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Brink
Windows 7: Network Discovery - Turn On or Off in Windows 7
Recommended Fix: Download Here


Network Discovery - Turn On or Off in Windows 7
How to Turn Network Discovery On or Off in Windows 7
Published by Brink
07 Sep 2011
How to Turn Network Discovery On or Off in Windows 7
Information
When you connect to a network, you must choose a network location. There are four network locations:
Home, Work, Public, and Domain. Based on the network location you choose, Windows assigns a network
discovery state to the network and opens the appropriate Windows Firewall ports for that state.
Network discovery is a network setting that affects whether your computer can find other computers and
devices on the network and whether other computers on the network can find your computer.
This tutorial will show you how to to turn Network Discovery on or off in Windows 7.
You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial.
Note
There are three network discovery states:
On
This state allows your computer to see other network computers and devices and allows people on
other network computers to see your computer. This makes it easier to share files and printers.
Off
This state prevents your computer from seeing other network computers and devices and prevents
people on other network computers from seeing your computer.
Custom
This is a mixed state in which some settings related to network discovery are enabled, but not all of
them. For example, network discovery could be turned on, but you or your system administrator might
have changed firewall settings that affect network discovery. If some but not all of these below are
true, then the network discovery state will be shown as Custom.
Network discovery requires that the DNS Client (Automatic), Function Discovery Resource
Publication (Automatic), SSDP Discovery (Manual), and UPnP Device Host (Manual)
services are set to be started.
Network Discovery needs to be allowed to communicate (add as exception) through
Windows Firewall for the network type that the computer or device is connected to.
If you have a 3rd party firewall installed, then you will also need to allow Network Discovery to
communicate through it as well.

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Here's How:
1. Open the Control Panel (icons view), and click on the Network and Sharing Center icon.
2. In the left pane, click on the Change advanced sharing settings link. (see screenshot below)
3. Click on the to expand the network that you want to turn network discovery on or off for. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: Normally this would be your current profile.
4. To Turn On Network Discovery
A) Select (dot) Turn on network discovery. (see screenshots below step 6)
B) Go to step 6.
5. To Turn Off Network Discovery
A) Select (dot) Turn off network discovery. (see screenshots below step 6)
6. Click on the Save Changes button. (see screenshots below)
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7. If prompted by UAC, then click on Yes.
8. When finished, you can close the Network and Sharing Center.
That's it,
Shawn
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24 Jan 2012 #1
power8383
Windows 7
6 posts

I was frustrated as 'network discovery' was turning off all the time.
Thanks for telling which services should be started.
All those services were disabled in my computer.
Thanks again.
Tip: Download Windows Repair Tool
My System Specs
24 Jan 2012 #2
Brink
You're most welcome Power.
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64-bit Windows 8.1
Enterprise
57,187 posts
Texas

My System Specs
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