Policy overview

Key metadata and intent for this policy.

ClassComputer
CategoryWindows Defender Firewall > Standard Profile
Supported onAt least Windows XP Professional with SP2

Supported OS tags: Windows10, Windows10RT, Windows11, Windows7, Windows8, Windows81, WindowsRT, WindowsRT81, WindowsServer2008, WindowsServer2012, WindowsServer2012R2, WindowsServer2016, WindowsVista, WindowsXP

Allows inbound file and printer sharing. To do this, Windows Defender Firewall opens UDP ports 137 and 138, and TCP ports 139 and 445. If you enable this policy setting, Windows Defender Firewall opens these ports so that this computer can receive print jobs and requests for access to shared files. You must specify the IP addresses or subnets from which these incoming messages are allowed. In the Windows Defender Firewall component of Control Panel, the "File and Printer Sharing" check box is selected and administrators cannot clear it. If you disable this policy setting, Windows Defender Firewall blocks these ports, which prevents this computer from sharing files and printers. If an administrator attempts to open any of these ports by adding them to a local port exceptions list, Windows Defender Firewall does not open the port. In the Windows Defender Firewall component of Control Panel, the "File and Printer Sharing" check box is cleared and administrators cannot select it. If you do not configure this policy setting, Windows Defender Firewall does not open these ports. Therefore, the computer cannot share files or printers unless an administrator uses other policy settings to open the required ports. In the Windows Defender Firewall component of Control Panel, the "File and Printer Sharing" check box is cleared. Administrators can change this check box. Note: If any policy setting opens TCP port 445, Windows Defender Firewall allows inbound ICMP echo requests (the message sent by the Ping utility), even if the "Windows Defender Firewall: Allow ICMP exceptions" policy setting would block them. Policy settings that can open TCP port 445 include "Windows Defender Firewall: Allow inbound file and printer sharing exception," "Windows Defender Firewall: Allow inbound remote administration exception," and "Windows Defender Firewall: Define inbound port exceptions."

Internal name
WF_FileAndPrint_Name_2
Policy ID
2a245c125382
Elements
1

Registry values

How enabled and disabled states update the registry.

Registry locationTypeEnabled valueDisabled value
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\StandardProfile\Services\FileAndPrint\EnabledREG_DWORD
1
0

Policy elements

Inputs and configuration options exposed by this policy.

ElementTypeRegistry mappingConstraints & behavior
Allow unsolicited incoming messages from these IP addresses:
ID WF_Scope_Name
text
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\StandardProfile\Services\FileAndPrint\RemoteAddresses
Type REG_SZ
None

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