Learn how to turn Microsoft Defender Firewall on or off in Windows 10 and 11. This step-by-step guide will walk you through the process, so you can keep your computer safe and secure.
What is a Firewall?
Data flows into and out of devices through what we call ports. A firewall is what controls what is – and more importantly isn’t – allowed to pass through those ports. You can think of it like a security guard standing at the door, checking the ID of everything that tries to enter or exit.
Windows 10
- Open the setting by Pressing Windows Key or click on Start Menu.
- Click on Update & Security
- Click on Windows Security
- Click on Firewall & Network Protection
- Select a network profile: Domain network, Private network, or Public network. which you want to turn off or on. In the below image my active network is “Private network“, So I click on Private network
- Under Microsoft Defender Firewall, switch the setting to On. If your device is connected to a network, network policy settings might prevent you from completing these steps. For more info, contact your administrator.
- To turn it off, switch the setting to Off. Turning off Microsoft Defender Firewall could make your device (and network, if you have one) more vulnerable to unauthorized access. If there’s an app you need to use that’s being blocked, you can allow it through the firewall, instead of turning the firewall off
