Windows Defender Firewall: Allow inbound Remote Desktop 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\Domain Profile Description
Allows this computer to receive inbound Remote Desktop requests. To do this, Windows Defender Firewall opens TCP port 3389. If you enable this policy setting, Windows Defender Firewall opens this port so that this computer can receive Remote Desktop requests. 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 "Remote Desktop" check box is selected and administrators cannot clear it. If you disable this policy setting, Windows Defender Firewall blocks this port, which prevents this computer from receiving Remote Desktop requests. If an administrator attempts to open this port by adding it to a local port exceptions list, Windows Defender Firewall does not open the port. In the Windows Defender Firewall component of Control Panel, the "Remote Desktop" check box is cleared and administrators cannot select it. If you do not configure this policy setting, Windows Defender Firewall does not open this port. Therefore, the computer cannot receive Remote Desktop requests unless an administrator uses other policy settings to open the port. In the Windows Defender Firewall component of Control Panel, the "Remote Desktop" check box is cleared. Administrators can change this check box."
Registry
SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\DomainProfile\Services\RemoteDesktop Value name: Enabled
Enabled: Enabled = 1
Disabled: Enabled = 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 inbound Remote Desktop exceptions
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows XP Professional with SP2
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\DomainProfile\Services\RemoteDesktop]
"Enabled"=dword:00000001
"RemoteAddresses"=""More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Windows Defender Firewall: Allow inbound Remote Desktop exceptions
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows XP Professional with SP2
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\DomainProfile\Services\RemoteDesktop'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'Enabled' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'RemoteAddresses' -Value '' -Type StringIntune 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 inbound Remote Desktop 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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\DomainProfile\Services\RemoteDesktop' -Name 'Enabled' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\DomainProfile\Services\RemoteDesktop' -Name 'RemoteAddresses' -Expected '' -Kind String)
)
if ($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 inbound Remote Desktop exceptions
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows XP Professional with SP2
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\DomainProfile\Services\RemoteDesktop'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'Enabled' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'RemoteAddresses' -Value '' -Type StringSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Windows Defender Firewall: Allow inbound Remote Desktop 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 inbound Remote Desktop 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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\DomainProfile\Services\RemoteDesktop' -Name 'Enabled' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\DomainProfile\Services\RemoteDesktop' -Name 'RemoteAddresses' -Expected '' -Kind String)
)
if ($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 inbound Remote Desktop exceptions
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows XP Professional with SP2
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\DomainProfile\Services\RemoteDesktop'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'Enabled' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'RemoteAddresses' -Value '' -Type StringBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.