How to Disable IPV6 on Windows 11

Why disable or change IPv6?

Some people prefer the older IPv4 protocol over IPv6. Others only want to turn off IPv6 tunnel interfaces, which Windows creates automatically when it detects certain network conditions. Completely disabling IPv6 is not advised, but you can control how Windows uses it. Pick the smallest change that solves your problem, because you can always go further later.

Understanding IPv6 settings

The IPv6 settings live in the Windows registry at this location:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip6\Parameters

The value you change is called DisabledComponents. It takes hexadecimal numbers (a base-16 system), and each number switches a different IPv6 behavior on or off. If the value does not exist on your PC, that is normal. It only appears once someone creates it, and Windows uses its defaults until then.

Before you edit anything, back up the registry. In Registry Editor, use File › Export. Changes to DisabledComponents take effect only after you restart the PC.

IPv6 options and what they do

Prefer IPv4 over IPv6

Making Windows 11 prefer IPv4 over IPv6 is a safe alternative to turning the protocol off. Your PC tries the older, more compatible connection type first, while IPv6 stays available in the background for anything that needs it. You can set this up from Command Prompt or PowerShell. The value for this behavior is 0x20.

Recommended: This is the best option instead of completely disabling IPv6.

To confirm this is working, follow these steps. Restart the PC first if you changed the registry value, because the setting is read at startup.

1. Open Command Prompt or PowerShell
2. Type: ping bing.com
3. Look at the response. If IPv4 is preferred, you should see an IPv4 address returned

You can also check the network settings by running:

netsh interface ipv6 show prefixpolicies

Look at the precedence numbers in the output. Entries with higher precedence numbers are preferred over entries with lower numbers. If you ever want to undo the change, set DisabledComponents back to 0 or delete the value, then restart.

Disable IPv6 completely via Registry – Recommended

Disabling IPv6 through the registry stops Windows 11 from using the protocol for standard network tasks, while essential system functions keep working. You need administrator rights in Command Prompt to apply this change, so open it elevated. Search for Command Prompt in the Start menu, right-click it, choose Run as administrator, and click Yes if User Account Control asks for permission.

⚠️ Admin Required: Administrator rights are necessary for these changes.

Follow these steps in the elevated window. Restart the PC afterwards, because nothing changes until you do. To reverse it, set DisabledComponents back to 0 (or delete it) and restart again.

1. Right-click on🖱️ Command Prompt and select “Run as administrator“
2. Type this command and replace with the number you want (like 0x20 or 0xFF):
   

   reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip6\Parameters" /v DisabledComponents /t REG_DWORD /d 0xFF /f

3. Press Enter
4. Restart your🔄 computer for changes to take effect

Unbinding IPv6 from your network adapter – Not Recommended

Unbinding IPv6 from a network adapter removes the protocol from that active connection. Windows 11 still relies on IPv6 for some built-in features and network discovery tools, so this can break internal tasks that expect the protocol to be there. For that reason it is generally not recommended.

Windows 11 performs best with IPv6 active. Some programs and features, such as certain network discovery tools, need IPv6 to work correctly. Try the prefer-IPv4 method above first, and only unbind IPv6 if that did not fix your problem.

If you still want to unbind IPv6, you have two options:

Option 1Using Network Settings

The graphical route uses the adapter’s properties, where the entry is called Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6). Clearing its checkbox unbinds IPv6 from that one adapter only, so repeat the steps for each adapter (for example Ethernet and Wi-Fi) if you want it off everywhere. To undo it, tick the box again.

1. Right-click on🖱️ the network icon in your taskbar🖥️
2. Select “Network and internet settings”
3. Find your network adapter
4. Uncheck “Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6)“

Option 2Using PowerShell

Disabling IPv6 in PowerShell means running one command with administrator rights. Right-click the Start button and choose Terminal (Admin) to get an elevated window. The command unbinds the protocol directly from the adapter you name.

Replace <MyAdapter> with your network adapter name, like “Ethernet” or “WiFi“. Use the name exactly as it appears in your list of network adapters. On many PCs the wireless adapter is named Wi-Fi with a hyphen, and a name containing a space needs quotation marks around it.

IPv6 tunnel interfaces are pathways that carry IPv6 traffic over older IPv4 networks, using methods such as 6to4, ISATAP and Teredo. Windows creates them automatically when it needs them.

You can disable these tunnel interfaces if you do not need IPv6, or if they cause problems. Turning them off can remove network conflicts on systems that still run older network setups, and it leaves the rest of IPv6 alone.

The main tunneling methods are:

• 6to4 tunneling
• ISATAP
• Teredo

How to disable tunnel interfaces

Method 1Using the registry

Disabling IPv6 tunnel interfaces stops IPv6 traffic from traveling over IPv4 networks. You can do it through the Windows Registry or through the Group Policy Editor. Both need administrator access, and both change how DisabledComponents controls these hidden pathways.

For the registry method, set the DisabledComponents value to 0x01. If the value is missing, create it as a DWORD (32-bit) Value, then restart the PC.

Method 2Using Group Policy (Windows Pro/Enterprise only)

The Group Policy method gives the same result. The Group Policy Editor is only included in Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise and Education. On Windows 11 Home, use the registry method instead. Follow these steps:

1. Press Win+R
2. Type gpedit.msc and press Enter
3. Navigate to: Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Network\TCPIP Settings\IPv6 Transition Technologies
4. Set the following to “Disabled”:

   • 6to4 State
   • ISATAP State
   • Teredo State

Important things to remember

Changing the registry to disable IPv6 does not clear the IPv6 checkbox in your network adapter properties. The two settings work independently in Windows 11, so a ticked box after a registry change is expected and does not mean the change failed. You also cannot turn IPv6 off entirely, because the operating system needs the protocol for essential background tasks.

• Changing the DisabledComponents registry setting doesn’t change the checkbox in network properties. The checkbox and the registry setting work separately.
• You cannot completely disable IPv6. It runs internally for system tasks.
• Disabling IPv6 incorrectly (using 0xffffffff instead of 0xff) can delay your computer startup by five seconds.
• Some programs and features expect IPv6 to work properly.

Summary

Windows 11 has IPv6 turned on by default, and you manage it with the DisabledComponents registry setting. The best method is usually to prefer IPv4 (value 0x20) rather than disable IPv6 entirely. You need administrator rights for every method, and a restart for registry changes. To go back to the default, set DisabledComponents to 0 or delete it, tick the adapter’s IPv6 checkbox again if you cleared it, and restart.