How AppLocker works

Applies to

• Windows 10
• Windows 11
• Windows Server 2016 and above

Note

Some capabilities of Windows Defender Application Control are only available on specific Windows versions. Learn more about the Windows Defender Application Control feature availability.

This topic for the IT professional provides links to topics about AppLocker architecture and components, processes and interactions, rules and policies.

The following topics explain how AppLocker policies for each of the rule condition types are evaluated:

• AppLocker architecture and components
• AppLocker processes and interactions

The following topics explain how AppLocker rules and policies work:

• Understanding AppLocker rule behavior

• Understanding AppLocker rule exceptions

• Understanding AppLocker rule collections

• Understanding AppLocker allow and deny actions on rules

• Understanding AppLocker rule condition types

  • Understanding the publisher rule condition in AppLocker
  • Understanding the path rule condition in AppLocker
  • Understanding the file hash rule condition in AppLocker

• Understanding AppLocker default rules

  • Executable rules in AppLocker
  • Windows Installer rules in AppLocker
  • Script rules in AppLocker
  • DLL rules in AppLocker
  • Packaged apps and packaged app installer rules in AppLocker

Additional resources

• AppLocker Design Guide
• AppLocker deployment guide
• Administer AppLocker