Today we are going to talk about the most basic and most used feature in Windows 10. Casting display on devices is one of the features we use the most. But, with growing features, errors and bugs also increase in their count. But if you find that this Cast to Device feature is not working in Windows 10, then this post will help you fix the issue.
Users often use the casting feature to watch movies and shows from their small-screen devices to a bigger one. I know that a computer does have a bigger screen, but not as big for an entire family sitting together. Connecting HDMI’s, VGA’s and using USB Flash Drives. Just cast your Windows 10 system to any Smart TV or Projector and you are good to go.
Cast to Device not working in Windows 10
There can be multiple reasons why your system is unable to cast anything. These reasons may include low network connectivity, device not discoverable, firmware error on displaying device, etc. But, let’s assume that everything is good with the casting device but not with your Windows 10 device. If this is the case with you, you can try the methods mentioned below:
- Turn on Network Discovery
- Update Network Drivers
- Check for Streaming Options
- Change Cast to Device settings in Windows Defender Firewall
- Check Microsoft LLDP Protocol Driver Setting
- Run Hardware Troubleshooter.
You may find more methods on the internet. But today we are going to cover the most basic and effective methods.
1] Turn on Network Discovery
If you are a geek then you may know how networks work. Windows 10 keeps all the networks as Private by default. But to cast something you need to Turn On network discovery so that the device is visible.
- Press Win + R keys, the Run window will open up.
- Type control and hit Enter. The Control Panel will open up.
- In Control Panel look for Network and Sharing Center and click on it.
- On the left panel click on Change advanced sharing settings.
- In the Advanced Sharing settings window, enlarge Guest or Public options. In-Network discovery, click on Turn on network discovery.
- Perform Step 5 for File and printer sharing and click on Save Changes.
- Now you can try Cast to Device again.
If the error is still present you can go to the next method.
2] Update Network Drivers
We often see that errors occur due to outdated or corrupted drivers. There can be multiple ways of updating drivers, from downloading drivers to updating manually. Today we will see how to update drivers manually.
- Press Win + X keys. The Quick Access menu will open up.
- Click on Device Manager.
- In Device Manager window, look for Network adapters and click on it.
- Look for the wireless adapter (if you are connecting wirelessly), right-click on it and click on Update driver.
- In the update window, click on Search automatically for updated driver software.
If the updates are available then it will automatically install them. When the process is over, try casting your device again. Please make sure that your system is set to the automatic installation of updates. If it’s not then this method will throw an error.
3] Check for Streaming Options
Many times when we want to do something but aren’t able to do it is because enough permissions are not provided. But to be on the safer side make sure that you have the latest drivers installed in your system.
- Press Win + R keys, the Run window will open up.
- Type control and hit enter. The Control Panel will open up.
- In Control Panel look for Network and Sharing Center and click on it.
- On the left panel, click on Media streaming options.
- If the media streaming is disabled then you need to turn it on. Click on Turn on media streaming.
- Make sure that your device is visible on the local network. Allow the media sharing on devices and click on OK.
As soon as these changes are made to restart your system once and you are good to go.
4] Change Cast to Device settings in Windows Defender Firewall
There are times when the connection is interrupted due to a defending firewall. It is possible that the firewall you are using for safety purposes is interrupting in between.
- Press Win + R keys. The Run window will open up.
- Type control and hit enter.
- In Control Panel, look for Windows Defender Firewall and click on it.
- On the left panel, click on Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall.
- Search for Cast to Device functionality in the list of Allowed apps and features.
- Make sure that Private and Public, both the checkboxes are checked. If not then click on Change settings then check both the checkboxes.
- Click on OK and you are good to go.
This method makes sure that the Cast to Device functionality is enabled in Private as well as Public networks. In short, it is the best way to check for any permission issues if a firewall is enabled.
5] Check Microsoft LLDP Protocol Driver Setting
Now, the last resort for you is to check network adapter settings. If your network adapter drivers are updated and firewall is allowing you to cast your device, then now is the time to check the adapter settings. Sometimes the settings may get the change because of multiple adapter options available on your system. The basic reason behind it is using Wi-Fi as well as Ethernet for connecting to the networks.
- Press Win + R keys, the Run window will open up.
- Type control and hit enter. The Control Panel will open up.
- In Control Panel look for Network and Sharing Center and click on it.
- On the left panel click on Change adapter settings.
- Now right-click on the adapter you are connected to and click on Properties.
- In the list of items used by your connections, check if the Microsoft LLDP Protocol Driver is checked or not. If not then click on the checkbox and click on OK.
Restart your system after these settings are done. It will definitely solve your problem. If any of the methods fail to solve your problem, make sure that you revert the changes made to the Network and Sharing options.
6] Run Hardware Troubleshooter
Run the Hardware Troubleshooter and see if it helps you.
Let us know in the comments below which of the method worked for you.
PS: Cast Media to device is not working on Edge? Enable this flag!