Disable Network Printer Discovery via Regedit

By default, Windows automatically scans local networks and displays discovered network printers inside File Explorer and the Network folder. This guide explains how to disable automatic network printer discovery using the Windows Registry Editor (regedit), preventing Windows from automatically searching for, enumerating, and populating shared printers across your local network.

Step 1: Open the Registry Editor

  1. Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box.
  2. Type regedit and press Enter.
  3. Click Yes if prompted by User Account Control (UAC).

Step 2: Navigate to the Explorer Policies Key

In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following path using the left sidebar or by pasting it into the address bar:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

Note: If the Explorer key does not exist under Policies, right-click the Policies folder, select New > Key, and name it Explorer.

Step 3: Create the NoPrinterSearch Value

  1. Right-click on an empty area in the right-hand pane of the Explorer key.
  2. Select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
  3. Name the new value NoPrinterSearch and press Enter.
  4. Double-click NoPrinterSearch to edit it.
  5. In the Value data field, change the value from 0 to 1.
  6. Ensure the Base is set to Hexadecimal, then click OK.

Step 4: Apply System-Wide Policy (Optional)

To apply this restriction to all user accounts on the machine rather than just the current user:

  1. Navigate to:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers

    (Create the Printers key under Windows NT if it does not already exist).

  2. Right-click in the right pane, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it NoNetworkPrinterBrowseList.

  3. Double-click NoNetworkPrinterBrowseList, set the Value data to 1, and click OK.

Step 5: Restart Windows Explorer or Reboot

For the changes to take effect:

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager.
  2. Locate Windows Explorer under the Processes tab.
  3. Right-click Windows Explorer and select Restart.

Alternatively, restart your computer to apply the new registry configuration. Windows File Explorer will no longer automatically discover and list network printers.