8 Ways to Fix Network Discovery Is Turned off on Windows 10
Whenever they start using the network share or clicking the Network icon, Windows 10 indicates the error "Network discovery is disabled. Computers and network devices are not visible. Enable network discovery in the network and sharing center. "
Thus, if you also encounter the following problem: the discovery of the network continues to go out, you are in the right place. Here you will find 8 ways to solve the problem.
Let's see the solutions.
1. Restart the PC
Before moving on to other solutions, try the basic solution. In other words, restart your PC and check if the problem is solved.
2. Choose the right sharing mode
Windows offers two network profiles – public and private. You must take care of two things that are related to them. First, enable network sharing on a private profile only, and then make sure that you have set the current network to private profile.
Sometimes private sharing is enabled when you use a public profile. This causes problems. So here's what you need to do.
Step 1: Click the Wi-Fi icon on the taskbar to view connected and available Wi-Fi networks.
2nd step: Click the connected network and select Properties from the menu.
Step 3: Check the selected profile under Network Profile. If you are on an approved network, choose Private.
Step 4: On the same screen, click the Back Up button to access network settings.
Step 5: Click Status on the left sidebar, and then click Sharing Options on the right side.
Step 6: You will be taken to the Advanced Sharing Settings screen. If you selected Private Profile in step 3, open the private profile settings. Check the box next to Enable Network Discovery and Enable Automatic Configuration of Network Connected Devices. And if you selected Public Profile, enable both options.
Note: You can also access the Advanced Sharing Settings screen via Settings> Network and Internet> Status> Sharing Options.
Step 7: Click Save Changes. After that, you can check if the problem is solved. If not, then continue reading.
3. Change dependency service settings
Sometimes the problem with dependency services related to network discovery also causes problems. The services are: DNS Client, Function Discovery Resource Publication, SSDP Discovery, and UPnP Device Host. You must check whether they work or not.
To do this, follow these steps:
Step 1: Type Services in Windows Search on the taskbar. Click on the first item.
2nd step: On the Services screen, locate the DNS client. Right-click on it and select Properties.
Step 3: First, in the properties, make sure that the service status says Running. If it shows something else, click the Start button. Then check the startup type. It should be set to automatic.
Step 4: Repeat steps 2 and 3 for other services – Function Discovery Resource Publication, SSDP Discovery, and UPnP Device Host.
Step 5: Restart your PC.
4. Allow discovery of the network in the firewall settings
Sometimes network discovery does not work because the Windows firewall blocks it on your PC. Here's how to fix it.
Step 1: Open the Control Panel on your PC. You can use Windows Search to find it.
2nd step: Click Windows Defender Firewall.
Note: Make sure "View by" is either Small Icons or Large Icons.
Step 3: Click Allow an application or feature through the Windows Defender firewall.
Step 4: Click Change Settings. Then scroll down and search for Network Discovery. Enable it for your network profile (private or public). Click OK to save the changes.
Step 5: Repeat Method 1 to make sure Network Discovery is enabled correctly for the correct profile.
5. Start troubleshooting
Microsoft comes with an integrated troubleshooter that is known to solve various problems. You should run it to solve this problem as well. For that, proceed as following:
Step 1: Open the Windows settings and go to Update and Security.
2nd step: Click Troubleshoot in the left sidebar. On the right side, click Network Adapter and click the Run Troubleshooter button. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the process. Then, click Shared Folders and also launch its troubleshooter.
6. Disable the antivirus and the firewall
Many times your antivirus is also responsible for interrupts, resulting in the problem of not detecting network discovery. First, try to update it. If the problem persists, turn it off for a moment to check if it is causing it.
If you are using third-party firewall applications, try disabling it to find the culprit. Once disabled, reboot the PC and see if the problem is gone.
7. Update the network card
An old or corrupt network card may also cause problems with network-related features such as network sharing. So you should keep it up to date. For that, proceed as following:
Step 1: Right-click the Start menu icon and select Device Manager from it.
2nd step: Click on the little one next to the network cards. Right-click your network adapter and select Update Driver from the menu. Choose automatically in the pop-up window and follow the instructions on the screen to complete the process.
Professional advice: Try to uninstall the network driver if the problem persists.
8. Reset network settings
Finally, if nothing works, it's time to reset the network settings. Resetting the network will not delete the data on your PC, but will return all network related settings to their original values.
To reset the network, follow these steps:
Step 1: Open the settings and access the network and the Internet.
2nd step: Choose Status on the left. Scroll down the list and click Reset Network. Confirm on the next screen.
Step 3: Restart your PC.
Pay attention
We hope that the above solutions would have fixed the discovery of the network without activating the problem on your Windows device. When the problem is resolved, disable network discovery when it is not in use. Because leaving enabled for network sharing changes the firewall settings, which poses a low risk to your PC. So keep it.
Then: The file sharing feature of Windows does not work for Android. Know how to share files between Android and Windows.