If you randomly discover the processes wmpnscfg.exe and wmpnetwk.exe running in your system during a routine check (Task Manager), it is not the case to worry (too loud: p). They are legitimate processes of the application Windows Media Player, more exactly are part of the system WMP Sharing (Windows Media Player 11+ has an important feature, namely the possibility of sharing media files between several PCs in the same network. Because this option WMP To be functional, it is necessary for a service to activate the sharing in the network to run permanently, even when we do not use Windows Media Player).
If you use (frequently or occasionally) Windows Media Sharing, then we do not recommend disabling wmpnscfg.exe and wmpnetwk.exe, because Sharing system it cannot work without them. In addition, they are not high resource consumers. But if you do not use the media player share system and want to deactivate these two processes (for reasons random, like A shorter processes list in Task Manager Or because, even if they are stopped, these processes are restarted whenever the media of the media is started), you have three variants of solutions:
1. Disable Media Sharing in Media Player
The simplest - and the safest variant - is Disabling Sharing System Directly from Media Player. Thus the processes will not be restarted when, by chance or not, we open WMP.
How we disable the media sharing system
- Open Windows Media Player and give Click on the little arrow under Library, then select Media Sharing of the displayed menu (or click on Options->Library tab->Configure Sharing)
- Unplug both options below Sharing settings from the open window (Find media that others are sharing and Share my media). If they are discharged, tick them and click on OK then reopen the window and disperse them- To reset the settings
After deactivating the sharing system, you will be asked if you want disabling it for all the users of the PC. Click on Yes. In this way you will disable the service wmpscfg.exe and you will delete the entry for it from StartUp (Changing will have an effect after a computer restart).
2. Disable Media Player Network Sharing (Services) service
This method only recommends it to those who are used to work frequently with system services and know the risks of such actions.
- open Services (from Control Panel Sat services.msc in Search-ul FROM Start Menu or in Run).
- Identify the service Windows Media Player Network Sharing And open it (give double-click on it).
- under the tab General, modified Startup type in Disabled and click on OK.
3. Use registers to permanently deactivate WMPNSCFG.EXE and WMPNETWK.exe processes
First of all, it must be specified that This method should be considered as one last alternative to disable the two processes, if the other two presented above did not give results (for various reasons). Before making any type of change in registers, first make a backup to ensure that there will be no unpleasant consequences as a result of the respective changes.
- Openings the register editor (taste regedit.msc in Run or Search from Start Menu) and browse the path HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftMediaPlayerPreferencesHME. In the right -hand panel identify the dword entrance DisableDiscovery and change its value in 1 (or 2, of choice). Then check in HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun If there is any entry related to WMP Sharing. If so, wipe that entrance; If not, then you managed to deactivate the two prisoners.
Note: Even if wmpnscfg.exe and wmpnetwk.exe are usually harmless processes, if you notice more courts running simultaneously or a very high resource consumption (or for various reasons you become/are suspicious of these processes), we recommend a complete scan of the operating system, given the fact that it is the custom of its malware habit. "Borrows" the names of legitimate processes to deceive the victims.
