Disabling the Windows Firewall on Windows 11 can be done using either Command Prompt (CMD) or PowerShell, both requiring administrator privileges. This action will turn off the firewall for all network profiles: Domain, Public, and Private. Please note that disabling your firewall may expose your system to security risks, so only proceed if you have a specific reason and understand the potential vulnerabilities.

Method 1: Using Command Prompt (CMD)

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator

• Press the Windows key, type cmd, then right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
• Alternatively, press Windows + X and choose Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin).

1. Run the command to disable the firewall

Enter the following command and press Enter:

   netsh advfirewall set allprofiles state off

This will disable the Windows Firewall across all network profiles.

1. Verify the change

You can check the current status by running:

   netsh advfirewall show allprofiles

Look for State under each profile — it should now show Off.

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Method 2: Using PowerShell

1. Open PowerShell as Administrator

• Press the Windows key, type PowerShell, then right-click Windows PowerShell and select Run as administrator.
• Alternatively, press Windows + X and choose Terminal (Admin) or PowerShell (Admin).

1. Run the command to disable the firewall

Enter the following command and press Enter:

   Set-NetFirewallProfile -Profile Domain,Public,Private -Enabled False

1. Verify the change

To confirm the firewall is disabled, run:

   Get-NetFirewallProfile | Select-Object Name, Enabled

All profiles should show Enabled: False.

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How to Re-enable the Windows Firewall

To restore your firewall protection, use the same tools with the reverse commands.

CMD (Run as Administrator)

netsh advfirewall set allprofiles state on

PowerShell (Run as Administrator)

Set-NetFirewallProfile -Profile Domain,Public,Private -Enabled True

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Important Notes

• REBOOT is often required for these changes to fully take effect.
• Security Risk: Disabling the firewall removes a key layer of protection against malware, unauthorised access, and network threats. Only disable it temporarily for troubleshooting or configuration tasks.
• Network Profiles: The commands affect all three network types — Domain, Public, and Private. If you only want to modify one profile, adjust the command accordingly (e.g., Profile Public).
• Group Policy or Antivirus: Some third-party security software or Group Policy settings may override these changes. If the firewall re-enables automatically, check for conflicting policies.
• Windows Update & Security: After re-enabling, ensure your system is up to date and that Windows Security (Defender) is active.

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