How to Remove Duplicate Windows Firewall Rules

Duplicated rules in Windows Firewall usually don’t cause any issues

4 min. read

Published onOctober 17, 2023

published onOctober 17, 2023

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Key notes

Duplicated Windows Firewall rules can cause confusion, especially if you’re manually configuring your firewall, and in some cases, it can cause certain applications or services to stop working.

It’s possible to fix this issue, and in this guide, we’ll show you a couple of methods that you can use, so let’s get started.

Where are Windows Defender Firewall rules stored?

You can find your firewall rules stored in the following key in your registry at the following path:Software\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\FirewallRules

How do I delete duplicate rules in Windows Firewall?

1. Manually delete the rules from firewall settings

Instead of deleting rules, it might be a better option to disable them instead. That way if anything goes wrong, you can enable these rules again.

2. Use the script to remove Windows Firewall rules

Keep in mind that this is an advanced solution, so you should use it only if you have some basic knowledge of the PowerShell commands and you understand what the script does.

Tips for cleaning Windows Firewall rules

Duplicate Windows Firewall rules shouldn’t concern you, especially if you didn’t manually create them. Despite looking almost the same, likely, rules aren’t duplicates, so don’t delete them unless you’re 100% certain and you know what the rules in question are doing.

In case you want to learn more about Windows Firewall, you can use it tocheck if firewall is blocking a port or a programor you canconfigure Windows Firewall to allow IP rangeson your PC.

Speaking of which, you can evenconfigure firewall rules for Windows activationto ensure that no issues occur during the process.

Have you encountered duplicate Windows Firewall rules on your PC and how did you handle them? Share your findings with us in the comments section.

How to Remove Duplicate Windows Firewall Rules#

How do I delete duplicate rules in Windows Firewall?#

1. Manually delete the rules from firewall settings#

2. Use the script to remove Windows Firewall rules#

Tips for cleaning Windows Firewall rules#

How to Remove Duplicate Windows Firewall Rules

How do I delete duplicate rules in Windows Firewall?

1. Manually delete the rules from firewall settings

2. Use the script to remove Windows Firewall rules

Tips for cleaning Windows Firewall rules