Windows 7 does not save network login credentials (username and password)

[bern]

This problem has been driving me up the wall, so I hope you fine folks can help me out with it .

I have a network storage device with several network folders and each of them are passworded for added security (in case someone manages to connect to my wifi). When I try and access them in any application or Windows Explorer, I am often (but not always) prompted to re-enter the username and password. This happens even though I tick the box to remember these details.

This is on an almost new install and I am completely stuck. Any thoughts?

 

[Ian]

Welcome to the site bern!

Can you please go to Control Panel > User Accounts and Family Safety > Manage Windows Credentials

You should be able to view your saved credentials in there and check their persistence level.

 

[Kougar]

Hm, but I think he is asking how do you tell Windows 7 to automatically give these credentials, instead of having to log in repeatedly? I don't see an option to change the persistence level.

I know in my case they are saved once per system login, so if I reboot I have to re-enter the credentials again to access my NAS folders or files.

 

[Ian]

Yep, I see what you mean now. I don't access the NAS frequently on this PC, but it appears I also need to re-authenticate after each reboot. Although checking the credential manager does list my NAS with username and obfuscated password.

FWIW, my persistence level is listed as "enterprise".

I think I need to do some more digging on this feature. Did you manage to solve the problem, bern?

 

[bern]

No I couldn't figure it out.

The credentials manager just says enterprise on mine too. Is there a way I can permenantly save them so I never need to log in to my network drives again?

 

[bern]

Still not able to figure this out and about to give up, no-one else know?

Sorry to bump this thread, but I'd really like to try and fix it.

If I find out how to do this, I will report back and let you all know.

 

[Kougar]

Sorry Bern, I haven't figured out a way to do so while fiddling with mine. It's humorous but I'm even having trouble getting proper account access rights to work based on account type, which I'm hoping that'll change once I can migrate to the RTM version of Windows 7.

 

[Ian]

I'm not sure on how to do this either, but I'll see if I can find anything today - I've written a stickynote on my desktop so I can't forget!

 

[Ian]

I've spend the last 30 mins trying to find a solution to this, and I'm stuck too... It looks like other users are having the same problem:

http://social.technet.microsoft.com...g/thread/ef9b42b2-5695-4ac4-8aea-745aa532b981
http://social.technet.microsoft.com...y/thread/0567ec71-df15-42f2-8f17-835c4861fd17

Does anyone here have network share passwords remembered correctly?

 

[SystemsAdminAS]

Saves, but does not seem to work on reboot

Guys,

Have been using Win 7 Beta since January, and have moved through the RC and RTM versions with the same issue so far...

We run an AD (Active Directory) environment with a few shares on Win 2K3 boxes which operate properly in terms of my machine remembering the proper credentials and always seeing those shares when logged into the domain.

The problem comes from our main file server, which is currently Ubuntu 9.04. Have not yet been able to get it set up as a member of the domain yet, so it operated using workgroup shares. XP/Vista and Linux clients do not show this issue, but so far with all iterations of Win 7, while I can easily set up mapped drives and see the creds saved in the credentials manager (also as 'Enterprise' as you guys have seen), rebooting is what seems to cause Windows to be unable to connect.

If I hibernate or sleep and come out of it, the shares report as disconnected at first, but you can click through or link to files fine. Upon reboot, however, trying to connect generates an error of the share name no longer being available. Only two recourses are either remapping all shares (a pain as we have many of them), or to blow out the saved creds in credentials manager. If you remove the credential from the vault, the next time you try to connect, it will ask for creds that will again save and work fine until the next reboot.

I'm not sure what occurs upon reboot that is causing share names to have issue, BUT it only seems to be an issue with Linux-based workgroup shares, as the ones on Windows Servers that are shared via AD not only are remembered and reconnect all the time,but the drives NEVER show as unavailable - often the Linux shares show as unavailable until you first access them during the day - this has been true of XP and Vista also.

The only option might just be to join the file server to the domain - anyone else see this issue and find that that has worked?

 

[KeithJ]

It worked flawlessly on my desktop and laptop under Beta and RC1, but for some reason it works on the laptop but not the desktop under the released version.

I notice that the persistence on the desktop is "Logon Session" and on the laptop "Enterprise" but have no idea about the significance of that, or how to change it.

The only reason I can think it changed on the desktop is that I deleted another machine that was there (my old backup server, now consigned to outer darkness).

 

[DavidGLyons]

I have the same problem with my NAS.

I have found that if you DON'T enter the credentials when prompted, but instead go to credentials manager and add the credentials explicitly, you get a persistence level of 'enterprise'.

Otherwise you get a persistence level of 'log in session'.

As a result my credentials have persisted across logins. However, I have had at least one experience of these credentials disappearing. So all is not perfect yet.

Hope it helps.

 

[KeithJ]

I found the same thing - that "session" logins were lost on shutdown. Ticking "Remember" didn't work.

However, I then added several instances into the "Credential Manager" - an extra one, using the IP address rather than the machine name, and then the whole lot again under "Generic Credentials". Then I saved it (what a palaver that is, with Ctrl-Alt-Del thrown in for good measure).

That seems to have stuck. It's a bit clunky, and having several entries seems counter-intuitive, but it works.

 

[tombestor]

tombestor

passwords save ok in credentials manager on my new Windows 7 home premium machine. But -- infuriatingly -- ONLY if they are 8 characters or less. The one internet site i really want to be able to log in to has an 11 letter password, which credentials manager consistently truncate to 8 characters.

i blame billgates' mother, as i have for the last 25 years.

any ideas? (on the first paragraph i mean)

 

[davehc]

i blame billgates' mother, as i have for the last 25 years.

Sorry, off topic, I couldn't resist. Nah, Mothers are darlings -its the computer illiterate wife everytime.

 

[KeithJ]

tombestor - try what I did. Enter the credentials manually, several times, into the top and the "Generic Credentials" box. That worked for me - but I don't have passwords that long, so no promises

 

[Redhotorange]

This problem has been driving me up the wall, so I hope you fine folks can help me out with it .

I have a network storage device with several network folders and each of them are passworded for added security (in case someone manages to connect to my wifi). When I try and access them in any application or Windows Explorer, I am often (but not always) prompted to re-enter the username and password. This happens even though I tick the box to remember these details.

This is on an almost new install and I am completely stuck. Any thoughts?

I had the same problem for a long while, but tonight I seem to have solved it. This is how I did it. Hope it works for you and many others. My network storage is Buffalo Linkstation LS-CHL (I will call it LS-CHL below).

Sign-in your network storage device manually as before.

Go to Credential Manager under Control Panel-User Accounts. Look for your network storage device under windows credential and open it. Then select Edit. Replece the domain name in front of your user name (LS-CHL, in my case). Save.

Log off from you Windows account and then log in again. Windows will again say it cannot connect network drive. Open Credential Manager again and you will notice that your device is not there under windows credential.

Now connect your device again manually. Then in Credential Manager click "Add a Windows Credential": enter device name (LS-CHL, in my case) as internet/network address, user name (without domain name) and password. Save.

That is it. Log off window and then log back on, your device should be connected automatically.

The sequence is important.

 

[Hank]

I had the same problem for a long while, but tonight I seem to have solved it. This is how I did it. Hope it works for you and many others. My network storage is Buffalo Linkstation LS-CHL (I will call it LS-CHL below).

Sign-in your network storage device manually as before.

Go to Credential Manager under Control Panel-User Accounts. Look for your network storage device under windows credential and open it. Then select Edit. Replece the domain name in front of your user name (LS-CHL, in my case). Save.

Log off from you Windows account and then log in again. Windows will again say it cannot connect network drive. Open Credential Manager again and you will notice that your device is not there under windows credential.

Now connect your device again manually. Then in Credential Manager click "Add a Windows Credential": enter device name (LS-CHL, in my case) as internet/network address, user name (without domain name) and password. Save.

That is it. Log off window and then log back on, your device should be connected automatically.

The sequence is important.

Thanks for the information, it finally resolved my reconnect issue. Have performed this procedure on two PC's both running Windows 7 Pro. Works great.

 

[robberbobbles]

Thanks, Fixed session based Login credentials.

RedHotOrange you are a hero.

Thanks

 

[bikeman]

It works like a charm.

I manage several networks, and all wokerd with out problems, till today.

I must ask, how did you manage to get this solution? Try/error method?