Controlled Folder Access in Windows 11 is a security feature available in the Windows Security app that Microsoft strongly recommends enabling to safeguard your system. This feature is specifically designed to protect your important data from unauthorized access and malicious threats such as ransomware.
How Controlled Folder Access Works in Windows 11
Controlled Folder Access scans applications and compares them to its trusted list. If an application is deemed unsafe, it is blocked from modifying protected folders. This helps prevent ransomware from encrypting or deleting your valuable files. If your computer is infected with malware, the malicious software still has access to your data and can duplicate it and send it to other destinations.
Read Also: How to Install VirtualBox on Windows 11
Enabling Controlled Folder Access
To enable controlled folder access in Windows 11, you can do the following steps:
- Access Windows Security: In Windows 11, enter the Start menu, type Windows Security, and then hit Enter to activate the Controlled Folder Access setting. Navigate to “Virus & Threat Protection,” then “Manage Ransomware Protection.”
- Enable Controlled Folder Access: Toggle on “Controlled Folder Access” and confirm with the User Account Control prompt.
Configuring Controlled Folder Access
Three additional options will appear if the setting is enabled: Protected Folders, Block History, and Allow an App Through Controlled Folder Access. It is important to correctly configure each.
Block History
Upon selecting the “Block History” option, all of the files that were blocked due to their detection as attempting to alter protected folders will be included. Next to the file name, you will also notice the severity level (low, moderate, high, or severe), as well as information such as the protected folder name and the date the file was banned.
Click the blocked file, select “Allow On Device” from the “Actions” drop-down box, then go ahead and bypass the Controlled Folder Access security if you think the file is safe for your system. Now that the Controlled Folder Access restriction has been removed, you can try launching the application once more.
Protected Folders
The “Protected Folders” option shows a list of all folders safeguarded by this setting. By default, Windows protects native folders like documents, videos, and pictures. You can also add more folders to the list for enhanced security.
To add a folder, click on “Protected Folders,” approve the User Account Control (UAC) prompt by selecting “Yes,” then click “Add a Protected Folder.” Navigate to the folder’s location, select it, and click “Select Folder” to complete the process.
Now, any software attempting to edit that folder will be prohibited.
Select the folder and click “Remove” if you need to remove a folder from the “Protected Folders” list. However, default Windows native folders cannot be removed from the list you can only remove the additional folders you have manually added.
Allowed Apps
The “Allow an App Through Controlled Folder Access” option enables you to whitelist specific applications that you don’t want restricted by this security feature. This is particularly useful if a trusted app is being blocked from modifying files in protected folders and you are confident that the app is safe to use.
This option is also useful when installing a trusted app that needs to modify a protected folder to function correctly. In such cases, you can whitelist the app to ensure it can access the protected folders without any issues.
To set this up, select “Add an Allowed App” and choose either “Recently Blocked Apps” or “Browse All Apps” to add the desired application.
If the app has already been blocked, select “Recently Blocked Apps” or choose “Browse All Apps” to preconfigure an app and avoid future interference. Once you’ve chosen the app, click “Open” to complete the setup.
Limitations of Controlled Folder Access
It is important to remember that the Controlled Folder Access setting won’t protect your computer against malware that inspects and copies data. Malware can only be prevented from modifying or destroying data.
“Controlled Folder Access” is an effective layer of protection against malware attacks. But to safeguard your device against viruses and other malware, you need to make sure that the Windows Security software is up to date and that the real-time protection setting is active.
