In a nutshell, “ransomware” defines the form of malware attacks that encrypts the files on a computer, making any files inaccessible and unreadable. Once the attack is successful, the malicious individual will then demand ransom to unlock the device and files. Controlled folder access is an anti-ransomware feature that monitors the changes that apps make to your files. If an app tries to modify the files inside a protected folder, and the app is blacklisted, you’ll get notified about the suspicious activity. In this guide, you will learn the steps to enable and configure Controlled folder access using Microsoft Defender Antivirus to protect Windows 11 and files against ransomware. (See also this video tutorial walking you through every step to enable the feature.)
Enable ransomware protection on Windows 11 Allow apps ransomware protection on Windows 11 Protect other folders against ransomware on Windows 11 Disable ransomware protection on Windows 11
Enable ransomware protection on Windows 11
To enable the Controlled folder access anti-ransomware protection on Windows 11, use these steps: Once you complete the steps, Microsoft Defender Antivirus will monitor the protected folders as applications try to modify your files. If suspicious activity occurs, you’ll get a notification about the threat.
Allow apps ransomware protection on Windows 11
The security feature has a basic understanding of the apps that are allowed to make changes to your files. However, sometimes an app you trust may get blocked. If this is the case, you may need to manually allow a particular app. To allow trusted apps through the ransomware protection feature, use these steps: After you complete the steps, the app should be able to run freely to modify files in the protected folders.
Protect other folders against ransomware on Windows 11
The anti-ransomware feature, by default, protects the Documents, Pictures, Movies, and Desktop folders. While you can’t remove these folders from the list, you can include additional locations to the list to protect your data from ransomware and other malware. To add more folders to the ransomware protection list on Windows 11, use these steps: Once you complete the steps, Control folder access will begin monitoring the new folder locations for malicious activities to prevent ransomware attacks on Windows 11.
Disable ransomware protection on Windows 11
To disable the ransomware protection on Windows 11, use these steps: After you complete the steps, the “Controlled folder access” feature will stop monitoring for ransomware malicious activities on your Windows 11 computer.
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