Windows Firewall won’t turn on, keeps turning off, or shows errors? Here’s how to fix firewall problems and restore your protection.

Why Firewall Won’t Turn On

• Firewall service not running
• Third-party security software conflict
• Corrupted system files
• Malware disabling protection
• Group Policy settings
• Registry corruption

Check Current Status

View Firewall Status

1. Windows Security > Firewall & network protection
2. Check status of:
   • Domain network
   • Private network
   • Public network
3. All should show “Firewall is on”

Restart Firewall Service

Windows Defender Firewall Service

1. Press Windows + R
2. Type: services.msc
3. Find Windows Defender Firewall
4. Right-click > Properties
5. Set Startup type: Automatic
6. Click Start (if stopped)
7. Click Apply > OK

Related Services

Also check these services are running:

• Windows Firewall Authorization Driver (must be running)
• Base Filtering Engine (must be running)

For each:

1. Set Startup type to Automatic
2. Start the service
3. Apply changes

Remove Third-Party Software

Security Software Conflicts

Third-party antivirus/firewalls often disable Windows Firewall:

1. Settings > Apps > Installed apps
2. Look for:
   • Norton
   • McAfee
   • Avast
   • AVG
   • Kaspersky
   • Bitdefender
   • Any third-party firewall
3. Uninstall completely
4. Restart computer
5. Try enabling Windows Firewall

Use Vendor Removal Tools

Regular uninstall may leave files:

• Norton Removal Tool
• McAfee Consumer Product Removal Tool
• ESET AV Remover
• Use official removal tools

Reset Firewall Settings

Command Line Reset

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator
2. Run:

   netsh advfirewall reset

3. Restart computer
4. Check if firewall enables

Reset via PowerShell

1. Open PowerShell as Administrator
2. Run:

   netsh advfirewall set allprofiles state on

3. Check Windows Security

Group Policy Check

Verify Policy Settings

1. Press Windows + R
2. Type: gpedit.msc
3. Navigate to:

   Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Network > Network Connections > Windows Defender Firewall

4. Check “Protect all network connections”
5. Set to Enabled or Not Configured
6. Restart

Note: gpedit.msc is only available on Windows Pro/Enterprise

Domain Policy

If on a work computer:

• Contact IT department
• Domain policy may control firewall
• They need to make changes

Registry Fixes

Enable Firewall via Registry

1. Press Windows + R
2. Type: regedit
3. Navigate to:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\StandardProfile

4. Find EnableFirewall
5. Double-click, set value to 1
6. Repeat for:
   • DomainProfile
   • PublicProfile
7. Restart computer

Check Service Registry

1. Navigate to:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MpsSvc

2. Find Start
3. Set value to 2 (Automatic)
4. Restart

System File Repair

Run SFC

1. Command Prompt as Administrator
2. Run:

   sfc /scannow

3. Wait for completion
4. Restart computer

Run DISM

If SFC finds unrepairable errors:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Then run SFC again.

Check for Malware

Why This Matters

Malware often disables firewall:

1. Run Windows Security offline scan
2. Run Malwarebytes scan
3. Remove any threats
4. Then try enabling firewall

Boot-Time Scan

For persistent malware:

1. Windows Security
2. Virus & threat protection
3. Scan options
4. Microsoft Defender offline scan
5. Computer restarts and scans

Windows Security Reset

Reset Windows Security App

1. Settings > Apps > Installed apps
2. Find Windows Security
3. Click (…) > Advanced options
4. Click Reset
5. Restart computer

Re-register Windows Security

PowerShell as Administrator:

Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.SecHealthUI -AllUsers | Reset-AppxPackage

Safe Mode Test

Try in Safe Mode

1. Restart to Safe Mode
2. Try enabling firewall
3. If works in Safe Mode:
   • Third-party software conflict
   • Clean boot to find culprit

Clean Boot

1. Press Windows + R
2. Type: msconfig
3. Services tab
4. Check “Hide all Microsoft services”
5. Click “Disable all”
6. Startup tab > Open Task Manager
7. Disable all startup items
8. Restart
9. Try firewall
10. Re-enable services one by one

Create New User Account

Test in New Profile

1. Settings > Accounts > Other users
2. Add account (local account)
3. Make it Administrator
4. Log into new account
5. Check if firewall works
6. If yes, your profile is corrupted

Windows Troubleshooter

Run Firewall Troubleshooter

1. Settings > System > Troubleshoot
2. Other troubleshooters
3. Find “Windows Firewall”
4. Click Run
5. Follow prompts
6. Apply fixes

Error 1068 Fix

If Getting Error 1068

“The dependency service or group failed to start”

1. Services.msc
2. Start these services (in order):
   • Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
   • DCOM Server Process Launcher
   • RPC Endpoint Mapper
   • Base Filtering Engine
   • Windows Firewall Authorization Driver
   • Windows Defender Firewall
3. Set all to Automatic

Reset Windows

Last Resort

If nothing works:

1. Settings > System > Recovery
2. Reset this PC
3. Choose “Keep my files”
4. Windows reinstalls with working firewall

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Prevention

1. Don’t install multiple security programs
2. Keep Windows updated
3. Run regular malware scans
4. Don’t disable firewall manually

Important

• Windows Firewall is essential protection
• Don’t leave it disabled
• If using third-party firewall, it replaces Windows Firewall
• One firewall is sufficient and preferred

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