Given what's in the Win10 thread, at least 2 users experienced the same problem where the security policy edit "fixed" it (so to speak).
Yes, but one those users did have W10 Enterprise, which according to the MS link the gpedit is the only way to resolve it, I don't think Molok specified his version of W10, and knowing most windows uses they find something and apply it, if it works then to them it's a "fix" which IMHO for an end user running W10 Home is not something MS would expect them to be doing.
In any case, setting a hosts file entry should completely negate the host name to IP address mapping issue, if the OS utilized it as the override/user defined default it was originally intended to be.
W10 does do that, but as you point out it's a PITA it does require some sort of 'root' admin right, I edited mine and was able to change the security settings, because I know what I'm doing, the average end user doesn't.
Since some users turn off updates or only allow approved updates
Best of luck with that in W10, I have yet to find a way to do that, you can delay them, you can adjust the time it restarts but unless you're in domain environment using WSUS those updates will eventually be deployed.
Each of the hoops, in that oversized how-to, addressed at least one potential issue that blocked access to SMB shares, at some point in time
Yes they did, but didn't that come from issues related to the Creators Update, which, if I remember caused havoc and the MS forums were a minefield to get through, that is why at one point I stopped using it.
The option I posted just works, and working on the KISS principle I would have thought would be a suitable option for most users. What they complain about is the fact that OMV or any other Linux distro using SMB just doesn't show up in File Manager -> Network. They're not interested in the techno stuff they want a solution -> yesterday, and they assume because they use Windows it's not that that is at fault!
Sorry that was a rant.
I'll do the Brexit thing tomorrow...getting late here "Time for bed said Zebedee" (That's a saying from a child's TV programme many moons ago )