Wouldn’t it be great if you could access shared files and music from your Apple devices on your Windows laptop? Well, you can do so right now and even more using Bonjour Apple service on your Windows machine.
In this post, we will walk you through Apple’s proprietary network service and how installing it on Windows and Linux systems can ease networking hassle. But first, let’s find out what is Bonjour.
What is Bonjour on my computer?
Bonjour, a.k.a Apple Rendezvous, is a zero-configuration networking protocol that facilitates easy connectivity across devices and systems running on different operating systems like macOS, Windows, or Linux.
Bonjour program is more of a service than an actual application and runs in the background. It lets your Mac and other Apple devices connect seamlessly with printers and scanners over a local network.
It uses a link address scheme to automatically assign IP addresses to available devices in your local network.
Bonjour Apple service is preinstalled on devices running on macOS. If you are a Mac or iOS user and also have devices running on other operating systems like Windows and Linux in your local network, you can exclusively install Bonjour on those devices.
Why do we need Bonjour for Windows?
Bonjour Window 10 service eliminates complicated network setup procedures and the need for third-party networking layers.
Do you need Bonjour service on your Windows 10?
Well, that depends on the type of devices you use. If you don’t use any Apple device or software that uses Bonjour, then there is no need to install Bonjour Apple service on your Windows 10 system.
But if you own iPhones, iPads, Apple TV or Mac, and want to manage Apple devices from a Windows system, then Bonjour for Windows is the easiest hassle-free way of communicating across devices.
How can Bonjour service on Windows help you?
Let me give you an example to set things straight. Let’s say you own an iPhone, Mac, or iPad. Each of these devices has iTunes and iPhoto installed in them and you have added items in their shared library.
Now if you own a Windows laptop, and have installed and tuned on Bonjour service, you will be able to access shared resources to and from your Windows machine, without getting into complicated configurations.
That’s not all, many third-party applications like Adobe Creative Suite and Dassault Systemes’ Solidworks also use Bonjour for easy coupling across dissimilar platforms over the same network.
Bonjour service in Apple devices also helps you connect to scanners and printers over the local network.
How to install Bonjour?
If you have a Mac Bonjour will already be installed and be up and running in the background. These installation steps are only for Windows users.
There are two ways to install Bonjour on your Windows PC.
- Install Bonjour SDK for Windows
- Install iTune package
Let me run you through each of them
Install Bonjour SDK for Windows
Navigate to the Apple developer website and click “Bonjour SDK for Windows”
Now, sign in with your Apple ID. If you don’t have one, create one.
Once you have signed in you can view all the different Bonjour SDK versions and install the Bonjour package.
Install iTunes package
Navigate to iTunes on your Windows PC.
If you scroll down you will notice a link stating “Looking for other versions?”, and click on Windows.
This link will allow you to download iTunes from Apple’s website without redirecting you to the Microsoft store. You can choose from the 64-bit or the 32-bit version of the iTunes installer and download the executable on your Windows machine.
Once the 201MB iTunes installer is downloaded, right-click on the installer and click “Extract here”.
Now you can view all the installer packages once the extraction is completed.
Double-click Bonjour64.msi and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation of Bonjour service on your Windows machine.
How to stop Bonjour services on Windows?
To stop Bonjour services on Windows, first, start your task manager.
Then switch to the Services tab and search for Bonjour service or “mDNSResponder.exe“. When the service is up its status will show up as Running.
To stop the Bonjour service, simply right-click on it and click “Stop”.
Should I remove Bonjour?
Removing Bonjour service on Windows is easy. We will be showing you how to do it in the upcoming section.
But if you uninstall Bonjour on your Windows machine, you won’t be able to share files to and from your Apple devices while they are connected to your local network.
But for macOS, Bonjour service is intertwined with the operating system making it difficult to uninstall. As many default applications on Apple devices like Safari, iTunes, and iPhoto use Bonjour, it isn’t wise to even try to remove it from your Macbook.
How to uninstall Bonjour on Windows?
Uninstalling Bonjour system is similar to uninstalling any other installed application on a Windows system. To uninstall, navigate to Control Panel and click on the Programs and Features link.
Search Bonjour from the list of installed applications and click Uninstall.
Conclusion
Now that we have answered “What is Bonjour”, let’s skim through what we have learned so far –
- Bonjour program is a zero-configuration networking protocol that enables seamless handshaking between Apple devices and devices running on Windows and Linux operating systems.
- By installing Bonjour service on your Windows system you can access shared files across Apple devices connected to your local network.
- With Bonjour, Apple devices can easily connect to printers and scanners.
- Bonjour service is preinstalled on Apple devices while for Windows PC, it needs to be installed explicitly.
