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5 Fixes When Wireless Display Feature is Not Working on Windows 11

Quick Tips
  • You should try the fixes after confirming that your devices support Miracast and Wi-Fi Direct protocol.
  • Reinstalling your wireless display is often an effective solution.

Basic Fixes:

  • Ensure your devices support Miracast and Wi-Fi Direct protocol: One essential prerequisite for using the wireless display feature on Windows 11 is that all your devices, including your PC and the transmitting device, should support the Miracast and Wi-Fi Direct protocol.
  • Ensure both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network: This is because the Wireless Display feature on Windows 11 works via Miracast. This feature depends on the Wi-Fi Direct protocol to share media files and mirror content between devices on the same network.

Fix 1: Reinstall Wireless Display Through Optional Features

If the problem is caused by corrupt files or settings linked to the wireless display functionality, reinstalling through optional features will fix the problem. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Press Windows + I to open the Settings app.

Step 2: Click the System menu on the left, then on the right, click Optional Features.

Windows optional features

Step 3: Click View features.

View optional features

Step 4: Type Wireless display in the search box, click the Wireless Display checkbox, and click the Install button.

Install wireless display

Step 5: Finally, restart the computer.

Fix 2: Allow Wireless Display Feature Through The Windows Defender Firewall

The Windows Defender Firewall may often prevent the wireless display feature from connecting to the Internet. Therefore, you must allow it through the Windows Defender Firewall. Follow the steps below.

Step 1: Click the Start button on the taskbar, type Windows Defender Firewall, and click Open next to the Windows Defender Firewall search result.

Open windows defender firewall

Step 2: From the left column, click on the Allow an app or feature through the Windows Defender Firewall option.

Allow an app or feature through the Windows Defender Firewall

Step 3: Click the Change Settings button at the window’s top-right corner. If a User Account Control prompt appears, select Yes.

Change Settings button

Step 4: Lastly, look for an entry called Wireless Display. Once located, check all the checkboxes, including those on the left side of the entry and those under the Private and Public columns.

Enabling Wireless Display

Fix 3: Temporarily Disable Firewall for Public Networks

This fix will resolve the problem if your firewall blocks some communication channels Wireless Display uses when establishing the connection. Follow the steps below.

Step 1: Press the Windows key, type Security, and click Windows Security.

Open Windows Security 5

Step 2: On the right pane, click Firewall & Network Protection.

Firewall network protection

Step 3: Click Public Network.

Step 4: Finally, toggle off Microsoft Defender Firewall.

Disable microsoft defender

Fix 4: Check If the Wi-Fi Direct Driver Is Enabled

The wireless display feature on Windows 11 works using Wi-Fi Direct. However, the Wi-Fi Direct driver responsible for running this feature may be disabled. Here’s how to check if the Wi-Fi Direct driver is disabled on your PC and how to enable it if it’s turned off:

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

Open device manager

Step 2: Under Network adapters, right-click Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter and select Enable Device.

enable wifi driver

Try using the Wireless display feature again. If this doesn’t work, move on to the next solution.

Fix 5: Reinstall the Wi-Fi Driver

Your Wi-Fi Direct driver may be corrupt. Reinstalling drivers using the device manager can easily fix driver-related issues.

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

Open device manager

Step 2: Look for the Network adapters entry in the Device Manager window and double-click to expand it.

Open Network adapters

Step 3: Right-click on Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter and select Uninstall device.

Uninstall Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter

Step 4: In the confirmation dialog that appears, click on Uninstall.

Confir choice

Step 5: Lastly, restart your PC.

After you restart your PC, Windows 11 will automatically search for and install the relevant Wi-Fi Direct driver. You may also reinstall or update other network drivers on your computer because some Wi-Fi adapters may support the Wi-Fi Direct feature without installing additional drivers.

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Last updated on 23 July, 2024

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