Having an active firewall can be imperative to protecting your device from outside intrusions. Windows 10 and 11 luckily have one that is built into the operating system, here are the steps to either turn it on or confirm that its on.

Windows 10

Step 1: Open the Control Panel

Hold down the Windows key () and press "X". Select "Control Panel" in the menu.

Step 2: Open Windows Firewall Settings

In the Control Panel select "System and Security"

Now in System and Security select "Windows Firewall"

Step 3: Enable the Firewall

Ensure that both the private and public network firewalls are turned on. We recommend leaving the checkmarks in the notify option as seen below. Once you have selected both, click "OK"

Your firewall will now be enabled.

Windows 11

Step One: Open the Settings Menu

Start by right clicking the Windows icon on your task bar, then clicking on "Settings" from the menu that opens:

Step Two: Access Windows Security

Navigate to "Privacy & Security", then to "Windows Security" at the top:

Step Three: Check Firewall Status

From here you can see your protection areas of the computer. If you click on "Firewall & network protection" you can see the status of your firewall.

If your firewall is not on you will see it attributed with a red "X" as well as a "turn on" button.

If your firewall is on you should see a green checkmark that looks similar to this:

If it was not, your firewall should be enabled now, or you have confirmed that it was already on!