How to Enable/Disable Controlled Folder Access in Windows 11/10 - MiniTool

This article describes three ways to enable or disable controlled folder access on Windows 11/10 systems.

Controlled folder access

Controlled folder access is a feature of Windows security applications in Windows 11/10 systems. This feature blocks ransomware by preventing the modification of files in protected folders. Enabling controlled folder access prevents untrusted applications, malware, or other means of changing files in protected directories.

By default, this feature is disabled on Windows 11/10 systems. The following sections provide three ways to enable controlled folder access in Windows 11/10.

How to enable controlled folder access

Method 1: Through Windows Security Center

To enable controlled folder access in Windows 11, you can use the Windows Security Center application:

Step 1: Press the Windows I key at the same time to open the Settings application.

Step 2: Go to Privacy and Security > Windows Security Center > Open Windows Security Center .

Step 3: Under Virus and Threat Protection Settings , click the Admin Settings link.

Step 4: Under Controlled Folder Access , click the Manage Controlled Folder Access button.

Step 5: Then, turn on the switch under Controlled Folder Access .

Method 2: Through the local group policy editor

If you are using Windows 11 Professional or Enterprise, you can enable controlled folder access using the Local Group Policy Editor. The specific operations are as follows:

Step 1: Press the Windows R key at the same time to open the Run dialog box.

Step 2: Type gpedit.msc in it and click OK to open the local Group Policy Editor .

Step 3: Go to the following path:

Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Microsoft Defender Antivirus > Microsoft Defender Exploit Guard > Controlled Folder Access

Step 4: In the right panel, double-click to configure controlled folder access .

Step 5: Then, click the Enabled button. Click the drop-down menu to select Block . Then, click Apply and OK .

Method 3: Through Windows PowerShell

The third way to enable controlled folder access in Windows 10/11 is through Windows PowerShell.

Step 1: Type Windows PowerShell in the Search box and select Run as Administrator .

Step 2: In the promoted PowerShell window, type the following command and press Enter .

Set-MpPreference -EnableControlledFolderAccess Enabled

Protect your folders and files

With the increasing number of ransomware attacks in recent years, the ability to protect your files and folders has become crucial. Controlled folder access is a feature of Windows that protects your data from unauthorized access. However, relying solely on this feature is not enough.

A better approach is to back up important files and folders to an external hard drive. After backup, you can recover files if they are lost due to virus attacks or ransomware attacks. To do this, you can try using MiniTool ShadowMaker. This is an excellent backup and synchronization program.

Conclusion

This article describes three ways to enable controlled folder access in Windows 11/10. In addition, a backup software is provided to better protect your files and folders.

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