This just started today. Since I first got Roku a few years ago, I've never had a problem streaming videos from my PC to Roku using Roku Media Player. Note, I said "streaming" -- not "screen mirroring," which I've never done or had to do before. I had no problem streaming a video this morning, then an hour later, suddenly Windows won't share with any of the Rokus (we have three) and none of the Rokus show up on Windows' list of connected devices or network. I have no idea what happened, and I've been trying for about ten hours now to find help online, but about all the help I can find is in regard to screen mirroring (again, a function I've never used nor had to use in the past).
At first Windows simply stopped sharing files with the Roku; all the video FOLDERS were visible on Roku, just not the files within them. After trying several "fixes" I found online, now Roku doesn't even show my PC as a media source, and as said none of the Rokus appear on the list of connected devices.
Yes -- Media streaming is turned on
Yes -- My Roku is fully up to date
Yes -- I'm the PC administrator and have full sharing permission
Yes -- All three Rokus have very strong wireless signals (full bars on all)
Yes -- We can watch other streaming channels on Roku (Netflix, B-Movie TV, etc)
Again, this just started this morning. I can't tell if it's my PC suddenly refusing to discover/acknowledge the Roku, or the Roku Media Player suddenly refusing to read from the PC. Help!!!
Microsoft is notorious about pushing updates that often will change the firewall settings, and block Windows Media Sharing (or other DLNA servers) from being found. Since all three Roku players are experiencing the same thing, it's not very likely it's a Roku problem. One thing you could do to test it is to install another DLNA server on your computer and see if it's visible. If it is, then it's not the Roku players. I like Serviio, but there's a number of free DLNA server packages you can download and try. Depending on your media, you might find that a different DLNA server works much better than what Windows has.
Oh, by the way. Your subject line is a little off. It's not that Windows isn't detecting the Roku, it's the other way around. Your Roku players can't see the Windows Media server.
Thanks for the reply. Right now, Windows is back to sharing FOLDERS with Roku, just not the FILES within them. Oddly, though, it's the video files on my expansion drive it's not sharing; the video files I have saved on the PC itself, no problem. So I did some more looking and the two expansion drive folders Windows won't share are showing up as "unresponsive" in the Windows Media Player library. Most of the help sites I visited said all you have to do is delete WMP's library, then rebuild it. That didn't work, either. Those two folders are still showing as "unresponsive," and Windows still isn't sharing them with the Roku.
But obviously you're right, this is clearly a Windows problem, not a Roku problem. I didn't realize that when I posted this question. Still, any help anyone can provide would be appreciated.
THis just happened 2 days ago. No settings were changed. Any suggestions?
@Joniciii can you be more specific about what you are or are not seeing?