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Windows Firewall is blocking access to the internet

Anonymous
2024-04-13T16:59:24+00:00

For context: I used to work from home, the company I worked for sent me the laptop to use. When my employment ended with them I repeatedly tried to contact them to arrange returning the laptop. I emailed, and left multiple messages, and never got a response back. I did speak with a lawyer and they said as long as I have proof that I tried to contact them about returning it, then I couldn't be in trouble legally. I've had this laptop for almost 2 years now. Recently it has stopped connecting to the internet. I ran the troubleshooter, and it says Windows firewall is blocking the internet. Should I reset it to factory settings? Would that even work? What can I do? I've tried to go into the firewall settings to disable it, but I don't think I did it right.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Internet and connectivity

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-04-14T08:45:49+00:00

    Hello T.Cookie,

    Welcome to the Microsoft Community!

     I understand that you have encountered a situation where network access is disabled by the firewall. I understand your concern.

    In order to understand your problem, is all network access disabled or access to specific applications or webpages disabled?

    If the device belongs to the enterprise/organization management, the commonly used solutions may not be applicable due to specific restrictions or security policies of the company or organization. If your device does not belong to the enterprise/organization management, you can read the following suggestions:

    First of all, if you are connected to a VPN or downloaded a third-party firewall application, it is recommended that you temporarily disconnect the VPN and uninstall the third-party firewall application.

    Disclaimer: Temporarily turn off antivirus protection. However, keep in mind that if you do so, your device may be vulnerable to threats. So please turn it on immediately once issue fixed.

    If the problem is caused by a firewall, you can refer to the steps in this document to see if temporarily disabling Microsoft Defender will solve the problem:Turn off Defender antivirus protection in Windows Security - Microsoft Support

    Or search for "Services" in the Windows search box --- alphabetically to find Windows Defender Firewall or Windows Firewall, Antimalware Service Executable--- double-click --- change the startup type to disable --- enable --- start service --- OK to save and see how it goes.

    Disclaimer: Perform the following steps to temporarily turn off real-time Microsoft Defender anti-virus protection in Windows Defender to help you identify the cause of the problem, but keep in mind that your device may be vulnerable when you turn it off. So once the problem is resolved, please turn on Windows Defender immediately.

    • If a firewall is causing network access, you should be able to access the network smoothly after disabling the firewall. You can re-enable the firewall, open Windows Firewall Settings, check firewall rules and program permission settings, and ensure that the required programs and services are allowed to access the Internet.
    • If you still can't access the network after disabling the firewall, then you can consider whether resetting your computer can help. Attention: If there is important data in the computer, it is recommended to back it up in advance.

    I hope the above can answer your doubts, and I wish you a smooth solution to the problem.

    Hope this helps,please feel free to reply me if anything is unclear or if there are any further updates, thanks.

    Best Regards ,

    Morning | Microsoft Technical Support Community

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-04-17T19:11:13+00:00

    All network access is disabled. When I go to wi-fi settings it days I'm connected to our home wifi, but that is not reflected on the taskbar at the bottom right.

    1 person found this answer helpful.
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