What is Bonjour Service in Windows? Should you turn it off?

“Bonjour”. Whenever we hear this term, our mind translates it as “hello”. But Bonjour is software. It is active in the background during our daily activities on the PC.

First, it must be clear to users that bonjour is neither a virus nor malware. “What is the Bonjour service in Windows?”Bonjour is a software developed by Apple introduced in 2002 with Mac OS X 10.2 as Apple Rendezvous which was later changed to Bonjour.

By default, it is built into Apple operating systems such as macOS and iOS, which helps to simplify the work of various applications. You can automatically install bonjour on your computers using applications such as iTunes or the Safari web browser.

In this article, we will give a detailed explanation on whether to uninstall this software or keep it. If you choose to disable it, we have provided a step by step guide below to remove this software from your Windows PCs.

Let’s see what is the Bonjour service in Windows 10:

1. What is the Bonjour service in Windows 10?
2. Where is the Bonjour service used?
3. How to disable the Bonjour service?
4. How to remove Bonjour?

1. What is the Bonjour service in Windows 10?

Apple used Bonjour to launch the zero-configuration network. This service allows you to surf the net between different Apple devices. It helps to discover and connect to multiple devices including printers and other computers. Bonjour disables Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).

It uses a “link-local addressing”method that can automatically assign IP addresses to local clients without the use of DHCP. In addition, services are offered on the local network through service records of the mDNS (Multicast Domain Name System Service), ensuring that the Internet speed does not change when receiving information about support.

Zero-configuration networking (zeroconf) refers to a set of technologies that help create a computer network based on the internet protocol suite. It is built on technologies such as:

• Hostname resolution
• Address Assignment
• Service discovery

2. Where is the Bonjour service used?

This service helps you connect and share resources, including file sharing, and helps you discover printers. Its other applications include:

• Using Safari to find web servers and configuration pages on local devices.
• To align projects and tasks across your Mac desktop and iPhone/iPad/iPod touch using OmniFocus and Things.
• License management through Photoview 360 and Solidworks
• Document search on SubEthaEdit.
• Search for users on the local network through Gizmo5.
• Communicate with multiple clients via iChat, Adobe Creative Suite 3, Skype, Pidgin and many more applications.
• Search for shared photos in iPhoto.
• Search for shared music in the iTunes app.

Bonjour services can be easily uninstalled from Windows computers as they don’t perform any function. As mentioned earlier, if you are using Apple software such as iTunes or Safari, uninstalling Bonjour may interfere with some applications.

In addition to Apple software, its removal has been known to cause problems with some third-party applications such as Adobe Creative Suite and Solidworks by Dassault Systemes.

So, think carefully before you decide to uninstall Bonjour. Check carefully and make sure that this will not affect the operation of any application on your PC.

3. How to disable the Bonjour service?

You can either temporarily disable the software. If you need it, you can turn it on. Another way is to remove it permanently, but if you do that, you will have to reinstall it back if you need to use this software again.

To disable a service on your computer, you need to go to the Windows service application and change the setting showing the startup type to Disabled.

There are two ways to access the services, namely:

1. With the Run command window open, press the Windows key + R and type services.msc. Finally, click “OK”in the text field as shown below.

2. With the Run command window open, press Windows key + R, type services.mscFinally, click OK in the text box as shown below. OR Open services directly from the start search bar, press Windows key + S and search for services on it.

3. Open the services window and find your Bonjour device. Then right-click on it to open the context menu and select properties, or to access the properties, you can also double-click on the service.

4. To sort all services alphabetically, click Name at the top of the window. Now it will be easier to find the Bonjour service.

5. Under the service status label, there will be a Stop button that will stop the service. If you click it will stop the service. If you check the status of the service, it should be visible as Status stopped.

6. Open the drop-down menu on the general properties tab next to startup type. In the list that opens, find and click Disabled.

7. You will see the “Apply”button in the lower right corner of the screen. Click on it to save your changes and disable the Bonjour service. Finally left click on OK to close the window.

4. How to uninstall Bonjour?

The procedure for uninstalling bonjour is similar to the steps for uninstalling other applications on your PC. You need to open the program and open the control panel window, find the bonjour services and uninstall them.

For your convenience, we have detailed the Bonjour removal procedure.

1. Go to the Run field, type control panel and click OK to open the Control Panel application.

2. Select “Programs and Features”in the “Control Panel”window.

3. Find the bonjour and select it.

4. To delete a service, click the delete button at the top of the window.

(or)

5. You can right click on the service and select “Delete”to delete the service.

6. A confirmation window will appear on the screen. Click Yes and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

As we have already said, Bonjour is included in many Apple applications, so it cannot be completely removed from your computer even after uninstallation. To avoid leaving traces of this service on your PC, you must delete the files. exe and. dll associated with this service.

For your convenience, we have provided the step by step procedure below:

1. Launch Windows Explorer using the Windows key + E.
2. C:\Program Files\Bonjour To find the above, it is advisable to check the Program Files (x86) folder, especially for users of a system running Windows Vista or Windows 7.
3. Navigate to “mDNSResponder.exe”file in Bonjour app, right click and delete.
4. The same goes for “mdnsNSP.dll”.
5. If you receive a pop-up message “This action cannot be performed because the file is open in the Bonjour service”, you need to restart your computer and try to simply delete it.
6. If the problem persists, try deleting the service files through an elevated Command Prompt window. But in order to remove the service, you will need to run the command prompt as an administrator. A normal command line will not be able to completely remove Bonjour from your PC.
7. Regardless of the type of process mentioned above that you are using, a message will appear on your screen asking permission to make changes to the command line, click Yes.
8. Then find the destination of the Bonjour file on the command line. Find the Bonjour app in File Explorer. You can use a shortcut (Windows key + E) to open this. Once you find the folder, copy the address.
9. Go to command prompt, paste the address (\Program Files\Bonjour) and press enter.
10. Type mDNSResponder.exe–remove and press Enter to run the command.
11. Upon successful uninstallation, a confirmation message should be seen – Service removed, or you can ignore the steps related to the command line and enter the command below directly. “%PROGRAMFILES%\Bonjour\mDNSResponder.exe”-remove
12. Finally, unregister the mdnsNSP.dll file with the following command: regsvr32 /u “%PROGRAMFILES%\Bonjour\mdnsNSP.dll”
13. Now restart your computer and delete the Bonjour folder.

Conclusion

We hope this article has helped you understand the Bonjour service.

If you find the need to uninstall or disable it, the procedures provided should help you and make it easier to uninstall or remove it from your PC.

FAQ

What happens if I remove Bonjour from my device?

Yes, you can safely remove Bonjour from your system. It will not harm your device. However, some services depend on Bonojur to function.

Should I have Bonjour on my system?

Bonjour is quite useful when multiple Apple devices are present in a work or home environment, or when both Windows and Apple systems are in the same location. This simplifies the integration of a home or office. However, most Apple devices currently come with Bonjour pre-installed.

Does Windows 10 require Bonjour?

You can deploy and activate Bonjour on Windows 10 if you want to make it easier to connect to Apple-owned services and related devices. However, the Bonjour program is not required. You won’t use it if you don’t have Apple elements in your infrastructure.

Is Bonjour harmful to your device?

No, Bonjour is safe to use. It helps gadgets and apps discover and connect to the same internal network.