How to Add or Remove Allowed Apps through Windows Defender Firewall in Windows 10


Starting with Windows 10 build 16193, Windows Firewall has been renamed to Windows Defender Firewall.

Windows Defender Firewall can help prevent hackers or malicious software from gaining access to your PC through the Internet or a network.

Sometimes you may need to allow an app through Windows Dfender Firewall. When you allow an app to communicate though the firewall, it's called adding an exception or rule.

Usually this will happen automatically. Windows will automatically create exceptions for its own system services and apps. When you install a new app that wants to communicate through the firewall, Windows will prompt you to allow access for it to do so.

You may also want or need to create an exception manually to allow an app to communicate through the firewall.

This tutorial will show you different ways on how to manually remove or add apps to be blocked or allowed through Windows Defender Firewall in Windows 10.

You must be signed in as an administrator to remove or add allowed apps through Windows Defender Firewall.

Contents

• Option One: To Allow App through Windows Defender Firewall in Windows Security Alert
• Option Two: To Allow App through Windows Defender Firewall in Windows Firewall Settings
• Option Three: To Remove Allowed App in Windows Defender Firewall Settings
• Option Four: To Allow or Block App through Windows Defender Firewall in Command Prompt
• Option Five: To Remove Allowed App in Command Prompt
• Option Six: To Allow or Block App through Windows Defender Firewall in PowerShell
• Option Seven: To Remove Allowed App in PowerShell

OPTION ONE

To Allow App through Windows Defender Firewall in Windows Security Alert

1 If prompted by Windows Security Alert, select (check) the network locations (ex: private or public) you want to allow for the app (ex: "Google Chrome"), and click/tap on Allow access to add a rule for the app to allow it through Windows Firewall.

If you do not want to allow the app through Windows Firewall, then click/tap on Cancel or close the Windows Security Alert window instead.

OPTION TWO

To Allow App through Windows Defender Firewall in Windows Firewall Settings

1 Open the Control Panel (icons view), and click/tap on the Windows Firewall icon.

2 Click/tap on the Allow an app or feature through Windows Firewall link on the left side. (see screenshot below)

3 If this is the first time opening "Allowed apps" while signed in to Windows, then you will need to click/tap on the Change settings button for the settings to no longer be grayed out. (see screenshot below)

4 Click/tap on the Allow another app button. (see screenshot below)

5 Click/tap on the Browse button. (see screenshot below)

6 Navigate to and select the app (ex: "chrome.exe") you want to allow through Windows Firewall, and click/tap on Open. (see screenshot below)

7 Click/tap on the Network types button. (see screenshot below)

8 Select (check) the network locations (ex: private or public) you want to allow for the app (ex: "Google Chrome"), and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

9 Click/tap on the Add button. (see screenshot below)

10 The app (ex: "Google Chrome") has now been added as a rule to be allowed through Windows Firewall. Click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

11 You can now close Windows Firewall settings if you like.

OPTION THREE

To Remove Allowed App in Windows Defender Firewall Settings

1 Open the Control Panel (icons view), and click/tap on the Windows Firewall icon.

2 Click/tap on the Allow an app or feature through Windows Firewall link on the left side. (see screenshot below)

3 If this is the first time opening "Allowed apps" while signed in to Windows, then you will need to click/tap on the Change settings button for the settings to no longer be grayed out. (see screenshot below)

4 Select (highlight) the app (ex: "Google Chrome") rule you want to remove, and click/tap on the Remove button. (see screenshot below)

5 Click/tap on Yes to confirm. (see screenshot below)

6 The app (ex: "Google Chrome") has now been removed as a rule. Click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

7 You can now close Windows Firewall settings if you like.

OPTION FOUR

To Allow or Block App through Windows Defender Firewall in Command Prompt

To see more usage options for the Netsh AdvFirewall Firewall add rule command, see: Netsh AdvFirewall Firewall Commands - Microsoft Docs

1 Open an elevated command prompt.

2 Type the command below you want to use into the elevated command prompt, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)

(Allow app)
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="app name" dir=in action=allow program="Full path of .exe" enable=yes

OR

(Block app)
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="app name" dir=in action=block program="Full path of .exe" enable=yes

Substitute app name in the command above with the actual name of the app (ex: "Google Chrome").

Substitute Full path of .exe in the command above with the actual full path to the .exe file (ex: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe") of the app.

For example: netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="Google Chrome" dir=in action=allow program="C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe" enable=yes

3 When finished, you can close the elevated command prompt if you like.

OPTION FIVE

To Remove Allowed App in Command Prompt

To see more usage options for the Netsh AdvFirewall Firewall delete rule command, see: Netsh AdvFirewall Firewall Commands - Microsoft Docs

1 Open an elevated command prompt.

2 Type the command below into the elevated command prompt, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)

netsh advfirewall firewall show rule name=all >"%UserProfile%\Desktop\WindowsFirewallRules.txt"

3 You will now have a WindowsFirewallRules.txt file saved to your desktop containing a list of all Windows Firewall rules.

4 Open the WindowsFirewallRules.txt file, and make note of the Rule Name (ex: "Google Chrome") of the app you want to remove all rules for. (see screenshot below)

5 Type the command below into the elevated command prompt, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)

netsh advfirewall firewall Delete rule name="Rule Name"

Substitute Rule Name in the command above with the actual rule name (ex: "Google Chrome") you want to remove from step 4 above.

For example: netsh advfirewall firewall Delete rule name="Google Chrome"

6 When finished, you can close the elevated command prompt if you like.

OPTION SIX

To Allow or Block App through Windows Defender Firewall in PowerShell

To see more usage options for the New-NetFirewallRule command, see: New-NetFirewallRule - Microsoft Docs

1 Open an elevated PowerShell.

2 Type the command below you want to use into the elevated PowerShell, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)

(Allow app)
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "app name" -Direction Inbound -Program "Full path of .exe" -Action Allow

OR

(Block app)
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "app name" -Direction Inbound -Program "Full path of .exe" -Action Block

Substitute app name in the command above with the actual name of the app (ex: "Google Chrome").

Substitute Full path of .exe in the command above with the actual full path to the .exe file (ex: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe") of the app.

For example: New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Google Chrome" -Direction Inbound -Program "C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe" -Action Allow

3 When finished, you can close the elevated PowerShell if you like.

OPTION SEVEN

To Remove Allowed App in PowerShell

To see more usage options for the Remove-NetFirewallRule command, see: Remove-NetFirewallRule - Microsoft Docs

1 Open an elevated PowerShell.

2 Type the command below into the elevated PowerShell, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)

Show-NetFirewallRule | Out-File "$env:userprofile\Desktop\WindowsFirewallRules.txt"

3 You will now have a WindowsFirewallRules.txt file saved to your desktop containing a list of all Windows Firewall rules.

4 Open the WindowsFirewallRules.txt file, and make note of the DisplayName (ex: "Google Chrome") of the app you want to remove all rules for. (see screenshot below)

5 Type the command below into the elevated PowerShell, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)

Remove-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "DisplayName"

Substitute DisplayName in the command above with the actual rule name (ex: "Google Chrome") you want to remove from step 4 above.

For example: Remove-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Google Chrome"

6 When finished, you can close the elevated PowerShell if you like.

That's it,
Shawn

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