How to Enable Windows Defender Network Protection

What Causes This?

Windows Defender Network Protection is often disabled by default on personal PCs, or it may not be available because Microsoft Defender Antivirus is turned off or replaced by a third-party antivirus. In some cases, the setting exists but isn’t enforced because of Windows edition limits, Group Policy settings, or PowerShell configuration. Users also run into confusion because the feature doesn’t have a simple on/off switch in the standard Windows Security app.

Common Symptoms

• Malicious or suspicious websites are not being blocked
• Risky outbound connections are allowed without warning
• PowerShell reports that Network Protection is disabled
• Windows Security looks active, but web threat blocking seems incomplete
• You’re unsure whether Defender or another antivirus is controlling protection

How to Fix It Manually

1. Make sure Microsoft Defender Antivirus is active

   1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
   2. Go to Privacy & security > Windows Security > Open Windows Security.
   3. Click Virus & threat protection.
   4. If you see that another antivirus is managing protection, Defender Network Protection may not be available until that product is removed or disabled.

2. Check your Windows version

   1. Press Windows + R, type winver, then press Enter.
   2. Network Protection is primarily supported on modern versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11 with Microsoft Defender active.
   3. If your PC is far behind on updates, install the latest Windows updates first from Settings > Windows Update.

3. Enable Network Protection with PowerShell

   1. Click Start, type powershell.
   2. Right-click Windows PowerShell and choose Run as administrator.
   3. To enable the feature, run:

      Set-MpPreference -EnableNetworkProtection Enabled

   4. Press Enter.
   5. If you want to test first without fully blocking traffic, you can use audit mode instead:

      Set-MpPreference -EnableNetworkProtection AuditMode

4. Verify that it was enabled

   1. In the same PowerShell window, run:

      Get-MpPreference | Select-Object EnableNetworkProtection

   2. Check the result:
      • 1 usually means Enabled
      • 2 usually means Audit Mode
      • 0 means Disabled

5. If the command fails, check for policy restrictions

   1. Press Windows + R, type gpedit.msc, then press Enter.
   2. Go to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Microsoft Defender Antivirus > Microsoft Defender Exploit Guard > Network protection
   3. Open Prevent users and apps from accessing dangerous websites.
   4. Set it to Enabled, then choose Block from the options.
   5. Click Apply, then OK.
   6. If you’re using Windows Home and don’t have Group Policy Editor, use the PowerShell method above instead.

6. Restart and test

   1. Restart your PC to make sure the setting is applied cleanly.
   2. After restart, open PowerShell as administrator again and rerun:

      Get-MpPreference | Select-Object EnableNetworkProtection

   3. If it still won’t stay enabled, check whether a third-party security suite or company policy is overriding Defender settings.

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