Windows Firewall settings are greyed out (2024)

FAQs

Why are firewall settings greyed out? ›

Note: If the Change settings button is still greyed out, your administrator may have disabled the option for you to change the settings. Contact your administrator for help with this. If you are the administrator for the computer, restart Windows and log in with your administrator account, then follow the steps above.

When the antivirus software is enabled, Windows Defender usually becomes grayed out or shows an error message that reads, “You're using another antivirus program.” So, to avoid any issues, it's best to temporarily disable your third-party antivirus program while using Windows Defender.

In the Control Panel, click System and Security . There, click Windows Defender Firewall . In the firewall settings, click Restore Defaults on the left side. Here you can reset the firewall to the default settings by clicking the Restore defaults button.

Every type of network connection, whether it is wired, wireless, VPN, or even FireWire, has the firewall enabled by default, with some built-in exceptions to allow connections from machines on the local network.

You can reset the Windows Firewall settings to default to resolve this issue. Step 1: Press Win + S and type Control Panel into the search box. Step 2: Press Enter to open the window. Step 3: Select System and Security > Windows Defender Firewall, then click on the Restore defaults option on the left sidebar.

The grayed-out windows shows that it is not the active window. This is a function of the Theme you are using.

For instance, your IT administrator may disable Windows security to ensure legacy applications or older software programs can run. Or perhaps they don't understand the importance of securing the Windows computer, or they don't trust Windows security.

How do I enable Windows Defender again? ›

Go to Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Network > Network Connections > Windows Defender > Firewall > Domain Profile and enable the policy Windows Defender Firewall: Protect all network connections. 6.

Type "services. msc" and hit Enter. . Look for "Windows Firewall" in the list of services, right-click it, and select "Restart".

To check your firewall configuration, open Control Panel and then select 'System and Security. Choose Windows Defender Firewall. Select 'Advanced Settings'. Opening the Advanced Settings, you will need to review the 'Inbound Rules'.

Macintosh OS X

If it is on, you will likely notice the 'Turn Off Firewall' button is greyed out. You will need to click the lock in the lower left corner. Enter your administrative credentcials when prompted. Now you will see the Turn Off Firewall button enabled, and you can turn off the firewall.

The options are grayed out because the settings are controlled by group policy. You need to check whether you have configured this policy: Security Zones: Do not allow users to add/delete sites. This policy will prevents users from adding or removing sites from security zones.

Open the firewall application and navigate to the application rules section. Add a new rule for Chrome, typically found under program control or application settings. Set the permissions to allow Chrome to connect to the network.