How to Configure Controlled Folder Access to Stop “Unauthorized changes blocked” Notifications

Windows 10 Fall Creators Update adds a beneficial security feature named Controlled folder access, which is part of the Windows Defender Exploit Guard. You may have noticed the Unauthorized changes blocked notifications. Windows Defender’s Controlled folder access feature is the one behind those notifications. Controlled folder access helps you protect valuable data from malicious programs, such as ransomware.

This article explains how to configure CFA and prevent Unauthorized changes blocked notifications when running a program.

Windows Defender Exploit Guard is a new set of host intrusion prevention capabilities for Windows 10/11, allowing you to manage and reduce the attack surface of apps installed on the computer.

What is Controlled folder access in Windows

Configure Controlled Folder Access to Stop Unauthorized changes blocked NotificationsControlled folder access is an anti-ransomware feature in Windows that helps protect your documents, files and memory areas on your computer from modification by suspicious or malicious apps (especially ransomware). Controlled folder access is supported on Windows Server 2019 as well as Windows 10/11.

Sometimes Controlled folder access can block legitimate apps from writing to protected folders (such as the Desktop, Documents folders etc), and shows the notification Unauthorized changes blocked. You an configure Controlled folder access so that you can allow specific applications, as well as add custom folders to the list of “protected” folders.

It is especially useful in helping to protect your documents and information from ransomware that can attempt to encrypt your files and hold them hostage.

How to Use Controlled folder access?

Prerequisite: Microsoft Defender Antivirus real-time protection must be enabled for the Controlled folder access feature to work.

Enabling Controlled folder access

To enable Controlled folder access, use these steps:

  1. Double-click the Defender shield icon in the notification area to open the Windows Defender Security Center.
  2. Click Virus & threat protection
  3. Click Virus & threat protection settings

    Configure Controlled Folder Access to Stop Unauthorized changes blocked Notifications - Enabling Controlled folder access
    Enabling Windows Defender Controlled folder access
  4. Enable the “Controlled folder access” setting. UAC dialog will pop up now for getting your confirmation/consent.

From now on, Controlled folder access monitors the changes that apps make to files in the protected folders.

Enable protection for additional folder locations

By default, these folders are protected, and there is no way to remove protection for these folders:

User shell folders: Documents, Pictures, Videos, Music, Favorites, and Desktop
Public shell folders: Documents, Pictures, Videos, and Desktop
Configure Controlled Folder Access - protected folders
Controlled folder access — Protected folders

However, some users may not prefer storing their files in the personal shell folders or libraries; they may have their documents in a network share or other locations. In that case, you can bring additional folder locations under Windows Defender protection, by clicking Protected folders link in Windows Defender Security Center, and clicking Add a protected folder button. You can also enter network shares and mapped drives.

Add (whitelist) apps for Controlled folder access

Windows Defender Controlled folder access will block write access (by “unfriendly” apps) to files in protected folders. If an app attempts to make a change to these files, and the app is blacklisted by the feature, you’ll get a notification about the attempt.

Just as you can complement the protected folders with additional folder paths, you can also add (whitelist) the apps that you want to allow access to those folders.

Notepad++ blocked

In my case, Controlled folder access was blocking the 3rd party text editor program Notepad++ from saving to the desktop.

D:\Tools\NPP\notepad++.exe has been blocked from modifying %desktopdirectory%\ by Controlled Folder Access.

And an event log entry (Event ID: 1123) is generated for the blocked event.

It will be listed under Applications and Services LogsMicrosoftWindowsWindows DefenderOperational

Configure Controlled Folder Access - event log
Controlled folder access –Event log entry
Event ID Description
5007 Event when settings are changed
1124 Audited Controlled folder access event
1123 Blocked Controlled folder access event
1127 Blocked “changes to the memory” event?

There is no official info regarding CFA Event ID: 1127. It could be related to blocked “making changes to memory” events. I found an interesting entry in my system.

Log Name:      Microsoft-Windows-Windows Defender/Operational
Source:        Microsoft-Windows-Windows Defender
Date:          
Event ID:      1127
Task Category: None
Level:         Warning
Keywords:      
User:          SYSTEM
Computer:      DESKTOP-JKJ4G5Q
Description:
Controlled Folder Access blocked C:\Program Files\JAM Software\TreeSize\TreeSize.exe from making changes to memory.
 	Detection time: 2019-04-21T17:17:09.462Z
 	User: DESKTOP-JKJ4G5Q\ramesh
 	Path: \Device\HarddiskVolume2
 	Process Name: C:\Program Files\JAM Software\TreeSize\TreeSize.exe
 	Signature Version: 1.291.2409.0
 	Engine Version: 1.1.15800.1
 	Product Version: 4.18.1903.4

Configure Controlled Folder Access to Stop Unauthorized changes blocked Notifications

To get the list of the last 25 blocked apps, open a Command Prompt window and run this command-line:

wevtutil qe "Microsoft-Windows-Windows Defender/Operational" /q:"*[System[(EventID=1123)]]" /c:15 /f:text /rd:true | findstr /i "process name:"

defender controlled folder access - blocked apps list

Also, see the PowerShell script at the end of this article to list items in a listview grid window and whitelist selected items in a single click.

Here is the list of Unauthorized changes blocked notifications, as seen in the Action Center.

Configure Controlled Folder Access to Stop Unauthorized changes blocked Notifications - blocked apps
Action Center notification on blocked apps

I allowed the app right away, as Notepad++ is a widely used and trusted program. To allow an app, click Allow an app through Controlled folder access option in Windows Defender Security Center. Then, locate and add the app you want to allow.

Configure Controlled Folder Access to Stop Unauthorized changes blocked Notifications -- Allowing an app
Controlled folder access — Allowing an app

Allow recently blocked apps

The Controlled folder access also lets you allow apps that were recently blocked. To see the list of apps that are blocked, click on the Add an allowed app button, and click Recently blocked apps.

Configure Controlled Folder Access to Stop Unauthorized changes blocked Notifications - allow recently blocked apps - controlled folder access

You’ll get the list of apps there were recently blocked. From the list, you can click select an app and add it to the allow list. To do so, you need to click on the + glyph icon or button near the app entry.

Configure Controlled Folder Access to Stop Unauthorized changes blocked Notifications - recently blocked apps list - controlled folder access

Here, I’ve whitelisted PowerShell.exe process, as an example.

Configure Controlled Folder Access to Stop Unauthorized changes blocked Notifications - allow powershell from recently blocked apps - controlled folder access

Make sure you allow only the apps you trust. Allowing PowerShell.exe should be done with extreme caution, as crypto-malware may silently execute a PowerShell command or script on a vulnerable computer.

Manage Controlled folder access Using PowerShell

PowerShell’s Set-MpPreference cmdlet supports many parameters so that you can apply every Windows Defender setting through script. For the full list of parameters supported by this cmdlet, check out this Microsoft page.



Enable Controlled folder access using PowerShell

Start powershell.exe as administrator. To do so, type powershell in the Start menu, right click Windows PowerShell and click Run as administrator.

Enter the following cmdlet:

Set-MpPreference -EnableControlledFolderAccess Enabled
Configure Controlled Folder Access to Stop Unauthorized changes blocked Notifications - controlled folder access powershell cmdlet
Manage controlled folder access using PowerShell cmdlet

To disable, use this command:

Set-MpPreference -EnableControlledFolderAccess Disabled

Protect additional folders using PowerShell

Add-MpPreference -ControlledFolderAccessProtectedFolders "c:\apps"

Allow a specific app (Notepad++) using PowerShell

Add-MpPreference -ControlledFolderAccessAllowedApplications "d:\tools\npp\notepad++.exe"

Allow all blocked apps to Controlled folder access (interactively) using PowerShell

Redditor /u/gschizas has come up with a neat little PowerShell script which parses the event log (entries with ID: 1123 which is the “Blocked Controlled folder access” event) to gather the list of apps blocked by Windows Defender’s Controlled folder access. The script then offers to whitelist all or selected programs from the listing.

How to use the script?

  • Open PowerShell as administrator.
  • Visit the gschizas GitHub page
  • Select all the lines of code and copy to clipboard.
  • Switch to the PowerShell window and paste the contents there, and press ENTER
    allow all apps controlled folder apps using powershell script
    Allow all apps through Controlled folder apps –Powershell script

    The list of blocked apps is shown, as recorded in the event log.

    allow all apps controlled folder apps using powershell script
    Select the apps to whitelist
  • Select the apps you want to whitelist and click OK. To multi-select programs, press the Ctrl button and click on the corresponding entry.
  • Click OK.This allows the apps through Controlled folder access en masse.

    allow all apps controlled folder apps
    Apps added to Controlled folder apps “Allow” list

In an enterprise environment, Controlled folder access can be managed using:

  • 1. Windows Defender Security Center app
  • 2. Group Policy
  • 3. PowerShell

Troubleshooting: Controlled folder access option missing, grayed out or inaccessible

When you try to open the Controlled folder access page via Start, you may see this error message:

Page not available
Your IT administrator has limited access to some areas of this app, and the item you tried to access is not available. Contact IT helpdesk for more information.

controlled folder access - page not available - it administrator blocked

You may be wondering if the above error is caused by some group policy restrictions in effect on your computer. It may not necessarily be true.

The error occurs if you’re using a third-party antivirus solution on your computer, which would have turned off the built-in Windows Defender. As stated earlier, the Controlled folder access feature fully relies on Windows Defender real-time protection. If Windows Defender is turned off, Controlled folder access wouldn’t work. Hence the page remains inaccessible or grayed out, depending upon the build of Windows 10/11 you’re using.

In my case, the error occurred after I installed Malwarebytes Premium. It had replaced Windows Defender.

controlled folder access option missing

Note: If you’re a Malwarebytes premium user, you can still enable and use Windows Defender alongside Malwarebytes premium.

To do so, open Malwarebytes Premium → Settings → Security → Disable Always register Malwarebytes in the Windows Security Center.

This option ensures that Malwarebytes Premium doesn’t turn off Microsoft Defender Antivirus. It can run alongside Defender so that the Controlled folder access feature would work as well. After turning off the setting, the Malwarebytes program status wouldn’t appear in the Windows Security Center.

malwarebytes register security center

Enable or disable Controlled folder access using desktop shortcuts

In some situations, you may need to temporarily disable Controlled Folder Access to allow programs to write to protected folders, without having to whitelist each program. For example, you may have whitelisted the ShareX program, but screen captures may still not work because the video capture and processing tool FFMpeg.exe is not whitelisted in Controlled Folder Access. And you may not want to allow the external program permanently.

For this purpose, you can create two desktop shortcuts to disable/enable Controlled Folder Access quickly.

  1. Right-click on the desktop, click New, shortcut
  2. In the “Type the location of the item” text box, type the following command:
    powershell.exe -command "& {Set-MpPreference -EnableControlledFolderAccess Enabled}"

    enable disable controlled folder access desktop shortcuts

  3. Name the shortcut “Enable Controlled Folder Access”.Quick Tip: In the shortcut Properties tab, you may configure it to run minimized if you don’t want to see the PowerShell window when the command is executed. Of course, PowerShell.exe need to be whitelisted in order for these shortcuts to work. PowerShell’s executable path is C:\Windows\system32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe if you’re going to whitelist it.
  4. Similarly, create another shortcut with the following target:
    powershell.exe -command "& {Set-MpPreference -EnableControlledFolderAccess Disabled}"

    Name it as “Disable Controlled Folder Access”, and optionally, change the shortcut icon for both the items as desired.

    Configure Controlled Folder Access to Stop Unauthorized changes blocked Notifications - enable disable controlled folder access desktop shortcuts

Run as Administrator

The shortcut/command has to be run elevated (as administrator). So, right-click each shortcut and click Properties. Click Advanced, and enable “Run as Administrator” checkbox, and click OK, OK.

Repeat the step for the other shortcut.

Closing words

Microsoft Defender Antivirus is getting a new security feature in almost every Windows 10 build. To name a few, Windows Defender Offline scanner, Limited Periodic Scanning, “Block at first sight” Cloud-protection and Automatic sample submission, and adware or PUA/PUP protection capability, and Application Guard.

And now Controlled folder access introduced in the Fall Creators Update is yet another valuable feature to guard the system against threats, such as ransomware.


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Ramesh Srinivasan is passionate about Microsoft technologies and he has been a consecutive ten-time recipient of the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional award in the Windows Shell/Desktop Experience category, from 2003 to 2012. He loves to troubleshoot and write about Windows. Ramesh founded Winhelponline.com in 2005.

30 thoughts on “How to Configure Controlled Folder Access to Stop “Unauthorized changes blocked” Notifications”

  1. Tried it out but quickly turned it off. It was blocking explorer.exe and all Microsoft Office programs by default. You’d think Microsoft would know to whitelist their own programs. Guess not.

    Reply
  2. I found the same thing. First, it blocked a third-party app, which is well-known. I scanned it; it was clean; I put it on the trusted app list. But then, within an hour, it blocked me from saving a Microsoft Word file. I turned Controlled Access Folder off. I am done with it for now. I run premium Malwarebytes for anti-ransomware protection.

    Reply
  3. nice!!! somebody with a real, straightforward answer rather than the useless!ss drivel that comes from the usual micosoft community!

    Reply
  4. Great, this will work a treat.

    Wondering if there’s a way to open CFA as admin so that you can add/remove apps without having to admin elevate each one.

    Reply
  5. How helpful! CFA is a great idea, but it’s a hassle weeding through Windows Defender’s settings pages to get to it each time we want to install something legitimate that modifies a protected folder. Thanks for sharing this excellent tip.

    Reply
  6. To make the Disable shortcut work, you must also add Power Shell to the list of apps CFA allows. It’s rather a Catch-22 otherwise. ;?)

    Reply
  7. I seriously hate this controlled folder access; it started blocking every app I’ve used until now and because of it I have had to reinstall and redownload it is so freaking annoying. This update is not an improvement.

    Reply
  8. As far as I can see control folder access is a great idea BUT as is often the case the designers have never used it as part of their PC Setup!!!!!

    As it stands I suggest it is unusable especially by the average non technical PCUser

    When a conflict is detected the User should be prompted by a MSG BOX and given the choice of rejecting the call or adding the program the the accepted list.

    It is almost there clicking on the Action LIst entry displays the “allow the app controlled folder access” if the path of the program was displayed with the option to add it the system would be part way usable. (“prompts for admin password”)

    Reply
  9. A great tip… thanks a lot.
    You could edit the post, though, to include Ander’s advice that you must also add Power Shell to the list of apps CFA allows for it to work…
    Cheers.

    Reply
  10. It is blocking my downloaded open office and I cannot get it to save. It didn’t do it on my last PC.
    I am not competent to go into the shell.!!!

    Reply
  11. Kris It (CFA) was not enabled by default, it seems your enabled it from settings and forgot it. This is just quick way to enable or disable that settings.

    Reply
  12. Thanks alot. I have to thank yourself for writing a very legible document explaining the complex nature of controlled folder access. I usually have great difficulty understanding technical writings because largely they are poorly described not this one it is very well done. I am not usually so generous with compliments concerning computers and their operations so thanks again. bernard.

    Reply
  13. Unable to install Iolo Phoenix 360 due to this “feature”. Will try whitelisting, but if that doesn’t work, I’ll just turn the feature off. What a pain! Iolo Cust. srvc. didn’t think of this one. Thanks for article.

    Reply
  14. As soon as you install an application you need to whitelist the process in CFA. After installing Notepad++ and LibreOffice I had to allow the following processes:

    C:\Program Files\LibreOffice\program\soffice.bin
    C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe

    Reply
  15. This needs to be updated as to how MS has at last provided an easy means to add an app from the list of “blocked apps”. Is now “almost” user friendly!

    Reply
  16. hey i have this problem with controlled folder access thing. If i turn on this setting, i can’t delete/rename/move eveything on documents and else, it said that i need permission from the administator, meanwhile i’m the administrator. but if i turn off, the controlled folder access, i can rename, move and delete everything in my folder. can someone help me with this issue?

    Reply
  17. I’ve got wmplayer.exe (both 32 and 64-bit) added to the allowed list, yet I keep getting the “unauthorized changes blocked” message, at least every 15 minutes for WMP and my Music directory. When I click on the message in the block history, it no longer gives me the option of allowing the app to access the Music folder, I suppose because it’s already on the allowed list. This has been going on for several days, since I applied the last Windows security update. Funny thing is that I don’t use WMP on this computer, and I have nothing stored in the Music directory.

    Reply
  18. Greetings from Portugal, is there a way to clear the historical from the applications Controlled Folder Access.
    Cleaning the WD history is by deleting the “store” folder in C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Scans\History\Store but it does not clear the historical off “blocked applications.”

    Thanks in advance.

    Reply
  19. I can’t even access Controlled Folder Access. Standalone PC, not corporate or administered by anyone but me. I get a message
    Page not available
    Your IT administrator has limited access to some areas of this app, and the item you tried to access is not available. Contact IT helpdesk for more information.

    I AM MY IT HELPDESK.

    Reply
  20. I also made a shortcut to the controlled folder access page using this as the location for a new shortcut:
    windowsdefender://ProtectedFolders/

    Reply

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