Windows 10 Other Computers Not Showing in Network Folder: Finding Devices on a Home Network

You open File Explorer, select Network in the left pane, and expect to see the other PCs in the house. The list is empty or shows only routers and media devices. When Windows 10 other computers not showing in network folder, sharing files between machines feels harder YY PAUS than it should.

Windows builds this list using discovery services that announce each PC to its neighbours. If those services are stopped, or a device only speaks an older protocol, it does not appear.

Importantly, an empty list does not always mean sharing is broken. You can often connect by typing the computer’s name directly.

Getting the list working mostly involves the network profile and a handful of services.

What Might Be Causing It

Computers fail to appear for these reasons:

• Network discovery is switched off on one or more PCs.
• The network is set to Public, which hides the PC from others.
• Function Discovery and related services are not running.
• Older devices rely on the retired SMB1 browsing method that Windows 10 no longer uses by default.

Windows 10 stopped using the old “Computer Browser” service, so very old NAS devices often vanish from the list even though they still work.

First Steps to Try

Turn on discovery on every PC.

1. On each computer, open Settings > Network & Internet, select Properties for the connection, and choose Private.
2. Open Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Change advanced sharing settings.
3. Under Private, turn on network discovery and file and printer sharing, then save.
4. Restart all the PCs.
5. Open File Explorer > Network and press F5 to refresh.

If the list is still empty, type \\ followed by the other computer’s name, such as \\LIVINGROOM-PC, in the address bar. If that opens, sharing works and only the list is affected.

If the Problem Continues

Start the services discovery depends on.

1. Press Windows + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
2. Find Function Discovery Resource Publication and set it to Automatic (Delayed Start), then start it.
3. Make sure Function Discovery Provider Host, SSDP Discovery, and UPnP Device Host are running.
4. Open “Allow an app through Windows Firewall” and tick Network Discovery for Private networks.
5. Restart and check the Network folder again.

For an older NAS that still does not appear, look for a firmware update that adds SMB2 or SMB3 and WS-Discovery support, or map it as a network drive using its IP address.

Protect Your Data First

Do not enable SMB1 just to make a device appear. It is a known security risk and is disabled for good reason. Keep discovery limited to the Private profile, and share only the folders you need.

The Bottom Line

An empty Network folder usually means discovery is off, the profile is Public, or a service has stopped. Fix those on every PC, and connect directly by name when the list is unreliable.