How to Turn On or off Microsoft Defender Firewall in Windows 11

Turn On or Off Microsoft Defender Firewall Using Windows Security

1. Click the Start button, type Windows Security in the search 🔍 box, and open the app. The Windows Security home screen appears.
2. Click Firewall & network protection. You will see three entries: Domain network, Private network, and Public network. The one marked “active” is the profile Windows is using right now.
3. Click the network type you want to change. Most home users want Private network, and a café or hotel Wi-Fi 📶 is normally Public network.
4. Under Microsoft Defender Firewall, move the switch to On or Off. When you turn it off, Windows shows a warning, and the network entry gets a red mark on the previous screen.
5. If User Account Control appears, click Yes. A standard user has to enter an administrator password here.
6. Close Windows Security when you are done.

If the switch is greyed out, or Windows Security says settings are managed by your organization, a Group Policy or a work or school management tool is controlling the firewall. Only your administrator can change it. A third-party security suite can also take over the firewall. In that case, Windows Security says another provider is handling it, and you manage the firewall in that product instead.

You can turn on or off Microsoft Defender Firewall using Windows Security by opening the app, clicking Firewall & network protection, selecting your network type, and changing the switch. This is the fastest method, and it avoids the older system menus.

To undo the change, repeat the steps and move the switch back to On.

Turn On or Off Microsoft Defender Firewall Using Control Panel

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run box, type control, and press Enter. The classic Control Panel opens.
2. Click Windows Defender Firewall. Control Panel still uses the older "Windows Defender" name for the same firewall. If you do not see the entry, set View by in the top right to Large icons or Small icons.
3. On the left side, click Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off. A settings page opens with a section for private networks and a section for public networks.
4. Choose Turn on Windows Defender Firewall or Turn off Windows Defender Firewall (not recommended) for each network type you want to change.
5. Click OK to save your changes. The firewall status page now shows the new state for each profile.
6. Close Control Panel if you want.

This page also has a Notify me when Windows Defender Firewall blocks a new app checkbox for each profile. Leave it ticked unless you have a reason not to. If the options are greyed out, a policy or another security product is managing the firewall, as described in the first method.

You can turn on or off Microsoft Defender Firewall using Control Panel by opening the classic utility, clicking Windows Defender Firewall, and choosing the turn on or off link on the left side. This approach lets you manage your Windows 11 Defender Firewall for each network type from one page.

To undo the change, open the same page and choose the turn on option for each profile.

Turn On or Off Microsoft Defender Firewall Using Command Prompt

You can turn on or off Microsoft Defender Firewall using Command Prompt by launching the terminal with administrator rights and running specific networking commands. This is a quick option if you prefer typing to clicking, and it works well over a remote session. The commands only work from an elevated window. Without administrator rights they fail with an access error.

1. Open Windows Terminal (Admin):

   • Right-click the Start button and choose Windows Terminal (Admin). Click Yes if User Account Control appears.
   • When the terminal opens, click the down arrow (˅) in the title bar and select Command Prompt. A new tab opens with a Command Prompt.
2. Type or paste one of the commands below, then press Enter. Each command reports success when it runs.

Enable Firewall for All Networks (Domain, Private, Public)

netsh advfirewall set allprofiles state on

Disable Firewall for All Networks

netsh advfirewall set allprofiles state off

Enable Firewall for Current (Active) Network

netsh advfirewall set currentprofile state on

Disable Firewall for Current (Active) Network

netsh advfirewall set currentprofile state off

Enable Firewall for Specific Network Type

• Domain: netsh advfirewall set domainprofile state on
• Private: netsh advfirewall set privateprofile state on
• Public: netsh advfirewall set publicprofile state on

Disable Firewall for Specific Network Type

• Domain: netsh advfirewall set domainprofile state off
• Private: netsh advfirewall set privateprofile state off
• Public: netsh advfirewall set publicprofile state off

Close Windows Terminal after executing the commands. To confirm the result, open Windows Security › Firewall & network protection and check the profile you changed. To undo a change, run the matching enable command.

Turn On or Off Microsoft Defender Firewall Using PowerShell

You can turn on or off Microsoft Defender Firewall using PowerShell by opening the command-line tool with administrator privileges and running dedicated networking cmdlets. This option gives you direct control over the firewall profiles and suits scripts and automated setups. As with Command Prompt, it must run elevated.

1. Open Windows Terminal (Admin) and select Windows PowerShell. Windows Terminal often opens PowerShell by default. If the tab already says PowerShell, you can use it as it is.
2. Type or paste the commands below, then press Enter. If a command succeeds, PowerShell returns to the prompt without printing anything. That is normal.

Enable Firewall for All Network Profiles

Set-NetFirewallProfile -All -Enabled True

Disable Firewall for All Network Profiles

Set-NetFirewallProfile -All -Enabled False

Enable Firewall for Specific Network Profile

• Domain: Set-NetFirewallProfile -Profile Domain -Enabled True
• Private: Set-NetFirewallProfile -Profile Private -Enabled True
• Public: Set-NetFirewallProfile -Profile Public -Enabled True

Disable Firewall for Specific Network Profile

• Domain: Set-NetFirewallProfile -Profile Domain -Enabled False
• Private: Set-NetFirewallProfile -Profile Private -Enabled False
• Public: Set-NetFirewallProfile -Profile Public -Enabled False

Close Windows Terminal upon completion. You can check the result in Windows Security, and you undo any change by running the matching enable command.

Summary

• Why use the Firewall? It stops hackers and harmful software from reaching your PC.
• Easy to Use: You can turn it on or off through Windows Security, Control Panel, Command Prompt, or PowerShell. None of them needs a restart.
• Different Networks: Firewall settings can be different for your home (Private), work (Domain), or public Wi-Fi (Public) networks.
• Admin Rights Needed: Only users with admin access can change firewall settings. If the options are greyed out, a policy or another security product may be in control.
• Stay Protected: Keep the firewall on. If you turn it off to test something, turn it back on straight afterwards.

Microsoft Defender Firewall protects your PC from unauthorized access by blocking harmful network traffic. You can control it from Windows Security, Control Panel, Command Prompt, or PowerShell. Whichever method you use, check afterwards that the profile for your current network is back on, especially before you connect to public Wi-Fi.