This article describes steps to enable or disable DLNA Media Sharing or streaming on Windows 11.
DLNA media streaming in Windows allows you can browse, search and play the media on your Windows computer using a UPnP or DLNA-enabled devices such as a phone, TV, or game console.
When media streaming is enabled on your Windows computer, you will also receive media from other computers and DLNA-supported devices.
Devices to which you want to share or receive content must be connected to the same network to see Windows-shared DLNA resources.
Below is how to enable or disable DLNA media streaming on Windows 11.
How to enable or disable DLNA media streaming on Windows 11
As described above, DLNA media streaming in Windows allows you can browse, search and play the media on your Windows computer using a UPnP or DLNA-enabled device such as a phone, TV, or game console.
Below is how to enable or disable it in Windows 11.
First, open the Control Panel app.
When the Control Panel app opens, navigate to the path as described below.
Control Panel -> Network and Internet -> Network and Sharing Center -> Media streaming options
In the Media streaming option settings pane in the Control Panel app, click the button that says “Turn on media streaming” as highlighted below to enable DLNA media streaming.
When media streaming is turned on, your network profile and firewall settings will be modified. So, you should only use media streaming on a trusted network such as your home and work.
The default media streaming settings will stream by default all content ratings from your Music, Pictures, Recorded TV, and Videos folders.
You can change that from the settings window.
If you wish to disable Media streaming in Windows, 11, simply navigate to the path above and click click the button that says “Block All” as highlighted below.
How to enable or disable media streaming using Windows local group policy editor
In Windows, you can use its Local Group Policy Editor to enable and disable features and settings. The same steps above can be done using Windows Local Group Policy Editor.
Below is how to do that.
First, open Local Group Policy Editor by clicking on the Start Menu and searching for Edit group policy as highlighted below.
Under Best match, select Edit group policy to launch Local Group Policy Editor.
In the left pane of Local Group Policy Editor, expand the tree:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Media Player
In the Windows Media Player details pane on the right, locate and double-click the setting Prevent Media Sharing.
On the Prevent Media Sharing window, set the option to Not Configure, Enabled, or Disabled.
- Not Configured (default)
- Enabled
- Disabled
Select OK to apply your changes.
Close Local Group Policy Editor.
That should do it!
Conclusion:
This post showed you how to enable or disable DLNA media streaming or sharing in Windows 11. If you find any error above or have something to add, please use the comment form below.
