Let’s say you have a network of more than ten Windows computers connected in a local workgroup without a domain controller. One of the computers has a printer connected to it, and more than ten machines in the workgroup need to print at the same time.
Well, you might say, “Dude, get a server!” or “Dude, get a print server!”
True, that would solve the problem… But sometimes, things like money and technical knowledge are limiting factors in such cases.
The good news: It’s actually really easy to increase the limit and get everybody printing/sharing files in a very short time!
Alrighty, first a few more words about Windows Networking. If a computer is running Windows XP Home, the max number of connections that can be made to/from that computer on the LAN is 5. If the machine is running XP Pro, Vista, etc. then the max is 10.
Also, you have to understand that the limit refers to connections, not number of computers. Technically, you can have a LAN with 500 Windows machines, and as long as no more than 10 computers are trying to connect to any other computer, everything will work okay. But you will still probably have a few headaches like when you browse Network Neighborhood, not all the computers will show up. That’s pretty annoying.
So now, here’s how you fix it:
First, type Win-R to open the “Run” dialog box, and type gpedit.msc.
At this point, one of two things will happen:
- You have a fancier version of Windows, so a nice management console will pop up.
- You have a less fancy version of Windows, so it will give you an error message.
If you see the management window, then navigate thisaway:
Computer Config -> Windows Settings -> Security Settings -> Local Policies -> Security Option
And set Interactive Logon to 50 (the maximum) or 0 (i.e. disable caching completely)
If you get the error message instead of the management window, then do the following:
- Type
Win-R - Type
regedt32and hit Enter - Search for the following entry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\CachedLogonsCount - Change
CachedLogonsCountto50(the max) or0(disabled) - Close the Registry Editor
Repeat on each machine on the network just for good measure, et voila! You’re done.
I’ve used this trick before on multi-version Windows networks, and it works like a charm. It’s also a heckuva lot easier than setting up a server, and cheaper than buying a standalone print server of some kind.
Finally, note that for Windows versions without gpedit.msc, you can download an Excel file with the corresponding registry entries to edit in Vista (entries are usually the same in other versions of Windows).
Have fun!
Expanding your network? I recommend D-Link gigabit switches
Brilliant – have just the symptoms as you laid out. Not sure if this is in breach of Microsoft Licence.
tried to do it on VISTA 32. Not working 🙁
The registry key is set to 20, but the pc give me a limit of 10 pc connected…
any ideas??
Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. In other words, don’t do this.
Workgroups are insecure by nature, and if you have to enforce any kind of security in a workgroup then you are in a world of high-maintenance hurt. You have to keep passowrds and user groups and all that in sync, or else you have to have people sharing passwords.
Also, at least at one point (and I think it is still the case), there isn’t just a technical limit imposed. Without a domain controller you are violating the license agreement of WinXP Pro, Vista and 7 if you make these OSes do more than 10 connections at a time.
Of course, if you don’t care about security then there are chances you don’t care about breaking the law either and you are using cracked software 😉
If you are too broke to buy a computer with Windows server on it then use some old junk PC with Linux on it running Samba and you can save a few hundred bucks. Don’t give me crap about Linux being hard either–I’ve set up Windows AND samba domains and samba ain’t any harder these days with OSes like Ubuntu and Mandriva (I’ve done it on both of those OSes without opening a command promt at all). Since it is pretty common practice to do this and there isn’t any language in MSFT EULA’s that says you have to use THEIR server oses to do domains, then I think this option is far more solid. Might not have full group policy capabilities w/ samba, but at least you can manage security better.
Mr. Moral Highground with the backhand, *eye-roll*
Vey useful dude……..
thanks very much…how long i am facing this problem.
once again thanks.
hey all
really useful tut but its not working with me
i just went to know if its necessary to config all the pc’s on the lan or just the admin pc ?
another thing :p
if som1 knows how or a program to distribute a file over all the lan computers
thx
I made the change to all the puters on the LAN, and that fixed the problem of not having all the computers show up in Network Neighborhood.
Dunno about your second question though!
what about Win 2000 server….
Not sure about Win2k server. Don’t know much about it, although I think the server versions are far more restrictive since they want you to pay lots more money for a server that can handle more connections. I could be wrong, though!
Hey, thanks a bunch. I couldn’t find a solution anywhere online for this issue after many pages of google results. This was a quick, easy fix. I only wanted to allow all the users on our network to access a 2TB harddrive on our ‘server’ computer and was able to do so by only editing the ‘server’s settings.
Anyway, thanks for saving me $1000!
HI, why I can’t see the comments ?
Btw, I tried this method in my XP server, then I found that in “Computer management”, I can adjust the max users to 20 of the shared resources, however, after 10 computers connect to the server, the 11 will still cannot access the shared folder. It seems no hope. I also install the “Event4226 Patch”, any idea ?
I haven’t set all the workstations to this method, since some computers haven’t gpedit.msc, I can’t download from yr site. please help, thanks !!
Hmm. I can’t seem to find that XLS file any more. You could just try searching the registry for “CachedLogonsCount”. I’m not sure if that’s correct, because I don’t have a Vista machine anymore to try it out.
Very useful tip…I used this when the each client can’t print to the shared printer in one of the workstation here at the office.
cached logons has nothing to do with how many users can connect to a shared network resource. It only controls how many domain user profiles are stored locally, so that after you log into the domain once, if you cant connect to the domain later you are still able to login. The limit is 50 user profiles. There is a 20 user limit for connections to network resources and is controlled in the share settings for that folder. There might be a way to work around it but this isnt it.
Be that as it may, it still fixed my problem! Go figure.
@MSH
Actually it is not “breaking the law” to do this. Microsoft is a corporation not a government entity. So, they do not have the power to create law when they write their user agreements. Doing this simply violates the license agreement, which is not law.
The real issue, if it ever gets to court, is whether or not you intend to, or actually, deprived Microsoft of their just due. (Payment for a license.)
I’m about to set this up on our hospital’s network. I have a Windows server (2003 OS). Way too many headaches and overhead to keep it continuously running. Latest MS firewall auto updated and blocked every PC from accessing the practice management software (PMS) we run on the server. We use a common user account login on all 10 PCs. It’s the PMS that we log into with unique IDs. One of the notes above indicated that with all the user logins and passwords, this was a bad idea. I’m just commenting that there are possibly other scenarios where a small business has a single user login to get onto the Domain, then uses unique ID’s for their management software.
I did it in windows 7 32bit it was not working..
You saved my day ! Thanks
Hi, I am wondering if this solution still works with Windows 7 pcs and Windows 8 pcs?
Have you tried this with those OS’es.
In addition, generally, is this still a solution that works?
It is a big headache when I max out at t10 simultaneous connections and the 11th person cannot get in.
I now have a mix of xp, win 7, and win 8 in my network
Yup, it still works for me in Win 7 and Win 8.
Thank you very much.
I noticed just now, when I went to one of my Windows 7 machines, and one of my Windows 8 machines, that the default registry setting, before I change it, is still 10.
I had expected it to say 20, because I keep reading everywhere that the max sessions in windows 7 was increased from 10 to 20. Does that make sense to you that the registry entry still says 10 and not 20? Or does that mean I am looking at the wrong registry entry?
This is enormously helpful and useful … I have looking to see how to overcome the limit for years and have never found an answer until I found your site.
Thank you again.
I’ve never understood that either, because it always says 10. Somebody told me the setting I mention is not doing what I think it’s doing, which is entirely possible. But, nevertheless it works, so it must be doing something good.
Does not work. open a command prompt and type: net config server. you will see the actual number of users that are equal to 10. sorry.
I see a number much higher than 10!
@MSH
Not all printers have linux drivers. Like that 20 year old plotter that can only run on xp.
how may possible 20 more system access shared folder in windows 7 workgroup topology is possible ore not.
Should be possible with the hack here (works for me!). If that doesn’t work, you would need Windows Server on 1 machine, I think.
Official solution from Microsoft for the same problem when you upgrade from win 3.5 Workstation to win 3.5 server; I think it may work on WinXPHome & Pro:
1.Start the Registry Editor (REGEDT32.EXE)
2.Find the following key:
\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services \LanmanServer\Parameters
3.From the Edit menu, choose Add Value. Type “Users” (without quotation marks) in the Value Name field. Select REG_DWORD for the Data Type and choose OK. Enter the value of 0xFFFFFFFF in the String field and choose OK.
4.Exit the Registry Editor.
5.Either shut down and restart Windows NT, or from a command prompt type:
NET STOP SERVER
And then type:
NET START SERVER
That’s all!
Check it out at: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/122925/EN-US/
@MSH
MSH,
Way to rain on his parade goofball. LOL breaking lic agreements, calling him a pirate. You sound like a turd.
Thanks for the info this really helps with a situation im working on at the moment.
i have done .following steps .but facing same issue here.what i do .tell me urhent for me and my company.
VERY HELPFUL Thank you! Now how to fix the same issue for the mobile phones!!? 🙂
What is the limit in windows 10 home?
10 is the default as far as I know…
As a print server, the problem has NOT been the connection limit. 10 people will not printing at the same time. The problem arose when Microsoft kept the sessions open/idle for hours. There were also sessions created as windows PCs booted up and looked to see what printers are available and created new sessions without even printing. Maybe a tactic for MS to sell more server licenses.
There should be a distinction between connection within a workgroup/domain AND IIS connections to your web services. I believe the tools are for one or the other.
Does it work on windows 10 pro?
It’s already set to 50 in my copy of Win 10 Pro, but the option is still there and it still works.
it worked perfectly for windows 10 pro.
DELL has used *shitty* 10/100Mbit network card on inspiron 5567. (I will never buy DELL again)
I have 1000Mbit internet but LAN connection can not pass over 95Mbit.
WAN connection was 85Mbit.
After I applied how you explained, I have 300Mbit speed. Both for download and upload.
Thank you very much.
Hi! I was reviewing this because windows 10 pro is limited to 20 connections only, I tried this solution over win10 v21h1 but I was not lucky, it seems it doesn’t work now.
I have a small company but I need to map network drive over 25-30 persons. Is there any other way???
I really appreciate
Hmm, I haven’t tried it in ages. I HAVE noticed that Win 10 and 11 really don’t have a very functional “Network Neighborhood” like before. Usually, I can map a network drive just fine on a bunch of puters. If the one I want is showing in Network in File Explorer, I just enter the path manually in the address bar, like:
\\SCOTTIE\Public\Fun Stuff
Then once it appears, I map it and it works.
Yeah, As I read, since win7 the max connections are 20, From configuration and legal EULA info on Microsoft. I am trying to modify it to 30. But no luck from now.
I did the same thing as you, file explorer, then searched the path manually and finally tried to connect a mapped drive but I received the message:
“Could not create the mapped network drive due to the following error: no more connections can be made to this remote computer at this time, as there are more than it can accept”
Also tried to directly add a mapped drive, but again it fails.
Also, try turning off all computers except the computer that shares the folder and the computer that I am going to connect to, it worked! but then when I turn on every computer, some don’t connect to the mapped drive.
So it seems there is no solution for now with Win10. Windows server is the only solution with a domain controller activated, workgroup can`t handle more than 20.
I know this is a soft restriction, but if you know something new to solve this, I appreciate you letting me know! thank you Scottie
Aha… Yeah, you’re right: The new limit is 20 connections. What’s worse, puters will sometimes open multiple connections, which can quickly exceed the 20 limit.
Probably the reason I don’t see this issue anymore is because I have 2 file sharing solutions: a linux box with Samba that doesn’t have limits like Windows, and a linux-based NAS that also doesn’t care.
So, I guess we’re stuck with 20 for a pure (non-server) Windows environment.
You are right, But I’m stuck on 20, Because the server had a hardware failure, So I am trying to connect everybody meanwhile the server is repaired. Therefore I’m Stuck and I have some people that cannot connect to the windows 10 I have as a backup. Never thought Windows 10 Had only 20 max Connections! I’d love it if you update this post you had for WinXP limit connections! haha