Windows Filtering Protection conflict with other antivirus software

Your Windows device lost internet or crashed after turning on Web Protection or after you installed another antivirus software. 

How this issue affects you

When you enable Web protection or have multiple antivirus programs installed, your device loses its internet connection, your apps stop functioning, or you encounter a Blue Screen error .

What caused this issue

The Windows Filtering Platform is a system that processes and filters your network traffic. Our Web protection feature uses this platform to block harmful websites and IP addresses that may infect your Windows device with malware, viruses, or trojans. Other antivirus programs may have similar features that also use the Windows Filtering Platform to stop threats. However, only one program can use this platform at a time. Issues such as loss of internet, app functionality, or the Blue Screen error can occur when more than one application is using the Windows Filtering Platform.

How to resolve this issue

If you are experiencing issues you may need to deactivate the website protection feature in your other antivirus software. Contact your other antivirus' support for help deactivating their website protection feature.

If you cannot turn off the other antivirus' website protection, you can turn off our Web protection feature to resolve the issue. However, turning off Web protection can leave you vulnerable to threats from harmful websites and IP addresses that could infect your device. 

To turn off Web protection:

1. Open the app.
2. Click Settings  in the side bar.
3. On the Settings page, click Protection.
4. Under Real-Time Protection, toggle Web protection off.