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How to Fix Failed to Load Windows Firewall Service on Windows 10/11 PC

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The Windows Firewall service is your Operating System’s first layer of security defense against any potential malware that may spring up while using your device. If you want to stay safe, leaving it On or Enabled is a recommended choice to make.

Sometimes though, Windows Firewall tool might fail to start up or load in the first place. If you’re dealing with this problem, there are multiple reasons that can warrant it. In this article, we’ve decided to create a guide to help you if you’re dealing with a disabled Windows Firewall or it failed to load when enabled on your Windows 11 or 10 PC.

How-to-Fix-Disabled-or-Failed-to-Load-Windows-Firewall-Service-on-Windows-10-11-PC

How to Troubleshoot & Fix Can’t Enable Windows Firewall or it’s Failing to Load on Windows 10/11 Computer

To deal with the disabled Microsoft Windows Firewall service or it failed to load error on a Windows PC, there’s going to be a fair bit of troubleshooting involved. This means that there is no single cause, but the solutions presented here can be effective workarounds for multiple issues.

The solutions presented in this guide mainly center around scanning for malware and running routine checks in your system to ensure that everything still has valid integrity.

Run your Windows Firewall Troubleshooter Tool

Windows-Firewall-Troubleshooter-Tool
  1. Open your browser and go to this website to get the dedicated Firewall Troubleshooter from Microsoft
  2. Right-click on the completed download and Run as Administrator
  3. Wait for the rest of your installation to be completed
  4. Reboot your PC and see if the issue is resolved

You Can Now Restart your Firewall Service and other Associated Services

Run-Dialog-on-Windows-10

If the Windows Firewall is disabled, here’s how you can fully restart it/

  1. Press the Windows Key + R and open up the Run dialog box
  2. Once opened, type ‘services.msc” and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open the Services screen as an administrator
  3. When the User Account Control prompt appears, click on Yes to be granted admin access
  4. In the Services screen, you’ll need to scroll down till you find the Windows Defender Firewall service
  5. Once located, right-click on it and choose Properties from your context menu
  6. In the Properties screen, click on your General tab and click on Start if the service is not running already
  7. After the service is enabled successfully, follow steps 5 and 6 with these services:
    • Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection Service
    • Windows Defender Antivirus Network Inspection Service
    • Windows Defender Security Center
    • Windows Defender Antivirus Service
  8. Once the main Windows Firewall Service and every other associated and dependent app is enabled, check to see if your Firewall component has now been enabled.

Try to Delete the Anti-Spyware Registry Key from User Account Control

  1. Press your Windows Key + R
  2. Type in “cmd” in the Run dialog box and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter
  3. In the User Account Control window, press Yes to allow admin access
  4. Paste the following command in CMD “REG DELETE “HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender” /v DisableAntiSpyware”
  5. Restart your PC and check if the issue is resolved

If you’re dealing with firewall problems on Windows computers, following any of the steps indicated in this guide will go a long way in helping you completely resolve the issue at hand. Still, be sure to avoid deviating from the steps here as they directly affect permissions behind the scenes of your computer.

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Tobi Olanrewaju
Tobi Olanrewaju
Hi, I'm Tobi. A writer, gamer and tech enthusiast. If I'm not typing on my keyboard, you can probably find me watching hours and hours of YouTube. I’ve spent a lot of time troubleshooting tech, and this experience helped me get into writing guides. I enjoy helping other people get over pesky bugs and errors with their devices.

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