[willcass]

HI - Can I access the media locations on my PC from an Android TV box running Kodi?
Thanks.

[Prof Yaffle]

Yes - if you share the files on an SMB share, then you'll be able to browse to them from within Kodi (Videos -> Add Videos -> Browse -> Windows Network, I think).

Links:

http://kodi.wiki/view/Adding_video_sources

http://kodi.wiki/view/SMB/Windows

[willcass]

Thanks very much! - I'll take a look

[willcass]

I've added the homegroup (Windows 10) with no problem and shared a couple of folders However, in Kodi, after selecting Add network location, then Windows SMB > Workgroup, I am prompted for a user name and password. My Windows account u/n and pwd aren't accepted. Is it some other u/n I need to provide? BTW, I did allow all device access when I set up the homegroup.

Thanks.

[Prof Yaffle]

I'm not the world's best when it comes to Windows networking, but I'd suggest:

1. Whatever user credentials you set the share up as - perhaps needing an email suffix or domain qualifier of some kind (sorry, my Windows is limited to a corporate environment, not Homegroup stuff) - "net users" from the command line might help

2. Whether you can set up an anonymous share - "share with all users", something like that - maybe user "everyone"?

3. ... or, better, set up a local user on your Windows box specifically for the Kodi system

I seem to recall that there's some kind of guest access as well, although I'm so far out of my depth here that I should really shut up

[willcass]

Thanks again - I'm going to try the ID shown by net users and see what happens.

Don't put your self down - you're pointing me in all the right directions.

[willcass]

Great - so far! Now I have accepted credentials. However, when I select one of the two folders I have shared, I get "Invalid Argument". Do the shared folders have to be at root level?
Thanks.

[Prof Yaffle]

Searching on that error suggests that you need to hack the registry on your Windows box. This can't be true - I knew there was a good reason not to use Windows as a server - but I'll repeat here anyway. YOu can do some more digging...

> Regedit - look for HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters

> Create a DWORD called IRPStackSize

> Set it to 15 initially

> Restart the PC (or restart the service - see below)

> If it doesn't work, increment by 3 and repeat

To restart the service directly:

"you need to restart the server service after each change. so just type services.msc in the command prompt (magnifying glass icon in windows 10) or Start->Run then enter services.msc in earlier versions. Once the Services dialog is open , search for "Server" and Right Click on it selecting "Restart" each time you increment the irp stack size."

Insane. It can't possibly be the answer - can it?

https://www.reddit.com/r/kodi/comments/3...smb_share/

http://www.eightforums.com/network-shari...8-1-a.html

There's also some suggestion that it's perhaps due to Microsoft disabling guest access by default, but the username/password should make that irrelevant.

[nickr]

My hazy recollection is that homegroup is a clusterf***. There is, I believe, some other sharing mechanism in Windows. But I know very little as i wouldn't use Windows for this purpose.

[willcass]

@ Porf Yaffle:

Thanks for the info. I have tried this with various values. The best I get is a partial listing of the folder contents which often disappears a few moments later. Otherwise, I still get the invalid argument error. I can access and play back using ES Explorer but that, clearly, is not Kodi. I get the same on my Nexus 7.

@nickr:

I'm sure you're right, but I have no choice but to use Win 10.

[trogggy]

@nickr:

I'm sure you're right, but I have no choice but to use Win 10.

You don't need to use homegroups though, even in windows 10. I've never used them in 7, 8 or 10.

[DarrenHill]

Homegroup is only for sharing between Windows machines, so won't be any use at all for an Android TV box.

You need to be using CIFS/SMB (normal Windows file/folder sharing) for this at the very least, which is an entirely different set-up and protocol.

Just make sure that all devices are in the same workgroup (by default called "WORKGROUP") and they should see one another.

[willcass]

Homegroup is only for sharing between Windows machines, so won't be any use at all for an Android TV box.

You need to be using CIFS/SMB (normal Windows file/folder sharing) for this at the very least, which is an entirely different set-up and protocol.

Just make sure that all devices are in the same workgroup (by default called "WORKGROUP") and they should see one another.

That's what I've done. I've set up a homegroup and shared folders to it with r/w access. Then, in Kodi, I select the SMB share in "Add new network location", add the User ID and pwd and done.

So, I am using SMB but am still getting the problem.

[DarrenHill]

Homegroup is not SMB. It's a completely different protocol.

To share under SMB you need to right click on the folder, go to properties and then the sharing tab. The options for sharing on the initial right click menu aren't the ones, they are home group shares.

[willcass]

Homegroup is not SMB. It's a completely different protocol.

To share under SMB you need to right click on the folder, go to properties and then the sharing tab. The options for sharing on the initial right click menu aren't the ones, they are home group shares.

Thanks. One thing - I have three options to select to share with: Homegroup, <my_win10_account_login>, Everyone. Do I need to select Everyone (just concerned about security)?

Thanks.