How to Disable Windows Defender Firewall on Windows 10

Windows Defender Firewall is a proprietary data screening feature that was introduced by Microsoft with Windows XP and has continued on to improve ever since. Each iteration packs new improvements that are tailored to protect you against malware and other security problems that the internet entails.

But it can also prevent you from making certain network changes or block the connection privileges of some apps on your Windows 10 PC. If you wish to disable Windows Defender Firewall on Windows 10 for whatever reasons (and are aware of the associated risks), here is how you can do it via Control Panel and Command Prompt.

How to turn off Windows Defender Firewall using Control Panel:

1. Open the Start menu and type control panel in the search bar. Click on the Control Panel app to proceed.
   
2. Select the System and Security tab in the Control Panel.
   
3. Click on Windows Defender Firewall to open the menu and continue the disabling process.
   
4. This menu would inform you whether private or public networks are connected to the Firewall. Click on the Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off option that is present in the middle-left corner.
   
5. Since the Firewall is active on the Public Network here, only the Public Network settings need to be changed or you can change both the settings if your network connections vary from time to time. Simply select Turn off Windows Defender Firewall and click OK.
   
6. Windows will prompt you with a confirmation that the Firewall has been turned off for your PC.
   

Disable Windows Defender Firewall using Command Prompt:

You can also harness the potential of Command Prompt to turn off Windows Firewall on your Windows 10 PC:

1. Open the Start menu and type cmd in the search bar. Click on the Command Prompt app to proceed.
   
2. In order to check the current status of the Windows Firewall on your PC, type the command below and press Enter to generate a detailed status report of the Firewall.
   

   Netsh Advfirewall show allprofiles

   

3. Now to turn off the Windows Firewall entirely, type the below command and press Enter to disable the Windows Firewall.
   

   NetSh Advfirewall set allprofiles state off

   

4. The system will provide you with a confirmation once the changes have been successfully made.
   

If you wish to enable the Windows Firewall on your PC again, all you have to do is type the command below and press Enter to revert the changes that you had made previously:

NetSh Advfirewall set allprofiles state on

Please note that turning off the Windows Defender Firewall on Windows 10 can grant you command over the data packets sent and received, which allows you to monitor and customize the influx of data yourself. But there are security risks attached to it because your system is now vulnerable to malware and other kinds of threats. It is not recommended to disable your Firewall and even if you do then make sure you either have a backup or you turn it on after your task is completed.

- Microsoft pauses all optional W10 updates due to COVID-19