If you can’t turn on Windows Defender Firewall in Windows 10, here is how you can.
As Windows Firewall is a very helpful feature, especially if you don’t use any third-party antivirus software on your Windows PC, this could be a serious problem.
Unable to activate Windows Defender Firewall
Here are some more messages and error codes you may receive on the way:
- Windows could not start the Windows Firewall on local computer – This is one of the most common error codes you’ll see if you’re not able to run Windows Defender Firewall.
- Windows Firewall error code 13 – Error Code 13 is one of the most common error messages you may encounter if you can’t turn on Windows Defender Firewall.
- Windows 10 Firewall error 1068 – Another common error message that prevents you from starting Windows Defender Firewall.
- Windows Firewall won’t start, Error Code 6801 in Eventlog viewer – Although the error code 6801 is less common, you can receive this code, as well.
You might want to see this article if your Windows could not start the Windows Firewall on Local Computer with Error Codes 13, 1079, 6801, etc.
See more: How To Disable Windows Defender Security Center In Windows 10
Windows 10 Firewall won’t turn on: Here’s how to fix Firewall
Method 1. Restart Firewall Service
if you can’t turn on Windows Firewall, you can try to restart the Windows Firewall service. To do that, follow these steps below:
1. Press Windows Key + R then type services.msc in the Run dialog box and click OK to open Windows Services Manager.
2. In the Services window, scroll down to look for Windows Defender Firewall.
3. Right-click on it, and select Restart. Wait until the process is finished.
4. After that, right-click on Windows Firewall and select Properties. Ensure that Startup type is set to Automatic.
5. Restart your computer.
Method 2. Run the Fixit tool
You can try to run the Fixit tool to diagnose and fix Windows Firewall service problems automatically.
1. Download this Fixit tool, here.
2. Run the tool and click on Advanced.
3. Select the ”Apply repairs automatically” box and then click Next.
4. Wait for the procedure to finish.
VIDEO TUTORIAL: How To Fix Windows Firewall Won’t Turn On in Windows 10
Method 3. Reset Windows Firewall
You can use the elevated Command Prompt to reset Windows Firewall to default values. Here are the steps:
1. Open a Command Prompt with administrator privilege. You can search for “cmd“, right-click on the result, and select “Run as administrator“.
2. In the command line, copy and paste the command below into the command prompt, and press Enter:
netsh firewall set opmode mode=ENABLE exceptions=enable
3. Wait for the process to finish and close Command Prompt. Restart your Windows PC.
Method 4. Use Third-Party Antivirus
And lastly, one method we picked up from Community forums, but it is extremely effective. If your Windows 10 Firewall doesn’t work, use third-party antivirus software, and your Windows PC will automatically switch to antivirus’ own firewall.
Do you need a Third-Party Antivirus on Windows 10? Check out the list of the best antivirus programs for Windows 10.
However, we would recommend you Kaspersky Internet Security as world’s Nr.1 antivirus. It has a lot of protection tools and useful features. What’s more, it customary take care of your hardware and optimizes your system. It’s really worth every penny and you will find a great plan for your Windows PC.
Hope something helps you.
