How to disable the firewall? Well, if you asked such a question, then there really is a reason for this. From this instruction you will learn: how to disable the firewall in Windows, as well as what functions it performs.
What is a firewall?
A firewall is a system that provides network security for a computer. It filters incoming and outgoing network traffic according to the settings that were set by the user.
This system may partially or completely restrict network communications. In the operating system, it provides the basic level of security; in addition, in the latest versions of Windows it is supplemented with effective antivirus software right out of the box.
Why turn off the firewall
The main task of the firewall is to protect the operating system from malware and possible hacker attacks. When starting new software, the firewall, as a rule, tries to limit the program’s rights and block its access to the network. That is why during the launch of software downloaded from the Internet (especially from sources unknown to the operating system), the protection system asks if the user wants to open the program access to the network.
A high level of security is always good. However, not in all cases the firewall behaves appropriately. Sometimes, through his fault, the ports necessary for correct operation on the network are blocked or the program does not start at all. This is perhaps the main reason why users begin to look for a way to disable the firewall in Windows 10. In addition, if the antivirus is already installed on the system from reliable developers, there is no need to use standard protection tools.
Disabling the firewall also frees up some system resources. This can be critical in some cases, for example, if the computer is not connected to the network and does not exchange traffic with other devices.
How to disable the firewall using the command line
All necessary actions can be performed through the command line. This method is the simplest and fastest:
- Press Win + R. The Run line will open. In it you need to enter "cmd" and press Enter.
- In the console that opens, type “netsh advfirewall set allprofiles state off” and press Enter.
A message appears on the command line indicating that the task completed successfully. Also, a notification about disabling the firewall will appear in the system notification center. To re-enable the firewall, open a command prompt and type “netsh advfirewall set allprofiles state on”.
Shutdown through the control panel
How to disable the firewall in another way? This can be done through the control panel:
- Right click on the Start icon.
- Go to the "Control Panel".
- In the window that appears, select "Windows Defender Firewall."
- In the right navigation bar, select “Enable or disable the firewall.”
- Change the settings according to your preferences and click “OK” to save the changes.
Adding a program to the exclusion list
Above, we looked at two main ways to turn off the Windows firewall. If the firewall does not want to be turned off completely, but there is a program that needs to be given full access to the network, you can simply add it to the exclusion list. This can be done as follows:
- Go to the "Control Panel" and select the item "Windows Defender Firewall".
- In the navigation panel on the right, select "Permission to exchange data with applications."
- A list of installed programs appears. In it, you can restrict or vice versa allow access to the network to any installed application. You can also add an application that is not in the list by using the "Allow another application" button.
When all the necessary settings are made, click on “OK” to save the changes.
How to add a port to the exclusion list
There is another way to add an exception. It is more complicated, but it also allows you to add specific ports to exceptions.
- Open the Windows Defender Firewall menu.
- In the left pane, select Advanced Options.
- Advanced settings will open. Select the "Rules for outgoing connection".
- In the right menu, select "Create a new rule."
- A setup wizard opens in which you can set rules for specific ports or programs.
In the event that you are not confident in your actions, do not change the port settings, as this may affect the operation of the system as a whole. We remind you that only in rare cases it may be necessary to add ports to the list of exceptions. The need for this can arise only when using some specific software.
Finally
Now you know how to disable the firewall. Turning it off, you need to remember that this will significantly reduce the security of the operating system. Disabling the firewall can cause malware to spread within the network to which the computer is connected. Therefore, it is recommended to do this with caution and only if you know exactly why you need it.