How to Enable or Disable Controlled Folder Access in Windows 10  

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  1. Posts : 2,979
    Windows 11
       #20

    Noah W said:
    Yes it would, but things such as temp files and program installs and opening programs wouldn't work. And you might break your system.
    I'm referring to a non OS drive with mainly documents on it.
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  2. Posts : 281
    Microsoft Windows 11 Home (x64) Build Version 22000.65
       #21

    Kol12 said:
    I'm referring to a non OS drive with mainly documents on it.
    Well it would work. unless you have programs accessing the drive. then you need to allow them.
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  3. Posts : 42,634
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       #22

    Hi Shawn, alas all but the last link under
    For more details about Controlled folder access, see:
    seem to be a 404 now...
    Last edited by dalchina; 05 Dec 2020 at 14:49.
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  4. Posts : 31,398
    10 Home x64 (22H2) (10 Pro on 2nd pc)
       #23

    dalchina is correct, Microsoft seem to have re-written their Docs pages. Some alternative links can now be found at:

    https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...rolled-folders
      My Computers


  5. Posts : 68,543
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #24

    dalchina said:
    Hi Shawn, alas all but the last link under
    For more details about Controlled folder access, see:
    seems to be a 404 now...
    Bree said:
    dalchina is correct, Microsoft seem to have re-written their Docs pages. Some alternative links can now be found at:

    https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...rolled-folders
    Thank you. Links have now been updated.

    So much for automatic redirects for the old links. LOL
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  6. Posts : 141
    Win10 Pro 21H1
       #25

    Hi

    Advised on the Security Forum to post my query here so here goes.

    For some time now neither my husband nor I have had an antivirus installed since we have depended entirely on Microsoft Defender teamed with Malwarebytes to protect our PCs. This was at the recommendation of How To Geek some years ago. Just to check it was still man enough for the task I did another check on the internet a few days ago and came up with the following website:

    Is Windows Defender good enough to use in 2021 (yes and no) | PrivacySavvy

    This was last updated on 28 Dec 2020 and really gave a brilliant review of Defender which I am quite happy to accept. They basically say the same as How To Geek in that Malwarebytes is also required since Defender does lack web protection, password management and cloud backup. Well we don't use the cloud at all - for anything. In addition I'm currently using Lastpass Password Manager although my husband isn't using any form of password management - I wish he would.

    To make sure my PC is protected from ransomware attacks I've just been looking at this feature in Defender and adding folders I want to protect. However, I note that the default protected folders have their absolute paths included, e.g. C:\Users\Public\Documents. Is it really a case that C:\Users would not work if all sub-folders beneath that are to be protected? I ask this since my backup strategy is to have each weeks backups in their own folders and of course, this changes every week. Or is it a case that I have to change my strategy? Its no biggie either way but I need to know what I can/must do.

    Any help most appreciated. Thanks.
    Tracey

    PS I'm using Windows 10 20H2 and my husband 2004 (soon to be upgraded to 20H2)
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  7. NMI
    Posts : 1,095
    Windows 11 Pro, Version 22H2
       #26

    TraceyW said:
    Is it really a case that C:\Users would not work if all sub-folders beneath that are to be protected?
    C:\Users includes a hidden AppData folder for each username which is frequently accessed by many programs for their settings etc.

    If you included that I think you would get many more notifications about blocked apps than you would want to manually allow.

    What Is the AppData Folder in Windows?


    TraceyW said:
    I ask this since my backup strategy is to have each weeks backups in their own folders and of course, this changes every week. Or is it a case that I have to change my strategy?
    Move your weekly backup folders to a folder named Backups and include that in Protected Folders.
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  8. Posts : 3,271
    Win10
       #27

    Also, as a note regarding wildcards, Protected folders settings can use absolute paths as well as wildcards as shown in the link below; ( for example the eqivalent of C:\Users is %SystemDrive%\Users according to the ms-doc linked below, and would protect all subfolders under C:\Users as pointed out by NMI ).

    "Use wildcards in the file name and folder path or extension exclusion lists":
    https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...xclusion-lists

    But as already pointed out by NMI, you may end up with too many notifications about blocked apps from the other sub folders.
      My Computers


  9. Posts : 141
    Win10 Pro 21H1
       #28

    Thanks for the prompt replies. I think I get the drift here and it's pretty much as I thought. You don't have to enter the absolute path but just the first level if what you want to do is protect all folders beneath the first level.. Just for info I used C:\Users purely as an example, maybe a poor example, but an example nevertheless. Incidentally I've already moved my backup folders into a Backups folder so I should be all set when I do my next backup.

    Tracey
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 281
    Win 10 21H2 LTSC
       #29

    How do I test this? I tried to alter files with notepad2 and its allowed, I am guessing defender is auto allowing it as a trusted application.
      My Computer


 

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