How to Fix Network Discovery Not Working on Windows 11

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Suddenly, you notice you are unable to share files or print papers when you try to do so. This typically occurs when your Windows 11/10 computer’s Network Discovery feature stops functioning properly or has an issue. It’s a tool that enables you to build communication bridges across various devices connected to the same network, enabling you to share printers and data. By doing so, you can save the time you would otherwise spend sending documents as attachments to emails or sharing them via USB drives, etc.

The SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support may not function, certain services may not be running correctly, the firewall may flag the network as unsafe, and other factors could cause the network discovery tool to malfunction. In this post, we’ll walk you through a variety of fixes for the network discovery problem on your Windows 11/Windows 10 computer. We mentioned below are the ways to Fix Network Discovery Not Working on Windows 11.

Ways to Fix Network Discovery Not Working on Windows 11

Ensure Network Discovery is Turned On

First, make sure that network discovery is activated. The network profile type must be changed to private before you can determine whether the problem is still present. To do so, adhere to the instructions below:

Open Windows 11 Settings by pressing the Windows + I key combo. 

Go to Network and Internet, and then select Ethernet or Wi-Fi network, depending on the type of network you are connected to.

Set Network Profile Type to Private.

Done, you should no longer face the Network Discovery and Sharing issue. 

Reconfigure Sharing Settings

Click Windows key, type Control Panel and open it.

Go to Network and Internet section and click on Network and Sharing Center.

On left sidebar, click on Change Advanced Sharing Settings.

Expand All Networks, and then under Public Folder Sharing, select the Turn off Public folder sharing option.

Now under the Password Protected Sharing, select the option for Turn off password protected sharing.

Tab on Save Changes and then restart your PC to save the changes. 

Update Windows

Click Windows + I key combo to open the Settings.

On left sidebar, head to the Windows Update section. 

Now, Tab on Check for Updates to find all the updates available.

Download and install all the updates you see here, and then restart Windows 11 to fix the issue. 

Ensure Critical Services Are Running

You can experience the problem if the crucial services are down. If you experience problems with Windows 11’s network discovery and sharing, you must make sure that crucial services are up and operating. Follow the procedures below to run the critical services:

Open Start Menu, search for Services, and then open it.

Search for Function Discovery Provider Host service here. Right-click on it, and then click on Properties.

Set Startup Type to Automatic and click on the Start button.

Then done, click on Apply and then on OK to save the changes. 

This should most probably fix the Network Discovery and Sharing in Windows 11. 

Final Words

We hope you like our article on how to Fix Network Discovery Not Working on Windows 11. Your ability to connect with other computers on the same network is made possible by the beneficial feature known as network discovery. You may share resources like printers and scanners and move data to other PCs. One of the key components of Windows has always been network discovery. You can transfer files across a local network between Windows computers using Network Discovery.