Could not access media. Will attempt to stream. Use UNC paths or path substitution on server and ensure this machine can access them

[DeeMac 17]

Hi all,

After more than a few hours trying to figure this error out, I think I have a workaround.

 

I recognize my scenario may not be the exact same for others but I think the solution may help or provide some insight to the intricacies of file sharing under windows 7.  Let me describe MY situation and perhaps it might help you.  

 

First Disclaimer:  You mess up your machine, its your fault.  Understand the changes below before attempting! Backups are your friend!

 

 

I have an HTPC and a desktop.

Media Browser Server (on my HTPC) is configured with unc path per this article: http://mediabrowser.tv/community/index.php?/topic/703-how-to-make-unc-folder-shares/

I do not (and should not need to) use path substitution.  Path substitution is not a panacea for improper access rights.

My HTPC is configured as ip 192.168.0.1.

My Desktop is configured as ip 192.168.0.2.

 

I will be using Media Browser Classic as a client.  This should theoretically work like a 3rd party client.

I have installed Media Browser Classic on both my HTPC and because I use my desktop as a beta testing machine, I have Media Browser classic installed on my desktop also.  MB Classic on my desktop is configured to connect to the HTPC.

 

Using Media Browser Classic on my HTPC and playing movies from my HTPC, I have never received the TITLE error, so I assume all is well.

Using Media Browser Classic on my desktop, I can see the libraries and videos from my HTPC.  However, When I select and play a video, I receive the error "Could not  access media. Will attempt to stream. Use UNC paths or path substitution on server and ensure this machine can access them", so my HTPC ends up transcoding the video.

 

 

My HTPC and my Desktop Administrator accounts are disabled

My HTPC and my desktop do not have any accounts with the same name.

 

 

As a Systems admin, I recognize that everything you do from one Windows computer to another is determined by user accounts and permissions ON THE HOST machine.  If you don't configure the HOST correctly, you will not have access.  I configured my media shares with only 2 permissions ... EVERYONE with "read only" and ADMINISTRATORS with "full access" permissions.  The account used to start Media Browser Server is an Administrator on the HOST machine.

 

 

The next step, is to verify your folders have the correct permissions.  Shares are for client machine access and to use your HTPC file OVER THE NETWORK.  Shares do  NOT allow nor deny nor affect, in anyway, accessing files on the same machine.  For example, if I were to use my HTPC (sitting in front of my HTPC at the keyboard and controlling my HTPC) and I try to access \\HTPC\Movies, the HTPC would see I am local and translate the request into C:\Movies.  ONLY NTFS Permissions on C:\Movies would allow or deny me access in this scenario.

 

NTFS permissions must be properly configured for remote clients over the network AND for local accounts/clients.

I have configured my NTFS permissions for EVERYONE with READ access and ADMINISTRATORS with FULL CONTROL.

 

 

So, the share and the folder (and the files with inherited permissions from the ntfs folder) all have Everyone Read and Administrators Full access...

so WHY do I continue to receive the error?

 

Well, quite simply... My account on my desktop does not have access, and so the video I select, is unfortunately Transcoded. I can reasonably deduct this by looking at my desktop machine's MB Classic logs:

 

2014-07-04 08:43:01.8393,Info,,Unable to access \\192.168.0.1\Movies\DIVX_AVI\Halo.Legends.avi.  Will try to stream at 30000000bps.,1,Application

2014-07-04 08:43:01.8393,Debug,,Sending Http Post to http://192.168.0.1:8096/mediabrowser/Sessions/Playing/Progress?positionTicks=444013126&isPaused=False&isMuted=False&ItemId=445b8f9c-117a-0412-6596-8a62ada7567d&PlayMethod=Transcode&format=Json,44,Worker thread for BasePlaybackController OnProgress

 

 

I do not see ANY location in the Media Browser Classic client, or in the Android client, or in the IOS client, to add credentials that allows for a specific Windows 

SMB account to access the SMB share.  (This is not the same as a Media Browser account.)  Using the XBMB3C client, I can specify a Windows SMB account.  Clients without the ability to add credentials all seem to want to access the HTPC MB Server as if they were always outside the network.  I believe this is unfortunate and hope the devs have this on their "to do" list.

 

 

My initial thoughts is that the latter part of the error message is key: "ensure this machine can access them".  Simply using UNC paths is not enough!

MB Classic seems to be using an ANONYMOUS connection.  This is verified by looking at my HTPC (the HOST machine) using Computer Management MMC ...Shared Folders/Sessions.  From there I see User:ANONYMOUS LOGON from my Desktop computer.

 

 

Disclaimer: After performing the steps below, everything finally worked correctly for me - they might not work for you - these steps are for you to learn from:

I'm going to assume you have some advanced windows knowledge and that you are not on a Windows 7 machine connected to a domain.

 

1. Under Control Panel, open System and Security, Administrative Tools, Local Security Policy. 

2. Choose Local Policies, Security Options and on the right column

  a. Set "Network Access: Let Everyone permissions apply to anonymous users” to “Enabled”.

  b. Set "Network Access: Restrict anonymous access to Named Pipes and Shares" to disabled” or 

  c. List the shares you want to share under "Network access: Shares that can be accessed anonymously” for better security.

  d. Set "Network Access: Sharing and Security Model for local accounts" to Classic.

  e. Ensure "Accounts: Limit local account use of blank passwords to console login" is enabled.

  f. Ensure "Network access: Do not allow anonymous enumeration of SAM accounts and shares" is disabled.

 

3. Under Control Panel, Network sharing, Change advanced sharing settings, Turn off Password protected sharing and then reboot your server (or simply restart the 

 

windows 7 server service).

 

Now When playing a file, I no longer get the error... Here's some successful logs:

 

2014-07-04 08:52:06.2565,Info,,Internal Player about to play Halo Legends(\\192.168.0.1\Movies\DIVX_AVI\Halo.Legends.avi) ,21,Worker thread for Play Action

2014-07-04 08:52:06.2665,Info,,Sending Http Get to http://192.168.0.1:8096/mediabrowser/Users/f3d42f27-b084-b821-9b21-1ed2b7f03298/Items/445b8f9c-117a-0412-6596-

 

8a62ada7567d/Intros?format=Json,21,Worker thread for Play Action

2014-07-04 08:52:06.2765,Info,,Internal Player playing Halo Legends,21,Worker thread for Play Action

2014-07-04 08:52:06.2855,Debug,,Calling MediaCenterEnvironment.PlayMedia,1,Application

2014-07-04 08:52:06.8485,Debug,,Using custom player interface,1,Application

2014-07-04 08:52:06.8485,Debug,,Setting now playing status to True,1,Application

2014-07-04 08:52:06.8515,Debug,,MediaCenterEnvironment_PropertyChanged: MediaExperience,1,Application

2014-07-04 08:52:06.8615,Debug,,HandlePropertyChange has recognized that playback has started,1,Application

2014-07-04 08:52:06.8645,Debug,,Sending Http Post to http://192.168.0.1.:8096/mediabrowser/Sessions/Playing?

 

CanSeek=True&IsPaused=False&IsMuted=False&ItemId=445b8f9c-117a-0412-6596-8a62ada7567d&QueueableMediaTypes=&PlayMethod=DirectPlay&format=Json,1,Application

2014-07-04 08:52:06.8895,Debug,,Playstate changed to Playing for Halo Legends,, PositionTicks:0,, Playlist Index:0,1,Application

 

 

Names and ip's have been changed to protect the innocent.

 

 

 

ref:

h t t p://serverfault.com/questions/451387/how-to-delete-cached-temporeraly-credentials-for-a-network-share-on-a-windows-ma

h t t p://serverfault.com/questions/213765/how-do-i-remove-login-credentials-for-a-network-location-in-win7

h t t p://anime.aoselectronics.com/wordpress/how-to-access-windows-7-shares-from-network_181/

 

[ebr 14903]

 

 

MB Classic seems to be using an ANONYMOUS connection.  This is verified by looking at my HTPC (the HOST machine) using Computer Management MMC ...Shared Folders/Sessions.  From there I see User:ANONYMOUS LOGON from my Desktop computer.

 

We just pass a location off to WMC - but first we do a rudimentary check with a basic Exists call to be sure we can access it.  If that fails, we assume we can't and stream.

 

So, the access should be occurring on the user account that is running WMC - the same as if you tried to access it in Explorer.

[DeeMac 17]

Thanks for the response, ebr.

We just pass a location off to WMC - but first we do a rudimentary check with a basic Exists call to be sure we can access it.  If that fails, we assume we can't and stream.

I understand. 

 

I bet the ANONYMOUS LOGON occurs because no account exists on the HTPC that matches what the remote client is trying to use.

 

The problem is this guide at (http://mediabrowser....-folder-shares/) does not help 100% of the time as my explanation above shows - the guide incorrectly assumes the correct rights are given, even when one adds the EVERYONE group to the share.  It doesnt seem to be that simple with WIndows 7 and this is why I see posts from frustrated endusers asking for help.  I hoped to be as clear and concise as possible.

 

As a question/request, Is it possible and does it make sense to add code to clients (IOS, ANDROID, and perhaps MB Classic) to allow for a specific SMB credentials, similar to what exists in the XBMB3C client?

[ebr 14903]

iOS and Android are never going to directly access your files so no need for credentials there.

 

As for MBC, I'm not sure.  Not a super high priority as this type of thing is not an issue for most.  Perhaps better to ask that MBT do it though.

[DeeMac 17]

I dunno...

 

While this product is definitely not mainstream, I cant be the only one who runs into these issues.  Grandma wont be installing and configuring this - ever.... its for the advanced crowd and will always will be.  The advanced crowd will look to do advanced things.

 

Unless there are behind the scenes metrics that MBC or MBServer is collecting, This poll shows users are mostly using this at home.  http://mediabrowser.tv/community/index.php?/topic/4178-how-do-you-use-mediabrowser/ 

 

Never?  Do you really believe so?  There's a gazillion android devices coming on to the market.    Even Microsoft's phone will be Android.  I feel "never" is harsh.  If this is your subtlety admitted roadmap where all Android and IOS (iphone AND ipads) devices will be streaming content, forcing the Server to transcode,  then HUH?

 

Also regarding IOS....

1- There's over 2 million hits with this google query "access smb from iphone"

2- h t t p://www.sapido.com.tw/EN/learning/samba-iphoneipad.html shows a product dedicated to serving smb files to iphone.  

3- Using my iphone to play videos from the backyard on my hammock is way easier than a laptop and perhaps an iPad as the iphone is so very portable.... I must respectfully disagree at this assessment.  

4- Using Airplay to mirror content from your IOS device to the big screen - Well, having said files accessible instead from a smb share would be nice, no?  I guess DLNA and chromecasting would work here anyhow.

[ebr 14903]

We have to concentrate on the 80-90% scenarios and, at this time, special credentials are not needed for 90%+ of our users so it just isn't anything I'm going to spend a lot of time on in MBC at the moment.  That could change at some point.

 

Also, yes, when we have a 10' Android client, that client will probably directly access content.  I was simply referring to the current clients (mobile).  As for iOS though, I really doubt that would become very mainstream even with our user base but, you can always request it in the iOS forum.  Never hurts to ask.

[DeeMac 17]

We have to concentrate on the 80-90% scenarios and, at this time, special credentials are not needed for 90%+ of our users so it just isn't anything I'm going to spend a lot of time on in MBC at the moment.  That could change at some point.

 

Also, yes, when we have a 10' Android client, that client will probably directly access content.  I was simply referring to the current clients (mobile).  As for iOS though, I really doubt that would become very mainstream even with our user base but, you can always request it in the iOS forum.  Never hurts to ask.

 

I do agree that the future is more mobility ... but at home, connectivity is king...we want our HTPC at the center of the universe, doing everything - I wish it were easy to add these capabilities but I understand coding and priorities.  I guess I'm no longer just looking to enter SMB credentials for each client... I ask the team to move forward with a more open thought process with connectivity to the server, always trying to minimize the work the server has to do.  The more work the clients do, the less work the server will do, and the better the platform and its architecture can scale.  

 

I now better understand the need for a xbox specific user account when you connect an extender to a WMC.  MS didnt go the transcoding route, and was able to have a lower powered machine serve videos to many xboxs simultaneously, and let those xboxs do all the hard work.... taking the load off the wmc machine.  MB seems to doing the opposite with IOS and Android.  For those reading, this post discusses the Roku.  http://mediabrowser.tv/community/index.php?/topic/4817-transcoding/ and shows transcoding could happen.

 

Wait a minute....couldnt the MB Team EASILY do what MS did with the xbox as an extender..., just auto create a behind the scenes account with a randomized special password...and use that!  This would skip having to enter more code for smb credentials for each client.  You would then treat each client as an 'extender'.  To authorize a client, enter a homegroup type password to connect the client, then login with the specific MB account.  Clients not authorized may still connect, but will most likely have to transcode.  Perhaps now is not the time, but I hope it could evolve to this.

 

Thanks for the excellent responses and a great product, EBR.