SMB: The SMB 2.0 file sharing protocol should be enabled

Updated: February 2, 2011

Applies To: Windows Server 2008 R2

This topic is intended to address a specific issue identified by a Best Practices Analyzer scan. You should apply the information in this topic only to computers that have had the File Services Best Practices Analyzer run against them and are experiencing the issue addressed by this topic. For more information about best practices and scans, see Best Practices Analyzer.

Operating System

Windows Server 2008 R2

Product/Feature

File Services

Severity

Warning

Category

Configuration

Issue

The Server Message Block 2 (SMB 2) file sharing protocol is disabled on this file server.

Impact

Client computers cannot communicate with the server by using the SMB 2 protocol. As a result, file transfers might be slower, the file server might not be able to service as many connections, and new functionality such as support for symbolic links or durable handles will not be available.

Resolution

Use the Registry Editor to enable the SMB 2 protocol.

Membership in the local Administrators group, or equivalent, is the minimum required to complete this procedure.

To enable the SMB 2 protocol using the Registry Editor

  1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and click OK.

  2. Locate and then click to select the following registry subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters.

  3. Right-click SMB2, and click Modify.

  4. In Value data, type: 1, and then click OK.