Windows Firewall can’t change some of your settings in Windows 10?

Andrew Wafer
by Andrew Wafer
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Windows 10 firewall disabled but still blocking programs

Along with Windows Defender, the built-in Microsoft security solution, the Windows Firewall is the most important feature that can protect your computer against malware or virus attack.

Thus, you have all the reasons for being worried when receiving error messages related to the Windows Firewall functionality.

However, you shouldn’t panic as you can always fix system errors by applying the right troubleshooting solutions.

So, in our case, we will detail the methods that should be applied when Windows Firewall cannot be turned on.

Shortly, we are talking about the 0x80070422 error code that comes along with the following alert: Windows Firewall can’t change some of your settings.

The reasons why this message appears can vary from one situation to another. Therefore, the guidelines from below will try to find a fix for each of these situations.

Windows Firewall can’t change some of your settings error alert on Windows 10. How to fix it?

  1. Turn-on Windows Firewall services.
  2. Make sure Windows 10 is up to date.
  3. Reset Windows update components.
  4. Configure Background Intelligence Transfer Service.
  5. Disable third-party antivirus software.
  6. Initiate a security scan and remove infected files.

1. Enable Windows Firewall services

If Windows firewall isn’t launched at start-up, you will receive the ‘Windows Firewall can’t change some of your settings’ error message. So, follow:

  1. Click on the Cortana icon (it will launch the Windows search engine).
  2. In the Search field type ‘services’ and right- click on the first result with the same name; then pick ‘run as administrator’.services windows 10 turn on firewal
  3. From Services scroll down and find the Windows Firewall entry.enable windows firewall windows 10
  4. If this service is disabled you need to: double click on Windows Firewall service and from the properties windows that will be displayed go to General tab and change Startup type to Automatic.
  5. Save these changes.
  6. Then, right-click on the Windows Firewall service and choose Start.
  7. Close the Services window and reboot your computer.

2. Apply any pending updates

If your Windows 10 system is not updated properly you might experience Windows Firewall problems; so, apply any pending updates:

  1. Press the Win+I keyboard hotkeys.fix update and security not working windows 10
  2. From System Settings choose Update & Security.
  3. From the left side of the main window go to Windows update.apply updates windows 10
  4. If there is an update patch waiting for your approval apply it.
  5. Then, reboot your computer and check if the ‘Windows Firewall can’t change some of your settings’ error message is still there or not.

3. Reset Windows Update Components

  1. Right-click on the Windows Start button.
  2. From the list that will be displayed choose ‘Command Prompt (Admin)’.

comand prompt

  1. Inside cmd enter the following commands (press Enter after each one): netsh advfirewall reset; net start mpsdrv; net start bfe; net start mpssvc and regsvr32 firewallapi.dll.
  2. When done, close the cmd window and restart your computer.

4. Configure Background Intelligence Transfer Service

  1. Bring back the Services window as explained during the first method from this tutorial.
  2. Scroll down and find the Background Intelligent Transfer Service entry.
  3. If this feature is disabled, double-click on it and from properties go to General tab and modify the Startup type to Manual.
  4. Then, click on the Start button beneath Service Status.
  5. Apply these new settings.
  6. Restart your Windows 10 system.

5. Disable third-party antivirus software

In some situations Windows Defender might not run properly if another third-party antivirus program is installed. Well, such conflicts between built-in and third-party programs might cause the Windows Firewall malfunction.

So, for trying to fix the issues and get rid of the ‘Windows Firewall can’t change some of your settings’ error message you should disable these third-party antivirus software.

You can choose to temporarily disable them, or to uninstall the programs completely. If afterwards the Firewall will work correctly, it means that you found the problem.

If not, you should disable Windows Defender and reinstall your third-party antivirus program as your Windows 10 system might be infected with a virus or a malware.

Keep in mind that not all antivirus software are compatible with Windows 10. Check out this list of the best antivirus tools compatible with Windows 10.

6. Run a security scan and remove the infected files

If you cannot fix the issue with the help of the already explained guidelines, you should consider in initiating a security scan on your Windows 10 device.

You need to do that because your computer might have been infected with a virus or malware. And that should be the reason for the ‘Windows Firewall can’t change some of your settings’ error message that’s currently received on your Windows 10 system.

Thus, first make sure you use a trustful antivirus or antimalware program. In a dedicated review we already discussed about the best antivirus programs that can be used on the Windows 10 OS as an alternative for the built-in Windows Defender solution.

So, choose wisely and install a complex antivirus program on your computer. Then, we recommend you to reboot your PC into safe mode.

In safe mode all third-party apps and processes will be disabled by default which means that the scan can successfully be performed without being stopped or restricted.

Here is how you can reboot your computer into safe mode:

  1. Press the Win+R keyboard hotkeys.
  2. In the Run box type msconfig and press Enter.msconfig windows 10
  3. From System Configuration switch to Boot tab.
  4. Under Boot Options select the Safe Boot checkbox.
  5. Also, select the Network option from beneath.safe mode with networking
  6. Save your changes when done and reboot your computer.
  7. In safe mode launch the antivirus program and initiate a full scan.
  8. In the end complete the removal process – reinitiate a scan for ensuring that all infected files were successfully deleted.

Conclusion

As you know, it’s always recommended to use security software on your Windows 10 device. And in most situations it will be better to use third-party antivirus or antimalware programs instead of the built-in Microsoft security solutions.

The reason is simple: the third-party programs are more specialized and focused on detecting even the most recent malicious platforms released by hackers on the web.

So, if you are using a good and updated antivirus tool, you can disable the Windows Defender software and also turn off the Windows Firewall protection.

However, if you are still using Microsoft’s default security features, the troubleshooting solutions explained above should help you fix the ‘Windows Firewall can’t change some of your settings’ error message.

If you have questions or if you need our further assistance don’t hesitate and get in touch with our team. Then, based on the info you provide we will try to find the perfect solutions for your problems.

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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in December 2017 and has been since updated for freshness, and accuracy.