Hybrid AADJ Windows 11 clients not obtaining Entra Kerberos ticket for Azure Files (cifs/<storage>.file.core.windows.net)

Eric Cote - adm 0 Reputation points
2025-12-05T18:28:18.9333333+00:00

We are deploying Azure Files with Microsoft Entra Kerberos authentication in a hybrid environment. Our Windows 11 Pro 25H2 hybrid-joined device meets all prerequisites:

DSREGCMD /STATUS

AzureAdJoined = YES

DomainJoined = YES

AzureAdPrt = YES

CloudTgt = YES

NgcSet = YES (WHfB provisioned successfully)

  • Executing Account Name = domain.local\username, ******@domain.com

Device is Intune-enrolled

Zscaler Private Access forwarding SMB/445 to the private endpoint

DNS resolution correctly returns privatelink IP

Storage account uses Standard tier, identity enabled

Azure Files Entra Kerberos enabled

Required RBAC roles assigned (user + storage MI)

However:

  • Connecting to: \\storage-account-name.file.core.windows.net\<share> always prompts for credentials.
  • klist never shows a cloud Kerberos ticket for: cifs/storage-account-name.file.core.windows.net
  • Authentication falls back to NTLM and fails.
  • All local device prerequisites appear healthy.
  • This persists even after WHfB provisioning and CloudKerberos-enabled registry configuration.

Does someone know why we can't get Entra Kerberos Ticket? Whatever we log in with domain\username or ******@domain.com or PIN (WHfB), kerberos request are ALWAYS answered by local AD.

We've even created a reg key on a test device to make sure kerberos request to domain.com are sent to Entra and not local AD but it still fails.

Azure Files
Azure Files
An Azure service that offers file shares in the cloud.
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