Windows Defender Firewall: Allow local program exceptions
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 10, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows XP Professional with SP2
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Network\Network Connections\Windows Defender Firewall\Standard Profile Description
Allows administrators to use the Windows Defender Firewall component in Control Panel to define a local program exceptions list. Windows Defender Firewall uses two program exceptions lists; the other is defined by the "Windows Defender Firewall: Define inbound program exceptions" policy setting. If you enable this policy setting, the Windows Defender Firewall component in Control Panel allows administrators to define a local program exceptions list. If you disable this policy setting, the Windows Defender Firewall component in Control Panel does not allow administrators to define a local program exceptions list. However, local administrators will still be allowed to create firewall rules in the Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security snap-in. If you wish to prevent all locally created rules from applying, use the Group Policy Object Editor snap-in and configure Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security to specify that local firewall rules should not apply.
Registry
SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\StandardProfile\AuthorizedApplications Value name: AllowUserPrefMerge
Enabled: AllowUserPrefMerge = 1
Disabled: AllowUserPrefMerge = 0
Export Builder
BETAConfigure the state, scope and options, then generate .reg, PowerShell, Intune and SCCM outputs — or add the setting to a multi-setting collection.
These exports write the registry — this is not a managed GPO. ⓘ
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Windows Defender Firewall: Allow local program exceptions
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows XP Professional with SP2
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\StandardProfile\AuthorizedApplications]
"AllowUserPrefMerge"=dword:00000001More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Windows Defender Firewall: Allow local program exceptions
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows XP Professional with SP2
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\StandardProfile\AuthorizedApplications'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'AllowUserPrefMerge' -Value 1 -Type DWordIntune XML
No direct Policy CSP / OMA-URI mapping for this policy. Use the Intune Remediation tab, or ingest the ADMX in Intune.Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Windows Defender Firewall: Allow local program exceptions
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows XP Professional with SP2
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\StandardProfile\AuthorizedApplications' -Name 'AllowUserPrefMerge' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Windows Defender Firewall: Allow local program exceptions
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows XP Professional with SP2
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\StandardProfile\AuthorizedApplications'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'AllowUserPrefMerge' -Value 1 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Windows Defender Firewall: Allow local program exceptions
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows XP Professional with SP2
# SCCM Configuration Item guidance:
# Create a Configuration Item of type "Setting: Script".
# Discovery script: use the Detection script below.
# Remediation script: use the Remediation script below.
# Compliance rule: the Discovery script output equals 'Compliant'.
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Windows Defender Firewall: Allow local program exceptions
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows XP Professional with SP2
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\StandardProfile\AuthorizedApplications' -Name 'AllowUserPrefMerge' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Windows Defender Firewall: Allow local program exceptions
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows XP Professional with SP2
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\StandardProfile\AuthorizedApplications'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'AllowUserPrefMerge' -Value 1 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.