Network Discovery Not Showing PC

Question

When I click on "network" in File Explorer using PC#1, it shows many devices on my network but none of the device are computers (with the excption of PC#1) . It shows Fax, , media devices, multifunction devices. None of the PC I have show up in the list. The PC is on a private network and internet sharing is turned on. My other PCs show all the PCs (even the PC#1).

Please suggest fix.

***moved from Windows / Windows 11 / Internet and connectivity***

Answer 1

Hello Neil,

Hope you have a lovely day!

Thank you for reaching out. We understand that you are experiencing issues with network discovery on PC#1 where it is not showing other computers on the network. Here are some steps to help you resolve this issue.

Steps to Fix Network Discovery Not Showing PCs

1. Ensure Network Discovery is Enabled

• On PC#1, follow these steps to ensure that network discovery is enabled:
  1. Open the Control Panel.
  2. Navigate to **Network and Sharing Center**.
  3. Click on **Change advanced sharing settings**.
  4. Ensure that **Turn on network discovery** and **Turn on file and printer sharing** are selected.

2. Check Dependency Services

• Network discovery relies on certain services. Ensure these services are running:
  1. Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
  2. Ensure the following services are set to **Automatic** and are running:
     • Function Discovery Resource Publication
     • DNS Client
     • SSDP Discovery
     • UPnP Device Host

3. Check Firewall Settings

• Windows Firewall settings can block network discovery. Ensure it is configured correctly:
  1. Open the **Control Panel**.
  2. Go to **System and Security > Windows Defender Firewall**.
  3. Click on **Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall**.
  4. Ensure **Network Discovery** is allowed on the appropriate network profile (Private).

4. Network Profile Settings

• Ensure the network is set to **Private**:
  1. Open **Settings**.
  2. Go to **Network & Internet**.
  3. Click on **Status** and then **Change connection properties**.
  4. Ensure the network is set to **Private**.

5. Check SMB Settings

• Ensure SMB (Server Message Block) is enabled as it is used for network file sharing:
  1. Press Win + R, type optionalfeatures.exe, and press Enter.
  2. Scroll down and ensure **SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support** is checked.

6. Restart Network Components

• Sometimes, restarting the network components can resolve the issue:
  1. Restart your router or switch.
  2. Restart PC#1.

Additional Steps

If the issue persists, try the following additional steps:

1. Update Network Drivers:
   • Ensure that the network drivers on PC#1 are up to date:
     1. Go to **Device Manager**.
     2. Expand **Network adapters**.
     3. Right-click your network adapter and select **Update driver**.

2. Use Network Reset:
   • Perform a network reset to restore network settings to default:
     1. Open **Settings**.
     2. Go to **Network & Internet**.
     3. Scroll down and click **Network reset**.
     4. Follow the prompts to reset the network.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the issue of network discovery not showing other PCs on PC#1. If you have any further questions or need additional assistance, please feel free to reach out.

Best regards,

Rosy

Answer 2

This is basically a bunch of bs. Not one thing has fixed the problem! As usual, Microsoft ALWAYS blames the user rather than take responsibility for the huge SNAFU they have caused. Stop blaming the user and fix the problem created by Microsofts programmers. Strange how not a single PC on the network shows up but software like PowerDVD can find and access the shared drives on the PC's that don't exist on the network according to File Explorer. Following all of the steps you claim are the answer is just another in the multitude of lies and misinformation being spouted by Microsoft and it's personnel. This problem NEVER existed until Windows 10/11 and just gets worse with each update.

Answer 3

Thanks, the SMB setting was not set properly.