What can I do if Windows File Explorer indicates that a file name is too long?
File Locking
Search
Security
- How do I enable SMB signing?
- How can I protect my Synology NAS against WannaCry?
- What are the reasons for unexpected file changes?
- Why are there "Read" events in Log Center for the files that I did not open?
- Why is an IP address blocked by the SMB Service?
Synology Assistant
- How do I map a network drive using Synology Assistant?
- I received the error message "System error 53 has occurred. The network path was not found." when connecting to Synology NAS via SMB. What can I do?
- How to fix errors that occur when mapping drives in Synology Assistant (For Windows OS)
- Why do mapped network drives become disconnected after I failed to map another network drive?
Miscellaneous
- I can't disable the guest account. What can I do?
- Why are some file icons not displaying the compression mark in Windows File Explorer after file compression is enabled?
- I moved files to another shared folder on Windows via SMB. Why is the space not freed up?
- There is a 0 KB file in the recycle bin with an identical name of a new text file I just created with Notepad. Why did this happen?
- Why are files beginning with "._" created when I copy or back up files to an external storage device?
- The drag-and-drop function does not work for shared folders in Windows File Explorer. What can I do?