When encountering the "A referral was returned from the server" error, it is usually because the path resolution failed when accessing the network shared resources. The solution is as follows: 1. Check whether the network path format is correct. Standard UNC paths such as \\IP address\shared folder name should be used to avoid Chinese or special characters; 2. Confirm that the target device enables file sharing functions, including "Network Discovery", "File and Printer Sharing" and correct permission settings; 3. Use IP addresses instead of computer name access, troubleshoot name resolution problems, and check whether there are duplicate computer names or WINS server configurations; 4. Run network troubleshooting, reset TCP/IP protocol, update network card drivers, or temporarily disable firewalls to fix network component problems.

Many people will be confused when they encounter the error message "A referral was returned from the server". In fact, it usually occurs when trying to access a network shared resource (such as a folder or printer in a LAN), and the system cannot correctly resolve the target server path. Although this problem may seem complicated, it can be solved in most cases by several common methods.

1. Check whether the network path format is correct

This is one of the most common sources of problems. If the network path you entered is not standard, Windows may return this error.

• Make sure you are using the correct UNC path format: \\計算機(jī)名\共享文件夾名or \\IP地址\共享文件夾名
• Do not use Chinese or other special characters as computer or shared names, which may cause parsing failures
• If you are accessing through an IP address, make sure the target machine's firewall allows files and printers to share communication

For example, if your target is a computer with an IP of 192.168.1.100 and the share name is SharedDocs , the correct path should be:

 \\192.168.1.100\SharedDocs

2. Confirm that the target device has enabled file sharing

Even if the path is correct, this error will occur if the other party's computer does not enable file sharing service.

You can check the following points:

• Whether the target computer has "Network Discovery" and "File and Printer Sharing" enabled
  • Go to Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center > Advanced Sharing Settings
• Is the correct permissions set to the shared folder
  • Right-click on the Shared Folder>Properties>Share Tab>Advanced Sharing>Permission Settings
• Is "SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support" enabled (this is still required for some old devices)
  • Control Panel > Programs > Enable or turn off Windows features > SMB 1.0 Support

3. Try to use the IP address instead of the computer name

Sometimes there is a problem with local DNS or NetBIOS resolution, which will cause the target computer name to be unrecognized.

The solution is simple:

• Run ping 計算機(jī)名in the command prompt to get the IP address of the target
• Then try accessing using \\IP地址\共享文件夾名instead

If this allows access normally, it means that the problem lies in name resolution. You can further check:

• Are there multiple devices using the same computer name?
• Is there a WINS server on the network? If not, NetBIOS name resolution may be unstable

4. Update or reset network components

If none of the above methods work, it may be a problem with the local network configuration.

You can try the following:

• Run the network troubleshooter: Right-click the taskbar network icon > Troubleshooter
• Reset the TCP/IP protocol:
  • Open a command prompt (administrator permissions)
  • Enter: netsh int ip reset and netsh winsock reset
• Update the network card driver, or temporarily disable third-party firewall/antivirus software testing

Basically, these common investigation directions. Although this question is not very intuitive, it is mostly just a small problem with paths, permissions or network settings. As long as you check it step by step, it can usually be done.

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