How to Completely Disable ‘Windows Defender Firewall’ via Group Policy in Windows 11

Windows Defender Firewall is a core security component of Windows 11, silently monitoring incoming and outgoing network traffic to block malicious connections. While it provides excellent baseline protection for standalone machines, it can create severe conflicts in enterprise environments. If your organization mandates the use of a specialized, centrally managed third-party endpoint protection suite (such as CrowdStrike, Palo Alto Cortex, or Cisco Secure Endpoint), having two software firewalls actively filtering the same packet streams will inevitably lead to massive performance degradation, dropped connections, and erratic application behaviour.

This guide explains how to completely disable the native Windows Defender Firewall system-wide using the Group Policy Editor in Windows 11 to ensure your third-party solution operates without interference.

Disable the Firewall via Group Policy

To enforce a strict, irreversible shutdown of the native firewall across all network profiles (Domain, Private, and Public), we must use an administrative template. Note that this requires Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education editions.

1. Log into Windows 11 with an Administrator account.
2. Press the Windows Key + R to open the Run dialogue box.
3. Type gpedit.msc and press Enter to launch the Local Group Policy Editor.
4. In the left-hand navigation pane, carefully expand the folders to reach this exact path:

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

5. In the right-hand pane, locate the policy named Windows Defender Firewall: Protect all network connections.
6. Double-click the policy. Select the radio button next to Disabled, then click Apply and OK.
7. You must repeat this exact process for the other two profiles. Go back to the Windows Defender Firewall folder, enter the Standard Profile (Private) folder, and set the same policy to Disabled.
8. Finally, enter the Public Profile folder and set the same policy to Disabled.

Verify the Lockdown

Group Policy modifications require a system refresh to fully engage. Open an elevated Command Prompt and execute gpupdate /force, then reboot the machine.

To verify the restriction is active, press the Windows Key, type Windows Defender Firewall, and hit Enter to open the classic Control Panel applet. You will immediately see a stark warning banner stating, “For your security, some settings are managed by your system administrator.” All network profiles (Domain, Private, Public) will explicitly state that the firewall is off, and the links on the left side of the window to “Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off” will be completely greyed out and unclickable. The native packet filtering engine is now permanently dormant.