Enabling UPnP in Windows 7, 8, and 10

To enable UPnP in these versions of Windows, follow the steps below.

  • Windows 7, 8, and 10.

  • Windows Vista.

  • Windows XP.

  • Open the Control Panel.

  • Click Network and Internet

  • Click Network and Sharing Center.

  • In the left pane, click the link for Change advanced sharing settings.

  • In the Network Discovery section, select the option for Turn on network discovery and click the Save changes button.

UPnP now automatically starts when you turn on your computer.

Enabling UPnP in Windows Vista

To enable UPnP in Windows Vista, start by going to the Windows Control Panel. Locate and click the icon for Network and Sharing Center.

If you’re having issues getting UPnP to work after following the steps below, check for a firmware update for your router that addresses any UPnP issues. See: How to update a router firmware.

In the Sharing and Discovery section, click the arrow button to the right of the Network discovery option. Select the option for Turn on network discovery and click the Apply button.

UPnP now automatically start when you turn on your computer.

Enabling UPnP in Windows XP

For UPnP to work in Windows XP, you need to first make sure the Internet Gateway device appears in Network Connections and that the router appears in My Network Places.

For the first device, open up the Network Connections window. You can do this by going to Start > Run, type ncpa.cpl in the text field, then press the Enter. Check to see if the Internet Gateway device is displayed, as shown below.

For the second device, click the link for My Network Places in the Network Connections window (left pane, Other Places section). Check to see if your router is displayed.

If these devices are not displayed, you need to make sure the correct components are installed in Windows XP. To check this, go to Start, Run, type appwiz.cpl in the text field, and press Enter.

In the Add or Remove Programs window, click the Add/Remove Windows Components link in the left pane. In the Windows Components Wizard window, scroll down until you find Networking Services. Select this in the list and click the Details button. Make sure the Internet Gateway Device Discovery and Control Client and UPnP User Interface options are checked and click the OK button. Back on the Windows Components Wizard window, click the Next button and follow the directions to install the new components.

Now, you can start the UPnP service to enable it. To do this, go to Start, Run, type services.msc in the text field, and press Enter.

Find the SSDP Discovery Service option and double-click it with your mouse. In the window that opens, on the General tab, select Automatic in the Startup type drop-down list and click the OK button.

  • See our UPnP definition for further information and related links.
  • Microsoft Windows help and support.