Turn On or Off Network Discovery in Windows 10  

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    Turn On or Off Network Discovery in Windows 10

    Turn On or Off Network Discovery in Windows 10

    How to Turn On or Off Network Discovery in Windows 10
    Published by Category: Network & Sharing
    17 Aug 2022
    Designer Media Ltd

    How to Turn On or Off Network Discovery in Windows 10


    By default, the first time you connect to a new network (wired or wireless), you will be prompted "Do you want to allow your PC to be discoverable by other PCs and devices on this network?" by the Network Location wizard for a network location. For example: Private, Public, and Domain. Based on the network location you choose, Windows will automatically assign a network discovery state to the network and opens the appropriate Windows Firewall ports for that state.

    Network discovery is a network setting that affects whether your computer can find other computers and devices on the network and whether other computers on the network can find your computer.

    There are three network discovery states:

    Discovery State Description
    On This state allows your computer to see other network computers and devices and allows people on other network computers to see your computer. This makes it easier to share files and printers.
    Off This state prevents your computer from seeing other network computers and devices and prevents people on other network computers from seeing your computer.
    Custom This is a mixed state in which some settings related to network discovery are enabled, but not all of them. For example, network discovery could be turned on, but you or your system administrator might have changed firewall settings that affect network discovery.

    This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off network discovery for private and guest or public networks on your Windows 10 PC.

    You must be signed in as an administrator to turn on or off network discovery.

    See also: You can't turn on Network Discovery in Network and Sharing Center

    Network discovery requires that the services below are enabled, set to automatic (startup type), and running (status).

    How to Start, Stop, Restart, and Disable Services in Windows 10

    DNS Client
    Function Discovery Provider Host
    Function Discovery Resource Publication
    SSDP Discovery
    UPnP Device Host
    Windows Defender Firewall



    Contents

    • Option One: To Turn On or Off Network Discovery by Changing Network Location
    • Option Two: To Turn On or Off Network Discovery in Control Panel
    • Option Three: To Turn On or Off Network Discovery for All Network Profiles in Command Prompt






    OPTION ONE

    To Turn On or Off Network Discovery by Changing Network Location


    1 Change the network location (click on link) to Private (network discovery on) or Public (network discovery off). (see screenshot below)

    Turn On or Off Network Discovery in Windows 10-network_location_settings.png






    OPTION TWO

    To Turn On or Off Network Discovery in Control Panel


    1 Open the Control Panel (icons view), and click/tap on the Network and Sharing Center icon.

    2 Click/tap on the Change advanced sharing settings link on the left side. (see screenshot below)

    Turn On or Off Network Discovery in Windows 10-network_discovery_network_and_sharing_center-1.png

    3 Expand open the Private or Guest or Public network profile for the one you want to turn on or off network discovery. (see screenshots below step 4)

    4 Select (dot) Turn on network discovery or Turn off network discovery for what you want to do, and click/tap on Save changes. (see screenshots below)

    Under the Private network profile, you can also check (on) of uncheck (off) Turn on automatic setup of network connected devices if turning on network discovery.

    Turn On or Off Network Discovery in Windows 10-network_discovery_network_and_sharing_center-2.png Turn On or Off Network Discovery in Windows 10-network_discovery_network_and_sharing_center-3.png

    5 When finished, you can close Network and Sharing Center if you like.






    OPTION THREE

    To Turn On or Off Network Discovery for All Network Profiles in Command Prompt


    1 Open an elevated command prompt.

    2 Do step 3 (on) or step 4 (off) below for what you want to do.


    3 To Turn On Network Discovery for All Network Profiles

    A) Copy and paste the command below into the elevated command prompt, press Enter, and go to step 5 below. (see screenshot below)

    netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group="Network Discovery" new enable=Yes

    Turn On or Off Network Discovery in Windows 10-turn_on_network_discovery_command.png


    4 To Turn Off Network Discovery for All Network Profiles

    A) Copy and paste the command below into the elevated command prompt, press Enter, and go to step 5 below. (see screenshot below)

    netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group="Network Discovery" new enable=No

    Turn On or Off Network Discovery in Windows 10-turn_off_network_discovery_command.png

    5 You can now close the elevated command prompt if you like.


    That's it,
    Shawn Brink






  1. Posts : 261
    Win 10 Home Single Language, Ver 1809, Build 17763.379
       #1

    Hi Shawn,

    I have been having quite a few problems lately (after trying to install HP printer software), where modems, routers etc would not be found when plugged into the network Ethernet interface.

    I have discovered that "network discovery" is not always ON and that furthermore, if On, that the following services are not always running.

    For example right now for the network connection I have plugged in now the following applies

    The network is "private" and is my home ADSL LAN router.

    DNS Client === Automatic ==== Running
    Function Discovery Resource Publication ==== Manual ==== Running
    SSDP Discovery ==== Manual ==== Running
    UPnP Device Host ==== Manual ==== Stopped.

    Please could you advise me if these settings are correct? Should they not all be "Automatic" and "Running" ? for an existing connection?

    Has this got anything to do with the WORKGROUP setting?

    lastly, where in Regedit can one see a list of the networks previously discovered when connected to the network card?

    I will post another set of information for another router that I am having plenty of trouble with, but to do that I have to disconnect and connect to that router.

    The other router is also a ADSL router that I am trying to get to the point where I can reconfigure the router as an AP, but to do that I need to be able to access its admin settings and my PC fails to find and see that router.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 68,543
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #2

    Hello Geoff, :)

    Those services are set the same for me using a Private network with Network Discovery turned on.

    You can find network connections in the subkeys of the registry key below to hopefully help.

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Network

    Network profiles are listed in the key below.

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\NetworkList\Profiles
    Last edited by Brink; 09 Feb 2017 at 15:25.
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 261
    Win 10 Home Single Language, Ver 1809, Build 17763.379
       #3

    Thank you!

    Very surprised to see the profiles are clean and uncluttered. And thanks for confirming the services running for network discovery are the same. I only have hassles with that blasted HP Printer!

    best
    Geoff
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 68,543
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #4

    You're most welcome Geoff. I hope you get the printer issue sorted soon.
      My Computers


  5. Posts : 57
    Windows 10
       #5

    This no longer works in the most recent Windows build (1803 I think). Make this PC discoverable is just gone, and none of the other options work either. For some reason other computers just don't see my laptop.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 68,543
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #6

    Hello John,

    Correct. Option One is no longer available in Windows 10 version 1803. The other options are still valid though.

    What are you trying to do? File sharing?
      My Computers


  7. Posts : 943
    windows 10 professional 64-bit, 22H2
       #7

    Can't turn on Network Discovery


    I am unsuccessfully trying to share my user folders between Windows 10 (1803) & Windows XP. However, my Windows 10 machine can't see the Windows XP machine & now neither computer "sees" the others. So I'm trying to follow your tutorials. When I tried to turn on Network Discovery using Option 2 or 3, it didn't stick. I did this under my "private network", as I'm not sure what is effect it would be to do this for "guests or public". I don't have a password on either computer, but have one for my Wi-Fi. The attached image is what I get after I try to save changes.
    Turn On or Off Network Discovery in Windows 10-networkdiscovery.png
    I did start the 2 services "Function Discovery, etc." & set them to automatic. I didn't reboot. I'm sure I'm overlooking something.
      My Computers


  8. Posts : 68,543
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #8

    Hello phrab,

    If you haven't already, double check the items at the link below to see if anything may be the culprit.

    https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...ring-center-in
      My Computers


  9. Posts : 943
    windows 10 professional 64-bit, 22H2
       #9

    Brink said:
    Hello phrab,

    If you haven't already, double check the items at the link below to see if anything may be the culprit.
    https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...ring-center-in
    Thank you. Of the 4 things they mentioned, only Function Discovery Resource Publication was enabled. I enabled the last two, but the DNT Client is disabled & the dropdown box is greyed out. I'm not sure how to enable it.
    • DNS Client
    • Function Discovery Resource Publication
    • SSDP Discovery
    • UPnP Device Host
    Last edited by phrab; 24 Aug 2018 at 19:45.
      My Computers


 

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