Windows 11 is designed to be as user-friendly as possible, which means the moment you connect your PC to a large corporate network or a busy public Wi-Fi hotspot, the operating system aggressively scans the network and automatically installs drivers for every single wireless printer it finds. This can severely clutter your “Printers & Scanners” menu with dozens of devices you will never use. If you only want to see your own personal printer, you must disable this automatic discovery feature.
How to Disable Network Discovery
You can stop Windows from searching for random network devices directly from the Settings app.
- Open the Settings app by pressing Windows Key + I on your keyboard.
- In the left-hand sidebar, click on Network & internet.
- Click on Advanced network settings near the bottom of the main window.
- Under the “More settings” section, click on Advanced sharing settings.
- Expand the Private networks or Public networks tab (depending on which profile you are currently using).
- Look for the toggle switch labelled Network discovery.
- Click the toggle to turn it Off.
By turning off Network Discovery, your computer effectively puts on a blindfold. It will no longer search the local Wi-Fi for other computers, media servers, or wireless printers, completely stopping the automatic installation of unwanted drivers. When you actually want to add your own printer in the future, you can simply turn this setting back on temporarily, or connect the printer directly via a USB cable.