Windows 10: Enabling Network Discovery via GPO does not work when Windows Firewall

Environment: Windows domain

I'm trying to turn on network discovery for 100+ computers and I've created a computer-targeted GPO following instructions from this article: https://www.technig.com/enable-netwo...-group-policy/

I create a test OU and put one computer in said OU and apply GPO to the computer. I then run gpupdate /force on the targeted machine and restart the computer. I then run gpresult /scope computer /v and confirm that the GPO is being applied.

Incidentally, I didn't do the second part that's required for this to work, which is turn on Windows Firewall via GPO as per the article, but just to test I ran the GPO and confirmed that Network Discovery is turned on only when I turn off Windows Firewall manually when I check Advanced sharing settings: https://i.imgur.com/E7y9OBn.png
When I turn Windows Firewall back on, network discovery and file sharing turn off as per screenshot: https://i.imgur.com/UlJvX5E.png

So I know that my GPO is turning on Network Discovery but windows firewall is blocking it, at least when some inbound rules aren't made yet. I can't turn off Windows Firewall completely (yet) so I proceed to include Windows Firewall exceptions into my GPO as per article instructions. Note that the article suggests only to include inbound rules and not outbound.

I then include these Windows Firewall rules as a part of my network discovery GPO (I didn't bother to create a separate GPO--don't know if this might be a problem).

Anyway, I apply this GPO and I see that the computer pulls it down. The problem is with these inbound firewall rules applied both network discovery and file and print sharing and still turned off. And when I look at Windows Firewall inbound rules I see that the rules are applied and enabled but the tick box for network discovery won't turn on. When I turn off windows firewall for domain the tick box shows it's enabled. So windows firewall is preventing this from working and I don't know what rules to enable to make it work. Turning off windows firewall is the only solution but it's too global.

What am I doing wrong here? Should I have set GPO to enable firewall rule first and then set GPO for enabling network discovery a period after? In my "Network Discovery GPO" I have both network discovery and firewall rules both set. Should I split them up?

I appreciate any insight on this. I really need to get this to work. Thank you.

:)

 

I cannot see onter computers on my network from my windows 10 machine

Go to your domain controller and create a GPO for all your PCs to enable Network Discovery.

https://www.technig.com/enable-network-discover...

 

GPO to enable UAC and set to Level 3

First... I am on a domain which is moot. GOP is GPO. If I go in and disable the Windows Firewall via GPO then even as a local administrator, when I go in to Control Panel and Windows Firewall, I cannot turn it back on. It is grey-ed out. That is what a GPO
is for. To make settings no one can change. Try it.

As a administrator I can change the GPO to re-enable the Windows Firewall but I can no longer go in to Control Panel and change it because the GPO is controlling it.