Windows Defender Firewall: Allow logging
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 12, 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 Windows Defender Firewall to record information about the unsolicited incoming messages that it receives. If you enable this policy setting, Windows Defender Firewall writes the information to a log file. You must provide the name, location, and maximum size of the log file. The location can contain environment variables. You must also specify whether to record information about incoming messages that the firewall blocks (drops) and information about successful incoming and outgoing connections. Windows Defender Firewall does not provide an option to log successful incoming messages. If you are configuring the log file name, ensure that the Windows Defender Firewall service account has write permissions to the folder containing the log file. Default path for the log file is %systemroot%\system32\LogFiles\Firewall\pfirewall.log. If you disable this policy setting, Windows Defender Firewall does not record information in the log file. If you enable this policy setting, and Windows Defender Firewall creates the log file and adds information, then upon disabling this policy setting, Windows Defender Firewall leaves the log file intact. If you do not configure this policy setting, Windows Defender Firewall behaves as if the policy setting were disabled.
Registry
HKLM
SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\StandardProfile\Logging This policy sets several registry values:
LogDroppedPackets Enabled:
LogDroppedPackets = (not defined) Disabled:
LogDroppedPackets = 0 LogSuccessfulConnections Enabled:
LogSuccessfulConnections = (not defined) Disabled:
LogSuccessfulConnections = 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 logging
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows XP Professional with SP2
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\StandardProfile\Logging]
; "LogDroppedPackets" = (not defined)
; "LogSuccessfulConnections" = (not defined)
"LogDroppedPackets"=dword:00000000
"LogSuccessfulConnections"=dword:00000000
"LogFilePath"=""
"LogFileSize"=dword:00001000More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Windows Defender Firewall: Allow logging
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows XP Professional with SP2
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\StandardProfile\Logging'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
# LogDroppedPackets = (not defined)
# LogSuccessfulConnections = (not defined)
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'LogDroppedPackets' -Value 0 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'LogSuccessfulConnections' -Value 0 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'LogFilePath' -Value '' -Type String
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'LogFileSize' -Value 4096 -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 logging
# 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
}
# HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\StandardProfile\Logging\LogDroppedPackets: LogDroppedPackets= is not representable as a registry value.
# HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\StandardProfile\Logging\LogSuccessfulConnections: LogSuccessfulConnections= is not representable as a registry value.
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\StandardProfile\Logging' -Name 'LogDroppedPackets' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\StandardProfile\Logging' -Name 'LogSuccessfulConnections' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\StandardProfile\Logging' -Name 'LogFilePath' -Expected '' -Kind String)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\StandardProfile\Logging' -Name 'LogFileSize' -Expected 4096 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($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 logging
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows XP Professional with SP2
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\StandardProfile\Logging'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
# LogDroppedPackets = (not defined)
# LogSuccessfulConnections = (not defined)
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'LogDroppedPackets' -Value 0 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'LogSuccessfulConnections' -Value 0 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'LogFilePath' -Value '' -Type String
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'LogFileSize' -Value 4096 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Windows Defender Firewall: Allow logging
# 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 logging
# 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
}
# HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\StandardProfile\Logging\LogDroppedPackets: LogDroppedPackets= is not representable as a registry value.
# HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\StandardProfile\Logging\LogSuccessfulConnections: LogSuccessfulConnections= is not representable as a registry value.
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\StandardProfile\Logging' -Name 'LogDroppedPackets' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\StandardProfile\Logging' -Name 'LogSuccessfulConnections' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\StandardProfile\Logging' -Name 'LogFilePath' -Expected '' -Kind String)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\StandardProfile\Logging' -Name 'LogFileSize' -Expected 4096 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($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 logging
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows XP Professional with SP2
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\StandardProfile\Logging'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
# LogDroppedPackets = (not defined)
# LogSuccessfulConnections = (not defined)
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'LogDroppedPackets' -Value 0 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'LogSuccessfulConnections' -Value 0 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'LogFilePath' -Value '' -Type String
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'LogFileSize' -Value 4096 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.