5 Ways to Fix Network Discovery Not Working on Windows 11

Quick Tips

• Ensure the network discovery feature is enabled and all related services are running on your Windows PC.
• Check if the Windows Firewall is blocking the network discovery feature. If nothing else works, consider resetting the network settings on Windows.
• Consider resetting network settings on Windows if nothing else works.

Fix 1: Enable Network Discovery

Your first step is to ensure that your PC’s network discovery feature is enabled for both public and private networks. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app. Then, go to Network & internet > Advanced network settings.

Step 2: Click on Advanced sharing settings.

Step 3: Expand Private networks. Then, enable the toggles for Network discovery and File and printer sharing.

Likewise, enable the toggles for Network discovery and File and printer sharing for Public networks as well.

Fix 2: Configure Services Related to Network Discovery

The Network discovery feature relies on certain Windows services to function. If one of those services is not running, you could experience errors. Here’s what to do to fix it.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog. Type services.msc in the box and press Enter.

Step 2: Scroll down to locate the Function Discovery Resource Publication service. Double-click on it to open its properties.

Step 3: Use the drop-down menu next to Startup type and select Automatic. Then, hit Apply, followed by OK.

Repeat the above steps to configure DNS Client, SSDP Discovery, UPnP Device Host, and Function Discovery Provider Host services. After that, restart your PC, and the network discovery should work as before.

Fix 3: Check Windows Firewall Settings

If the problem persists after configuring Windows services, the Windows Defender Firewall is likely blocking network discovery. Here’s what to do to allow network discovery through the Windows Defender Firewall.

Step 1: Click on the search icon on the taskbar, type control panel, and press Enter.

Step 2: Use the drop-down menu at the top right corner to change the view type to Large icons and click on Windows Defender Firewall.

Step 3: Click on Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall in the left pane.

Step 4: Click on Change settings.

Step 5: Locate Network Discovery on the list and check the boxes for Private and Public next to it. Then, click on OK to save changes.

Fix 4: Update the Network Adapter Driver

Such issues with the network discovery can also occur due to a malfunctioning network adapter driver. In that case, try updating the driver by following the steps below.

Step 1: Right-click on the Start icon and select Device Manager from the list.

Step 2: Double-click on Network adapters to expand it. Right-click your network adapter and select Update driver.

From there, follow the on-screen instructions to finish updating the network driver.

Fix 5: Reset Network Settings

If none of the above solutions work, reset your PC’s network settings as a last resort. That means you’ll lose all network configurations, such as the IP address and DNS server settings you use to connect your PC to your network.

To reset network settings on Windows 11:

Step 1: Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app. Then, go to Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Network reset.

Step 2: Click on Reset now next to Network reset.

Your PC will restart and revert to the default network settings. Following this, the issue will no longer bother you.