How to Enable Microsoft Defender Application Guard on Windows 11

Microsoft has already introduced quite a few new and useful security features with Windows 11, including a new security feature called Microsoft Defender Application Guard.

This article will discuss Microsoft Defender Application Guard and how to enable it on your system. First, let’s examine what it does.

What is Microsoft Defender Application Guard?

Microsoft Defender Application Guard is a security feature that lets you browse untrusted websites securely using the Microsoft Edge browser. The feature is only active while using the Microsoft Edge Browser and is not linked to other web browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, etc.

When you activate Microsoft Defender Application Guard on Windows 11 and open an application guard window in the Edge browser, it creates a virtual machine using the Hyper-V technology.

Creating a virtual machine isolates your Edge browser session from the main installation. It runs the Edge browser on a virtual machine to prevent hacker attacks or malicious files from accessing trusted resources.

Enable Microsoft Defender Application Guard in Windows 11

Although you may not be fully aware of Microsoft Defender Application Guard, you might want to enable it on your device. Before following the steps, please note that the Microsoft Defender Application Guard uses Hyper-V technology to create a virtual environment.

The feature is only available for Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, and other variants. Hence, your PC should have Virtualization turned on to enable & use this feature. Here’s what you need to do.

1. Click on the Windows 11 Start button and select Settings.

2. On the Settings app, click on the Apps section on the left.

3. On the right, click on the Optional Features.

4. On the Optional Features page, scroll down and click on the More Windows features option.

5. On the Windows Features pop-up, check the Microsoft Defender Application Guard option.

6. Once you’ve completed the steps, click the Apply button. You will then be asked to Restart your computer. Click Restart now to restart and apply the changes.

How to Use Microsoft Defender Application Guard?

Once enabled, the Defender Application Guard requires the Edge browser. Here’s how to use it.

1. Open the Microsoft Edge browser on your Windows 11. Next, tap on the three dots as shown below.

2. From the list of options that appear, select ‘New Application Guard Window’.

3. This will launch a new application guard window on your Edge browser. You can now browse untrusted websites without worrying about security issues.

If you wish to disable the feature, uncheck the Microsoft Defender Application Guard on the Windows Features pop-up in Step 5.

That’s all about setting up and using Microsoft Defender Application Guard on Windows 11. This excellent feature protects your PC from online attacks and malicious files. If you need any more help with the steps, let us know.