Instructions for Using Windows Vista with a Network File Server (NAS)

Many network file servers, such as Linksys NSLU2 are based on Linux. Microsoft Vista has introduced an incompatibility with almost all NASes. What's more, the NAS vendors have failed to deliver updated firmware versions to deal with this. The issue is related to an authentication protocol that runs between Vista and and the network devices; a newer version is needed. Eventually, updates to the network devices will solve this issue (latest version of SAMBA works), but before that here's what you can do in your Vista computer:

1. Run regedit

2. Find the key KEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa

3. Set LmCompatibilityLevel to 1

Thanks to Jani Hautakorpi for coming up with the solution.

Other alternatives that work in the most expensive versions of Vista include running secpol.msc to make the same change. This command does not appear to be included in Visa Home Premium, however, and the Microsoft pages about the differences between the versions are woefully inadequate.