Many users are interested in either enabling or disabling their Windows Firewall for various reasons. Some users want to utilize a different firewall, and some may have turned theirs off by accident. To proceed, select your version of Windows from the list below and follow the instructions.
- Windows 11
- Disabling in Windows 11
- Enabling in Windows 11
- Windows 8 and 10
- Disabling in Windows 8 and 10
- Enabling in Windows 8 and 10
- Windows Vista and Windows 7
- Disabling in Windows Vista and 7
- Enabling in Windows Vista and 7
- Windows XP
- Disabling in Windows XP
- Enabling in Windows XP
Windows 11
Tip
If you're looking to disable a firewall other than the one that comes with Windows, see: How to disable the firewall program installed on my computer.
Disabling the Windows 11 firewall
Caution
Unless you are troubleshooting an issue or plan to install another firewall, we recommend you don't disable the Windows Firewall.
Tip
If you're disabling the firewall because a program can't access the Internet, see: How to allow a program or game through the Windows Firewall.
- Press the Windows key, type "Windows security", and then press Enter.
- In the Windows Security window, click the Firewall & network protection option on the left or right side.
- In the next Windows Security window, click Domain network, Private network, or Public network, depending on which firewall profile you want to disable.
- Under the Microsoft Defender Firewall heading, click the toggle to the Off position.
- To turn off Windows Defender Firewall for all three network profiles, repeat steps 3 and 4 above for each network profile.
Enabling the Windows 11 firewall
Caution
Only one software firewall should be enabled at a time. If you have an antivirus or other security program installed with its firewall, make sure it is disabled first.
The Windows Firewall is designed to keep unauthorized users from accessing files and resources on your computer. Still, the Windows Firewall can sometimes cause more harm than good, especially if there's another paid or free firewall program installed. Disabling the Windows Firewall is easy and usually takes less than 10 minutes.
There are separate directions below for Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP. See our article What Version of Windows Do I Have? if you're not sure which steps to follow along with.
How to Turn Off and Disable the Windows 11 Firewall
Disable the Firewall in Windows 10, 8, and 7
The steps for turning off the Windows Firewall in Windows 7, 8, and 10 is basically the same.
The screenshots in this section apply to Windows 10 only. Your screen will look slightly different if you're using Windows 8 or Windows 7.
Open Control Panel.
You can do this a number of ways, but the easiest method is to search for it or select it from the Start menu in Windows 7.
Select System and Security.
That link is only visible if you have the "View by:" option set to "Category." If you're viewing the Control Panel applets in icon view, just skip down to the next step.
Choose Windows Firewall.
Depending on how your computer is set up, it might instead be called Windows Defender Firewall. If so, treat every instance of "Windows Firewall" below as if it read "Windows Defender Firewall."
Select Turn Windows Firewall on or off on the left side of the screen.
A really quick way to get to this screen is via the control firewall.cpl command line command, which you can execute via the Command Prompt or the Run dialog box.
Select the bubble next to Turn off Windows Firewall (not recommended).
You can disable the Windows Firewall for private networks only, just for public networks, or for both. To disable it for both network types, you have to make sure to select Turn off Windows Firewall (not recommended) in both the private and the public section.
Select OK to save the changes.
Now that the firewall is disabled, repeat whatever steps caused your problem to see if disabling this option has fixed the issue.
Disable the Firewall in Windows Vista
The Windows Firewall can be turned off in Windows Vista through the Control Panel, similar to how it's done in other versions of Windows.
Select Control Panel from the Start menu.
Choose Security from the category list.
If you're in the "Classic View" of Control Panel, just skip down to the next step.
Select Windows Firewall.
Choose Turn Windows Firewall on or off on the left side of the window.
If a User Account Control window pops up, go ahead and click/tap through it by either entering an admin password or selecting Continue.
If you need to access this window again more quickly in the future, you can use the control firewall.cpl command in the Run dialog box.
Open the General tab and select the bubble next to Off (not recommended).
Select OK to apply the changes.
Disable the Firewall in Windows XP
Directions for turning off the Windows XP firewall is significantly different than it is in newer versions of Windows, but it's still fairly simple.
Go to Start and then Control Panel.
Select Network and Internet Connections.
If you're viewing the "Classic View" of Control Panel, open Network Connections and skip to Step 4.
Choose Network Connections under the or pick a Control Panel icon section.
Right-click or tap-and-hold your network connection and choose Properties.
If you have a "high speed" internet connection like Cable or DSL, or are on a network of some kind, your network connection will likely be titled Local Area Connection.
Open the Advanced tab and select Settings.
Choose the Off (not recommended) radio button.
Windows Firewall settings can also be opened with a simple shortcut via the Run dialog box or Command Prompt. Just enter this command: control firewall.cpl.
Select OK in this window and then OK again in the Properties window of your network connection. You can also close the Network Connections window.
FAQ
How do I disable the firewall in Windows 11?
Right-click the Windows icon on the taskbar and select Settings > Privacy & security > Windows Security > Open Windows Security. Select Firewall & network protection > Public Network and turn off the switch under Microsoft Defender Firewall.
How do I disable the firewall for Minecraft?
Select Start, search for and select Windows Defender Firewall. Select Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall. Select Change Settings. Under Allow apps to communicate through Windows Defender Firewall, check the box next to Minecraft.
How do I disable the firewall on a Mac?
From the Apple menu, select System Preferences > Security & Privacy. If your firewall is on, select Turn off Firewall or Firewall Options to manage more settings.
How do I stop Windows 10 firewall from blocking a program?
Windows Firewall.
Click on the Start menu and Select Control Panel..
Select Windows Firewall..
Select Allow a program or feature through Windows Firewall on the top left panel..
Select Change settings and then select Allow another program..
Select Sync and click Add..
Click OK at the bottom to exit..
How do I know if my firewall is blocking an application?
Use Windows Search to search for cmd. Right-click the first result and then select Run as administrator. Type netsh firewall show state and press Enter. Then, you can see all the blocked and active ports in your Firewall.
How do I turn off firewall permissions?
Right-click the Windows icon on the taskbar and select Settings > Privacy & security > Windows Security > Open Windows Security. Select Firewall & network protection > Public Network and turn off the switch under Microsoft Defender Firewall.
