WDTV Live suddenly requiring password

[OldAmateur]

For quite a while, I was happily using my WDTV Live (in the family room, connected to an HDTV) to watch through my home LAN video files located on external drives attached to my main computer (in the library/computer room). Now, for the past three weeks or so, every attempt to log onto network shares from the WDTV has failed with a message saying I have an incorrect username or password.

As you might guess, the network connection was working before without any username or password. The problem does not appear to be in the network itself, or even in the share settings on my (Windows 7) PC, because other computers on the LAN can find and read files on the same external drives, wihout usernames or passwords.

I have been speculating that the problem may have arisen from an update to Windows 7, to my Eset Smart Security installation on the PC, or to the WDTV Live firmware, but nothing that I have tried on any of those theories has had any effect.

So, has anyone else run into this? Has anyone found an explanation or solution? Does anyone have any suggestions on what to try in order to fix it?

Thanks much for your thoughts.

[CBC]

probably best asked here?
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1172446&page=170

[edDV]

Probably you enabled parental controls?

[OldAmateur]

Probably you enabled parental controls?

A plausible idea, but as far as I can see the WDTV has no parental control function.

Thanks anyway.

[OldAmateur]

My WDTV Live is once again able to access all files on my shared network drives. Here is what I did:

-- Reset the WDTV to factory defaults;
-- Entered my preferred settings, including network settings, again;
-- from the Windows 7 Control Panel, uninstalled the program "Windows Live Sign-In Assistant" [Got this idea from Western Digital's own WDTV Forum: http://community.wdc.com/t5/WD-TV-Live-Media-Player/ct-p/wdtvlive ]

I didn't try the network access until after I had done all of those things, so I can't say which was the key one -- although, for obvious reasons, I would guess that getting rid of the sign-in assistant was it.

It takes 15 minutes or more after startup before the WDTV Live will display any of the other computers/drives on my LAN. I attribute that to the large number of folders and files on the shared drives: I'm guessing that the WDTV is building a working catalogue during that long wait. Once it sees the drives, however, access to the videos there is "quick and easy" (not counting the time it takes me to scroll through long lists of files--but that's my problem).

[CBC]

My WDTV Live is once again able to access all files on my shared network drives. Here is what I did:

-- Reset the WDTV to factory defaults;
-- Entered my preferred settings, including network settings, again;
-- from the Windows 7 Control Panel, uninstalled the program "Windows Live Sign-In Assistant" [Got this idea from Western Digital's own WDTV Forum: http://community.wdc.com/t5/WD-TV-Live-Media-Player/ct-p/wdtvlive ]

Can you give a bit more detail in how to find Windows Live Sign in Assisant? I'm not finding it anywhere under Programs & Features nor in "Turn Windows Features on & off".
Also do you have an exact link for the solution in the WD forums? Thank you very much!

[OldAmateur]

Can you give a bit more detail in how to find Windows Live Sign in Assisant? I'm not finding it anywhere under Programs & Features nor in "Turn Windows Features on & off".
Also do you have an exact link for the solution in the WD forums? Thank you very much!

If your system has Windows Live Sign-in Assisant installed, you will find it in the alphabetical list of programs in the "Uninstall or change a program" screen, together with four or five other Windows Live programs, among the "W"s. If it's not listed there, then you don't have it installed and it's not the cause of whatever problem you are having.

I don't have an exact link to the WD forum solution. As I recall, it was mentioned a couple of times in threads discussing various problems that people were having with network shares. The best advice that I can give is to browse through likely-looking threads. If you don't have WLSA installed, the precise postings that helped me won't be of any use to you, but you might very well find some other posts that do help. You never know your luck.

[CBC]

Thank you!