On/Off

How to disable firewall on Windows 10

Windows 10 lets you enable or disable the Microsoft Defender Firewall using multiple methods, and here's how to use them all.

Avatar for Mauro Huc
@pureinfotech
Pureinfotech Logo
Windows 10 Microsoft Defender Firewall
  • To disable Windows 10 firewall, open Windows Security > Firewall & network protection.
  • Turn off the “Microsoft Defender Firewall” toggle switch to disable the feature.
  • Turn on the “Microsoft Defender Firewall” toggle switch to enable the feature.
  • You can also disable the firewall through Control Panel, Command Prompt, and PowerShell.

On Windows 10, the Microsoft Defender Firewall is a feature that checks incoming and outgoing network traffic to allow or block traffic depending on predefined rules to protect your device from unauthorized access.

Although it’s recommended to keep this feature enabled, there are many reasons to disable the firewall. For example, if you want to use another firewall solution, you need to test a network or app connection.

Whatever the reason it might be, Windows 10 allows you to disable and enable the firewall using Windows Security, Control Panel, Command Prompt, and even PowerShell.

This guide will teach you the steps to enable (and disable) the built-in firewall on Windows 10.

Disable firewall on Windows 10 using Windows Security

To disable the firewall on Windows 10, use these steps:

  1. Open Windows Security.

  2. Click on Firewall & network protection.

  3. Click the network to disable the firewall.

    Firewall and network protection settings

  4. Turn off the Microsoft Defender Firewall toggle switch to “disable the firewall Windows 10.”

    Disable Defender Firewall

Once you complete the steps, the firewall will be disabled for the network profile you’re currently using. If you want to disable the firewall for all networks, make sure to turn off the security feature for all the profiles, including “Domain network,” “Private network,” and “Public network.”

Enable firewall using Windows Security

To enable the firewall on Windows 10, use these steps:

  1. Open Windows Security.

  2. Click on Firewall & network protection.

  3. Click the “Turn on” button from the network profile to enable the Windows 10 firewall. (Or click the Restore settings button.)

    Enable Defender Firewall

After you complete the steps, the Windows 10 firewall will enable again on your device.

Disable firewall on Windows 10 using Control Panel

To disable Microsoft Defender Firewall on Windows 10 through Control Panel, use these steps:

  1. Open Control Panel.

  2. Click on System and Security.

  3. Click on Windows Defender Firewall.

    Windows Defender Firewall in Control Panel

  4. Click the Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off option from the left pane.

    Open firewall settings

  5. Under the “Private network settings” section, select the Turn off Microsoft Defender Firewall option.

  6. Under the “Public network settings” section, select the Turn off Microsoft Defender Firewall option.

    Disable firewall in Control Panel

  7. Click the OK button.

Once you complete the steps, the firewall will start to protect your computer from malicious connections.

Enable firewall using Control Panel

To enable the firewall with Control Panel, use these steps:

  1. Open Control Panel.

  2. Click on System and Security.

  3. Click on Windows Defender Firewall.

    Windows Defender Firewall in Control Panel

  4. Click the Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off option from the left pane.

    Open firewall settings

    Quick tip: You can also click the Use recommended settings button to enable the firewall for all network profiles.

  5. Under the “Private network settings” section, select the Turn on Microsoft Defender Firewall option.

  6. Under the “Public network settings” section, select the Turn on Microsoft Defender Firewall option.

    Enable firewall in Control Panel

  7. Click the OK button.

Alternatively, you can always click the Use the recommended settings button from the Microsoft Defender Firewall page.

Disable firewall on Windows 10 using Command Prompt

To disable the Windows 10 firewall with commands, use these steps:

  1. Open Start.

  2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

  3. Type the following command to enable the firewall for the current network profile and press Enter:

    netsh advfirewall set currentprofile state off

    Disable firewall with CMD

  4. (Optional) Type the following command to disable the firewall for all network profiles (domain, private, and public) and press Enter:

    netsh advfirewall set allprofiles state off

  5. (Optional) Type the following command to disable the firewall for the domain network profile and press Enter:

    netsh advfirewall set domainprofile state off

  6. (Optional) Type the following command to disable the firewall for the private network profile and press Enter:

    netsh advfirewall set privateprofile state off

  7. (Optional) Type the following command to disable the firewall for the public network profile and press Enter:

    netsh advfirewall set publicprofile state off

After you complete the steps, the Windows 10 firewall will be disabled for your specified network profiles.

Enable firewall using Command Prompt

To enable the Windows 10 firewall using Command Prompt, use these steps:

  1. Open Start.

  2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

  3. Type the following command to enable the firewall for the current network profile and press Enter: 

    netsh advfirewall set currentprofile state on

    Enable firewall with CMD

  4. (Optional) Type the following command to enable the firewall for all network profiles (domain, private, and public) and press Enter:

    netsh advfirewall set allprofiles state on

  5. (Optional) Type the following command to enable the firewall for the domain network profile and press Enter:

    netsh advfirewall set domainprofile state on

  6. (Optional) Type the following command to enable the firewall for the private network profile and press Enter:

    netsh advfirewall set privateprofile state on

  7. (Optional) Type the following command to enable the firewall for the public network profile and press Enter:

    netsh advfirewall set publicprofile state on

Once you complete the steps, the firewall will enable on the network profiles you specified.

Disable firewall on Windows 10 using PowerShell

To disable the firewall on Windows 10 using PowerShell commands, use these steps:

  1. Open Start.

  2. Search for PowerShell, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

  3. Type the following command to disable the firewall for the current network profile and press Enter:

    Set-NetFirewallProfile -Profile Domain,Public,Private -Enabled False

    PowerShell disable firewall

    Quick tip: If you only want to disable the firewall for a specific profile, you can remove the profile name (Domain, Public, or Private) from the command. For example, Set-NetFirewallProfile -Profile Private -Enabled False.

After you complete the steps, the Windows 10 firewall will be disabled on your device.

Enable firewall using PowerShell

To enable the Windows 10 firewall with PowerShell, use these steps:

  1. Open Start.

  2. Search for PowerShell, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

  3. Type the following command to enable the firewall for the current network profile and press Enter:

    Set-NetFirewallProfile -Profile Domain,Public,Private -Enabled True

    PowerShell enable firewall

    Quick tip: If you only want to enable the firewall for a specific profile, you can remove the profile name (Domain, Public, or Private) from the command. For example, Set-NetFirewallProfile -Profile Private -Enabled True.

Once you complete the steps, the firewall will allow or deny network access depending on the configured rules.