Question

Disable the firewall: how to disable the firewall in Windows 10

Answer 1

Disable Windows Firewall - Instructions for Windows 10, 8, and 7
Add exceptions: an alternative to disabling the firewall
How to disable Windows 10 firewall
How to disable Windows 8 firewall
Windows 7: instructions to disable the firewall

---

Disable the firewall: how to disable the firewall in Windows 10

A firewall is a reliable measure of security for your computer. If your operating system is Windows, you already have the system's own firewall, which provides you with basic protection against attacks and unwanted access . Autonomously and automatically, this software protects your system and, with it, your data, against access by third parties..

With regard to your computer security, the Windows firewall plays a fundamental role, since it works as a filter between your system and the Internet : it checks, without your intervention, if the installed programs have access to the Internet and vice versa, that is , if Internet programs or other computers have access to your computer. Unauthorized access is automatically blocked and a corresponding warning is displayed.

So if you want to disable your Windows firewall , it should only be for a short period of time. It might be useful to disable it, for example, to install specific software that would otherwise be blocked by the firewall. Here we explain, step by step, how to turn off the firewall ..

Index

1. Disable Windows Firewall - Instructions for Windows 10, 8, and 7
   1. How to disable Windows 10 firewall
   2. How to disable Windows 8 firewall
   3. Windows 7: instructions to disable the firewall
2. Add exceptions: an alternative to disabling the firewall

Disable Windows Firewall - Instructions for Windows 10, 8, and 7

Since the XP version of the system, the Windows firewall is included as standard in all Microsoft operating systems. At first it was called Internet Connection Firewall and could only filter incoming connections, but, over time, various improvements have been developed in the security mechanism, to the point that today it is one of the safest filtering tools on the market . With Windows 10, Microsoft renamed it Windows Defender Firewall, thus defining the firewall as a core element of the Windows Defender security suite .

We show you how you can disable the firewall both in Windows 10, the current version, and in its previous versions Windows 8 and Windows 7..

Note

To always be protected against cyberattacks, we recommend that you deactivate your computer's antivirus protection for just a short time . If you need to disable the Windows firewall to download a program, immediately re-enable the protection software when finished, to check the inbound and outbound connections.

How to disable Windows 10 firewall

Brief instructions to disable the firewall in Windows 10:

1. Go to the start menu (Windows icon) and type Windows Firewall in the Windows search field .
2. Click on the result? Windows Firewall ? (on the control panel).
3. In the list on the left, choose the option? Enable or disable Windows firewall ?.
4. Mark, both in the private network configuration and in the public network configuration, the option? Disable Windows Firewall ?.

advice

By following these same steps, you can reactivate the Windows 10 firewall as soon as the process that required temporary deactivation has finished.

Next, we describe again the steps to follow to disable the Windows 10 firewall , but this time with a little more detail (including screenshots):

Step 1 . Open the Windows 10 start menu by clicking on the Windows icon. Go to the search function and type on it Windows Firewall . Then click on the corresponding result:

Windows 10: Windows Firewall search result

Step 2 . The Windows 10 firewall options menu then opens. Among the various links that appear in the left column, click on the option? Enable or disable Windows Firewall ?:

Link to disable Windows 10 firewall

Step 3 . Windows 10 will then open the firewall configuration options for both types of networks: private and public. To disable the firewall completely, check the option? Disable Windows Firewall (not recommended) ?. Clicking ? OK ?, the changes are saved and the firewall is disabled:

Option to disable Windows firewall

How to disable Windows 8 firewall

If you use Windows 8 or 8.1 and want to disable the firewall , you can also follow the instructions above for Windows 10. After all, disabling the firewall works the same way on these versions of the operating system:

1. Go to the search function located in the Windows 8 start menu.
2. Type in it Windows Firewall or Firewall .
3. Click on the corresponding result to open the firewall menu .
4. In the menu on the left, choose the option? Enable or disable Windows Firewall ?.
5. Then, mark both the private network and the public network settings the? Disable Windows Firewall (not recommended) ?.
6. To finish, click? Accept ?

Note

Administrator rights are required to modify the Windows firewall settings .

Windows 7: instructions to disable the firewall

If you are a Windows 7 user, you can also disable the Microsoft system firewall by following the steps described above:

1. Open the start menu.
2. In the search function, type Windows Firewall .
3. Click on the result that appears.
4. In the left side menu, select the option? Enable or disable Windows Firewall ?.
5. Then check the option? Disable Windows Firewall (not recommended) ? both for private networks and for public networks.
6. Confirm the changes by clicking? Accept ?

Note

Microsoft stopped offering official technical support for Windows 7 on January 14, 2020. With this, users no longer have technical assistance or security updates for this version, except if they have the professional paid support service for companies, which will continue to be offered until 2023. If you do not have this service, it is highly recommended that you install a newer version of Windows . To learn more about it, don't miss our detailed article on Windows 7 end of support.

Add exceptions: an alternative to disabling the firewall

Instead of disabling the Windows firewall , you can allow exceptions for certain programs. In this way, the activities of said programs or applications will be ignored by the firewall, which will not filter or block them. In Windows 10, 8 and 7, these types of exceptions can be set as follows:

Step 1 . Open the start menu, search for Windows Firewall, and click the result that appears:

Open Windows 10 Firewall from Search

Step 2 . In the firewall menu you will find the option of? Allow an app or feature through Windows Firewall ?. Click on it:

? Allow an app or feature through Windows Firewall?

Step 3 . A new window will then open with a list of all the programs for which there is already a specific configuration for exceptions. Above this list is the key? Change settings ?, which you will have to click:

List of individual rules for applications allowed in Windows 10 firewall

Step 4 . To give a program or application permission to communicate without filters when the firewall is activated, first select the option? Allow another application ... ?

Step 5 . Windows 10 will then display a list of apps to which individualized rules can be applied. If the program you are looking for is not in the list, you can add it by clicking? Examine? ? to find your location. When you have confirmed your choice with? Add ?, The new application will appear in the list and you will also be able to configure the specific rules for public and private networks that will be applied to it.

Add a program to the Windows firewall exception list

---