How to Fix Fix Network Discovery Not Working — Cannot See Other Computers on Windows
Cannot see other computers on the network? Network Discovery keeps turning off? File sharing not working between PCs? Fix Network Discovery and SMB sharing issues.
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Main Troubleshooting Guide
How to Fix No Internet Connection →Complete symptoms, causes, and step-by-step solutions
Symptoms
You might be experiencing this problem if you notice:
- •Cannot see other computers in File Explorer → Network
- •Network Discovery keeps turning itself off after enabling
- •"Network discovery is turned off" message in Network and Sharing Center
- •Can ping other PCs but cannot browse them in Explorer
- •Shared folders are not visible from other computers
- •Network shows as "Public" preventing discovery
Common Causes
- ⚠Network profile set to Public instead of Private
- ⚠Required network services (FDResPub, SSDPSRV, UPnP) are disabled
- ⚠Windows Firewall blocking Network Discovery protocols
- ⚠SMB 1.0 protocol disabled (needed for some older devices)
- ⚠Function Discovery Resource Publication service not running
- ⚠Router or firewall blocking multicast/broadcast between devices
Solutions
Solution 1: Set Network to Private and Enable Discovery
- 1First, set your network to Private:
- 2Settings → Network & internet → Wi-Fi (or Ethernet) → click your network
- 3Change "Network profile type" to Private
- 4Then enable Network Discovery:
- 5Settings → Network & internet → Advanced network settings → Advanced sharing settings
- 6Expand "Private networks"
- 7Turn on "Network discovery" and check "Set up network connected devices automatically"
- 8Turn on "File and printer sharing"
Solution 2: Start Required Network Services
- 1Open Services.msc
- 2Find and start each of these services (set to Automatic):
- 3Function Discovery Resource Publication (FDResPub)
- 4SSDP Discovery (SSDPSRV)
- 5UPnP Device Host (upnphost)
- 6DNS Client (Dnscache)
- 7Server (LanmanServer)
- 8If any service fails to start, check its dependencies
- 9Restart the computer after enabling all services
Solution 3: Fix Firewall and SMB Settings
- 1Open Windows Defender Firewall → Allow an app through firewall
- 2Ensure "Network Discovery" is checked for Private networks
- 3Ensure "File and Printer Sharing" is checked for Private networks
- 4If older devices need SMB 1.0:
- 5Win+R → optionalfeatures.exe
- 6Check "SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support" → OK → Restart
- 7Note: SMB 1.0 has security risks — only enable if needed for legacy devices
- 8For workgroup PCs: ensure all PCs use the same workgroup name (default: WORKGROUP)
FIXES THIS IN 5 MINUTES
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