Most applications and programs on Windows require an active internet connection to function properly. However, if a particular application or program is eating up a lot of your bandwidth, you may want to completely block that application or program’s internet access.
Blocking an app’s internet access can be useful if you have a limited data plan and want to limit background data usage. In this guide, we will guide you through the steps involved in blocking or unblocking a program’s internet access on Windows 11. So without further ado, let’s get started right away. .
How to block an application’s Internet access with Windows Defender Firewall
Windows Defender Firewall is a nifty tool that helps protect your PC from unauthorized network traffic. Besides, it allows you to configure different entry and exit rules for specific users, networks, services, and programs. You can use this tool to create an outbound rule that prevents a certain application or program from accessing the internet.
To block an app’s internet access on Windows 11, you need to make a note of that app’s file path by following the steps below. For demonstration purposes, we will disable internet access for Microsoft Edge on Windows 11. Let’s get started.
Step 1: Open the Start menu and click All apps in the top right corner.
Step 2: Scroll down or use the search bar at the top to find the app for which you want to disable internet access.
Step 3: Once located, right click on the application, go to More and select Open file location.
Step 4: Right-click on the application shortcut and select Copy as path.
Once you have the program’s file path, you can use the following steps to block the program’s internet access on Windows.
Step 1: Click the search icon on the Taskbar or press the Windows + S key combination to access the search menu. Knock on Firewall protects windows with advanced security and select the first result that appears.
Step 2: In the following window, select Outbound Rules from the left sidebar.
Step 3: In the Actions pane, click New Rule under Outbound Rules.
Step 4: In the New Outbound Rule Wizard that opens, select Program and click Next.
Step 5: Select ‘This program path’ to block internet access for a specific program.
Step 6: Paste the previously copied program file path and click Next.
Step 7: Select Block connection and click Next.
Step 8: Under ‘When does this rule apply?’ you will see three options: Domain, Private and Public. If you want to block internet access in all cases, tick all three and then click Next.
Step 9: Enter a suitable name for this rule. This will help you quickly define rules if you plan to block internet access for certain apps or programs. Optionally, you can also add a brief description.
Step 10: Finally, click Finish.
The rule will be applied immediately and Windows will block the application or program’s internet access.
Similarly, you can repeat the steps above to create new rules and block internet access for other apps or programs on your PC.
How to unblock an application’s Internet access with Windows Defender Firewall
Unblocking an application’s internet access on Windows 11 is also simple if you change your mind. You can achieve this by disabling or removing the outbound rule from Windows Defender Firewall. Here’s how to do it.
Step 1: Right-click the Start icon and select Run from the pop-up menu.
Step 2: Enter wf.msc in the Open field and press Enter to open Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security.
Step 3: Use the left pane to select Outbound Rules. You’ll see all the active rules in the middle pane.
Step 4: Locate the previously created outgoing rule. Right click on it and select Turn off rule.
You can reactivate the rule at any time. However, if you don’t plan to enable this rule in the future, you can also remove it.
When you complete the above steps, the program will have the same internet access as before.
The Internet offers freedom
Besides Windows Defender Firewall, many third-party applications can help you block or unblock internet access for a specific application on Windows. However, it is best to use the native options as much as possible.
While you probably won’t need to block an app’s internet access very often, it’s nice to see how simple the process is. And although we only talk about Windows 11 in this article, you can also use the steps above to block or unblock internet access for a program on Windows 10.
Categories: How to
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
