How to Enable or Disable Controlled Folder Access in Windows 10  

Hi Ignatz,

Using this tutorial: Add Protected Folders to Controlled Folder Access in Windows 10 you can see what folders are protected. The default is system folders, but you can add more.

This link to MS Docs shows how to run: Audit Mode with PowerShell to Evaluate controlled folder access down near the bottom it has a link to:

Customize protected folders and apps
During your evaluation, you may wish to add to the list of protected folders, or allow certain apps to modify files.
See Protect important folders with controlled folder access for configuring the feature with management tools, including Group Policy, PowerShell, and MDM CSP.

As far as 'if one conflicts with the other or if using both is overkill?' I saw this on the mbam forum: Controlled Folder Access check exile360's answer at #2 so if you have mbam un-registered they should work together.

Overkill? I'd think that as long as everything is working okay, the more the merrier.

Anak:

Thanks for that.

My Malwarebytes has been set to not register with Microsoft, so that shouldn't be a problem.

I chose my entire data drive as protected. I can live with my system folders being compromised. Not data.

I have no data on C.

However.........................

I did run into an immediate issue...after enabling CFA, I discovered I was unable to do a very ordinary download of a JPG from one trusted site. Nor could I download an ordinary zipped folder of mp3s from another trusted source.

Both attempts were a simple right click and "save as" to my data drive. I got an onscreen message saying the file could not be found.

I immediately disabled CFA and was then able to download both files without issue.

No doubt I don't fully understand CFA and there may be a way to still leave CFA enabled and still download those files.

I'm about to assume that "protected" by CFA means that you cannot write to the chosen folder AT ALL.

Malwarebytes ransomware protection has caused no issues.

ignatzatsonic said:

Any known issues or misgivings with this control?

I use CFA regularly and the only drawback I've noticed is it doesn't allow me to create shortcuts on the desktop. When I have an app I want to create a shortcut for I turn it off, create the shortcut, then turn it back on.

You're welcome,

Hmmm... I have CFA on and I can D/L and save anything I want, my problem comes in when I want to install a program that D/L'd okay.

So I do what you and OldGuy do, I turn CFA off, do the install then turn it back on.

Iggy, have you tried turning mbam off with CFA on to see if you can D/L and save those D/L's? I have a feeling it may be mbam that's stopping you from the D/L's and saving while their both on.

Anak said:

Iggy, have you tried turning mbam off with CFA on to see if you can D/L and save those D/L's? I have a feeling it may be mbam that's stopping you from the D/L's and saving while their both on.

Just tried your suggestion.

Malwarebytes ransomware off. CFA on.

I tried to download a pic of a musician named Rusty Bryant---to D:\downloads when all of D: is "protected" by CFA.

Here's what pops up onscreen.



I dunno.

Obviously (?), I can't live with constantly turning CFA on and off, so will go back to ransomware protection from Malwarebytes only unless I can find a workaround.

But for all I know, CFA offers me nothing anti-ransomware that isn't already provided by Malwarebytes.

Now that is strange. It's almost as if the Save function is looking for 'Rusty' in D: D/L's when it should be looking at the web site. That sounds like an File Explorer association problem, I did try looking for file associations for Save but didn't find anything in Settings.

@Brink
I made an account with this website to tell you thank you so much!
I used option 2 because option one wasn't working bc i couldn't see the setting of "ransomware" on my
computer. Thanks so much! I can finally record videos now!

Kol12 said:

Will controlled folder access protect the contents of a whole drive if you add the root of a drive as a protected folder?

Yes it would, but things such as temp files and program installs and opening programs wouldn't work. And you might break your system.