Network computers not showing in File Explorer: how to fix it

Why PCs disappear from the Network view

Older versions of Windows built the Network list with the Computer Browser service, which used the old SMB 1.0 protocol. Microsoft no longer installs SMB 1.0 by default, and its documentation explains that without it, Explorer Network can no longer show Windows computers through the legacy NetBIOS browsing method.

Current Windows versions use a different method called WS-Discovery instead. A PC only shows up if it is on the same network, has discovery turned on, and is running the Function Discovery services that announce it. If any one of those is missing on the PC you’re looking for, it won’t appear, even though file sharing to it may work perfectly.

So the list is a convenience, not a test of whether sharing works. Microsoft itself recommends mapping drives and printers rather than relying on network browsing.

Open the PC directly instead

1. On the PC you want to reach, find its name in Settings > System > About (Device name), or its IP address by running ipconfig in Command Prompt and reading IPv4 Address.
2. On your PC, open File Explorer, click in the address bar, type \\ followed by the name or IP, for example \\OFFICE-PC, and press Enter.
3. If its shared folders open, everything except the browse list is fine. To keep the share handy, map it as a network drive.

If the name fails but the IP works, name lookup is the problem; the IP is a fine workaround, or give the PC a reserved address in your router. If neither works and you get an error, go to error 0x80070035 “The network path was not found” or Windows cannot access a shared folder, which cover connection and permission errors.

Set the network to Private

Windows hides your PC from others on a Public network, which is the safe default for cafés and hotels. At home or in a small office you trust, switch to Private. Do this on each PC.

1. Open Settings > Network & internet.
2. Select Wi-Fi and then the network you’re connected to, or select Ethernet for a cable connection.
3. Under Network profile type, select Private network.

On Windows 10 the same choice sits under Settings > Network & Internet > Status > Properties for the current connection. Only use Private on networks where you trust the other people and devices.

Turn on network discovery

1. In Windows 11, go to Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Advanced sharing settings. You can also search the Start menu for manage advanced sharing settings.
2. Under Private networks, turn on Network discovery and File and printer sharing.

In Windows 10, open Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Change advanced sharing settings, expand the Private profile and select Turn on network discovery and Turn on file and printer sharing. If File Explorer shows a yellow Network discovery is turned off bar when you open Network, you can also select it and choose Turn on network discovery and file sharing.

If the switches turn themselves off again after you leave the page, the services in the next section are often the cause.

Start the Function Discovery services

Two services do the announcing. Function Discovery Resource Publication (FDResPub) publishes this PC so others can see it, and Function Discovery Provider Host (fdPHost) is the host it runs in. Microsoft’s guidance is to start both and set them to Automatic (Delayed Start).

1. Press Win + R, type services.msc and press Enter.
2. Double-click Function Discovery Provider Host, set Startup type to Automatic (Delayed Start), select Start and then OK.
3. Do the same for Function Discovery Resource Publication.
4. Repeat on the PC that’s missing from the list, because it’s that PC’s services that make it visible. Restart both PCs and give the list a minute or two to fill.

On Microsoft Q&A, users whose own PC vanished from the list after a while reported that restarting FDResPub brought it back. That points to the same service; the delayed automatic start is the lasting fix.

Check the firewall and security software

Discovery traffic must be allowed through Windows Firewall. Open Windows Defender Firewall from Control Panel, select Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall, and check that Network Discovery and File and Printer Sharing are ticked for Private. Turning on discovery in the sharing settings normally ticks these for you.

Third-party security suites with their own firewall, and VPN clients, can block discovery even when the Windows settings are right. Pause the VPN and check the suite’s network or trusted-zone settings. Some routers also have a guest network or “client isolation” option that stops devices from seeing each other; make sure both PCs are on the same main network.

NAS drives and older devices

Microsoft notes that devices from other makers may not appear in the Network list if they have WS-Discovery turned off or only support SMB 1.0, and suggests contacting the vendor. For a NAS, check its settings for a WS-Discovery (sometimes called WSD) option and turn it on, and update its firmware. If it has no such option, open it by \\ plus its IP address and map a drive, as above.

Don’t enable SMB 1.0 just to see devices in the list. It is the old protocol Microsoft removed for security reasons, and turning it back on to restore browsing re-exposes every PC that uses it. A mapped drive gets you the same result safely. For printers that are missing, see printer sharing in Windows 11 and 10.

Related guides

• How to map a network drive in Windows 10 (and Windows 11)
• Error 0x80070035 “The network path was not found”: how to fix it
• Windows cannot access a shared folder: how to fix it
• Printer sharing in Windows 11 and 10: how to share a printer on your network

Official sources

• SMBv1 is not installed by default in Windows (Microsoft Learn)
• File sharing over a network in Windows (Microsoft Support)
• Essential network settings and tasks in Windows (Microsoft Support)