Network issues are common in Windows 10 and the issue now seems to affect Windows 11 users as well. One of the common problems with Network Discovery is that users cannot access other network-enabled devices on the same Wi-Fi network. Users are complaining that Windows 10/ 11 gives a “Network Discovery is off” error and turning it on does not fix the problem. That is why today we have compiled a step-by-step guide to fix “Network Discovery is off” issue in Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Fix ‘Network Discovery is Turned Off’ Error in Windows 10 and 11 (Updated Oct 2021)
We have described four methods to fix this problem and all these solutions apply to both Windows 10 and Windows 11 computers. You can expand the table below and easily switch to a related method.
Method 1: Change Advanced Sharing Settings
1. First, open Control Panel on your Windows PC. Simply press the Windows key, “Control Panel” and open. This step applies to both Windows 10 and Windows 11.
2. Then, “Network and Internet” and go to “Network and Sharing Center”.
3. To start fixing “Network discovery is off” error in Windows 10 and 11″Change advanced sharing settings” in the left pane.
4. Here, under the “Custom” section, click “Turn on network discoveryEnabled. Also, enable the checkbox for “.Turn on automatic setup of networked devices“.
5. Then, under the “File and printer sharing” section, click “Turn on file and printer sharing“.
6. Similarly, expand the “Guest or General” section and click “Turn on network discovery” and “Turn on file and printer sharing“. In general, I do not recommend turning on network discovery on a public network. But if you are working on public Wi-Fi, keep it on for now and remember to turn it off after you are done. Finally, click on the “Save changes” option.
7. Now, restart the computer and check if the “Network Discovery is off” error is gone.
Method 2: Manage Windows Services
If the above method did not fix the network discovery problem on your Windows 10 or 11 computer, follow the steps below for a more suitable fix.
1. Press the “Win + R” Windows keyboard shortcut to open the Run window. Medicine services.msc and press Enter.
2. Here, scroll down and click “Function Discovery Resource Release“. Double click on it and change the “Startup type” to “Automatic”. After that, under “Service status” click “Start” and click “OK”.
3. Then, “DNS Client” service and make sure it is set to “Automatic” as well. Also, make sure the service is running.
4. Finally, “SSDP Discovery” and open it. Change it to “Automatic” from the drop-down menu and start the service.
5. Now, restart your PC To fix the problem and check if the “Network Discovery is off” issue is resolved on your Windows 10/11 computer.
Method 3: Adjust Firewall Settings
1. Press the Windows key and press “Windows Firewall” On your Windows 10 or 11 computer. Now open the “Windows Defender Firewall” settings in Control Panel.
2. In the left pane, “Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall“.
3. Then, “change settings” in the upper right corner and look for “Network Discovery”. Make sure the feature is turned on and both the “Private” and “Public” checkboxes are enabled.
4. Finally, click “OK” and it should fix the “Network Discovery is off” issue on your Windows 10/11 PC.
Method 4: Reset Network
If none of the above methods fixed the problem, you may need to reset the network on your Windows 10/11 computer. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Press the Windows key, “network reset” and open it on your Windows 10 PC. In Windows 11, open Settings and go to Network & Internet -> Advanced Network Settings -> Network reset.
2. Then, “reset now“, and that’s it. Restart your computer and the network discovery off issue should be gone.
You can also follow our guide on how to fix network connectivity issues in Windows 10/ 11 for detailed step-by-step process.
Network Discovery Won’t Turn On in Windows 10/ 11? Learn How To Fix The Problem Now
Here are the four best ways to fix “Network Discovery is off” issue in Windows 10 and 11. For most users, the first method should open your computer to network discovery, but if that doesn’t work, check the other. There are also methods. Anyway, that’s it for us. If you are having problems with your microphone, you can head over to our guide on how to fix microphone problems in Windows 10/11. If you want to speed up your Windows 10 computer, check out our linked guide for some effective solutions. . Finally, if you have any questions, let us know in the comment section below.
