Configuring Windows 11 Proxy Settings, And Finding Out How To Disable a Proxy in Windows 11

There are over five billion internet users around the world, according to an October 2023 Statista report. With that many people online, it’s certain that some of them are up to no good. It’s essential to protect yourself, your connections, and your sensitive data from bad actors. That’s where proxies come in. For many people, browsing the web without a proxy is akin to walking onto a construction site without a hard hat. Sure, you can do it, but why take the risk?

Some people are familiar with proxies but may not know how to configure one in Windows 11 for the first time. Others may have set up a proxy server but now need to know how to disable a proxy in Windows 11, while others may be interested in learning about how to change their existing Windows 11 proxy settings.

Today, we will take a deep dive into proxy settings in Windows 11, including how to set up a proxy, change proxy settings, disable a proxy in Windows 11, and troubleshoot proxy-related error messages.

Checking the Proxy and the Firewall in Windows 11

Before we get into other aspects of proxy settings, such as how to disable a proxy in Windows 11, let’s first examine the basics: checking the proxy and the firewall in Windows 11.

The method for checking these settings is simple.

Checking the firewall in Windows 11

1. From the Start menu, click “Settings.”
2. Click “Privacy & Security.”
3. Click “Windows Security.”
4. From the list of options, click “Firewall & network protection.”

Here, you can view your current Windows Defender Firewall settings.

Checking the proxy in Windows 11

1. From the Start menu, click “Settings.”
2. Click “Network & Internet Settings.”
3. From the list of options, click “Proxy.”

From here, you can view your current proxy settings, set up a new proxy, change your existing proxy settings, or disable your proxy in Windows 11.

How To Set Up a Proxy Server on Windows 11

There are a number of ways to configure a proxy in Windows 11.

Enable automatic proxy configuration via Web Proxy Auto-Discovery Protocol (WPAD)

Some organizations, such as businesses or schools, use the automatic configuration option to avoid the need for manual proxy configuration for every computer connected to their network. Once you enable this setting, Windows 11 will detect your proxy settings automatically by using the Web Proxy Auto-Discovery Protocol, or WPAD.

You can enable automatic proxy configuration in Windows 11 by following these instructions:

1. From the Start menu, click “Settings.”
2. Click “Network & Internet Settings.”
3. From the list of options, click “Proxy.”
4. Under the “Automatic proxy setup” heading, switch on the toggle for “Automatically detect settings.”

Note: By default, Windows 11 will have this toggle switched on. If you don’t want to use automatic configuration, you should ensure this toggle is switched off to disable proxy Windows 11 automatic detection.

Enable automatic proxy configuration via script

More advanced users may want to configure your proxy automatically using a setup script. You can do so by following these steps:

1. From the Start menu, click “Settings.”
2. Click “Network & Internet Settings.”
3. From the list of options, click “Proxy.”
4. Under the “Automatic proxy setup” heading, switch on the toggle for “Automatically detect settings.”
5. Below this, next to “Use setup script,” click “Set up.”
6. Switch on the toggle for “Use setup script.”
7. Enter the URL or IP address of your script or Proxy Auto-Configuration (PAC) file.
8. Click “Save.”

From here, Windows 11 will automatically configure your proxy based on the instructions in the script file.

If you prefer to set up your proxy manually, you should turn off the “Automatically detect settings” toggle to disable proxy Windows 11 automatic detection.

Manual proxy configuration in Windows 11

You may also choose to configure your proxy manually. To do so, follow these instructions:

1. From the Start menu, click “Settings.”
2. Click “Network & Internet Settings.”
3. From the list of options, click “Proxy.”
4. Under the “Manual proxy setup” heading, next to “Use a proxy server,” click “Set up.”
5. Switch on the toggle for “Use a proxy server.”
6. Enter the IP address for your proxy in the “Proxy IP address” field.
7. In the “Port” field, enter the port number for your proxy.
8. Check the box for “Don’t use the proxy server for local (intranet) addresses.”
9. If applicable, enter any addresses you wish to bypass the proxy server. Separate these entries with a semicolon between each.
10. Click “Save.”

After configuring your proxy either automatically or manually, all of your device’s network traffic will proceed to flow through the proxy you set up. From this screen, you can also disable a proxy in Windows 11 or change its settings.

How To Change Proxy Settings in Windows 11

To change your current Windows 11 proxy settings, you can follow these steps:

1. From the Start menu, click “Settings.”
2. Click “Network & Internet Settings.”
3. From the list of options, click “Proxy.”
4. Make any necessary changes.
5. Click “Save” when prompted.

You can also access your computer’s proxy settings within your internet browser.

How to change proxy settings in Chrome in Windows 11

To access your proxy settings within Google Chrome, follow these instructions:

1. Launch your Google Chrome browser.
2. Click the “more” menu (indicated by the icon composed of three vertical dots).
3. Click “Settings.”
4. In the left sidebar, click “System.”
5. Click “Open your computer’s proxy settings.”
6. Make any necessary changes.
7. Click “Save” when prompted.

How to change Microsoft Edge proxy settings in Windows 11

You can also access your proxy settings within Microsoft Edge by following these steps:

1. Launch your Microsoft Edge browser.
2. Click the “tools” menu (indicated by the icon composed of three horizontal dots).
3. Click “Settings.”
4. In the left sidebar, click “System.”
5. Click “Open your computer’s proxy settings.”
6. Make any necessary changes.
7. Click “Save” when prompted.

How To Disable Proxy in Windows 11

For various reasons, you might need to know how to disable your proxy server in Windows 11. Whether this is because you want to reset proxy settings in Windows 11, because you have encountered connection issues and want to troubleshoot by disconnecting your proxy, or for any other reason, you can disable your proxy in Windows 11 in a couple of different ways.

Disable proxy in Windows 11 using System Settings

1. From the Start menu, click “Settings.”
2. Click “Network & Internet Settings.”
3. From the list of options, click “Proxy.”
4. Under the “Automatic proxy setup” heading, turn off the toggle for “Automatically detect settings.”
5. Under the “Manual proxy setup” heading, next to “Use a proxy server,” click “Set up.”
6. Turn off the toggle for “Use a proxy server.”
7. Click “Save.”

Disable proxy in Windows 11 using Control Panel

1. In the Windows search bar, type “Control Panel” and press the “Enter” key.
2. Pull down the “View by” menu and click either “Large icons” or “Small icons.”
3. Click “Internet Options.”
4. Click the Connections tab.
5. Under the “Local Area Network (LAN) Settings” heading, click “LAN settings.”
6. Uncheck the boxes next to “Automatically detect settings” and “Use a proxy server for your LAN.”
7. In the Local Area Network (LAN) Settings window, click “OK.”
8. In the Internet Properties window, click “Apply,” and then click “OK.”

How to disable proxy settings in Windows 11 completely using Registry Editor

Note: If you are not familiar with editing your computer’s registry, it would be best to use one of the previous methods to disable your proxy in Windows 11. Editing your computer’s registry can cause serious damage to your computer.

If you have experience editing the registry, you can follow these steps to disable proxy use in Windows 11 altogether on your computer.

1. Create a backup of your Windows registry.
2. In the Windows search bar, type “Registry Editor” and press the “Enter” key.
3. Navigate to the following path: Computer\HKEY_Local_Machine\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
4. Under “Current Version,” right-click “Internet Settings.” From the fly-out menu, select “New,” and then select “DWORD (32-bit) Value.”
5. For the newly created DWORD item, type the name “ProxySettingsPerUser” and press the “Enter” key.
6. Double-click the “ProxySettingsPerUser” DWORD to open it.
7. In the “Value Data” field, enter “1” and click “OK.”
8. Close the Registry Editor.
9. Restart your computer for these changes to take effect.

With these steps accomplished, you have effectively disabled proxy use in Windows 11 on your computer for good, barring subsequent registry changes in the future.

How To Troubleshoot Proxy Errors in Windows 11

In some cases, you may find yourself derailed by a proxy-related error such as ERR_PROXY_CONNECTION_FAILED in Windows 11. These errors may occur for a number of reasons. For example:

• Your proxy failed to deliver your request to the intended website server
• A website server identified your proxy as an unauthorized or blocked IP address
• Your proxy settings have been misconfigured
• Your proxy connection has timed out

Whatever the reason for the error, there are multiple ways to troubleshoot your proxy problem.

Troubleshoot proxy errors using the Command Prompt

1. In the Windows search bar, type “Command Prompt” (or, to simplify the process, you can simply type “Cmd”). Do not press the “Enter” key.
2. On the right side of the window, from the list of options, click “Run as administrator.”
3. If asked “Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device,” click “Yes.”
4. In the Administrator: Command Prompt window, type “ipconfig /flushdns” and press the “Enter” key.
5. Next, type “nbtstat -r” and press the “Enter” key.
6. Then, type “netsh int ip reset” and press the “Enter” key.
7. Now, type “netsh winsock reset” and press the “Enter” key.
8. Lastly, type “exit” and press the “Enter” key.
9. Restart your computer.

If the problem persists, you can try the next troubleshooting method.

Troubleshoot errors by disabling proxy in Windows 11

1. From the Start menu, click “Settings.”
2. Click “Network & Internet Settings.”
3. From the list of options, click “Proxy.”
4. Under the “Automatic proxy setup” heading, turn off the toggle for “Automatically detect settings.”
5. Under the “Manual proxy setup” heading, next to “Use a proxy server,” click “Set up.”
6. Turn off the toggle for “Use a proxy server.”
7. Click “Save.”

If you continue to have issues after disabling your proxy in Windows 11, you can try the next technique.

Troubleshoot errors by performing a network reset

This method will restore your computer’s default network settings, which may resolve your proxy error message.

1. From the Start menu, click “Settings.”
2. Click “Network & Internet Settings.”
3. From the list of options, click “Advanced network settings.”
4. Under the “More settings” heading, click “Network reset.”
5. On the “Network reset” screen, next to “Network reset,” click “Reset now.” Click “Yes” to confirm the reset.

Troubleshoot errors by resetting your Google Chrome browser settings

In some cases, this process may resolve Windows 11 proxy issues. Performing this technique will reset some of your Chrome settings and shortcuts, disable your browser extensions, and delete your stored cookies and other temporary site data. It will not affect your bookmarks, history, or saved passwords.

1. Launch your Google Chrome browser.
2. Click the “more” menu (indicated by the icon composed of three vertical dots).
3. Click “Settings.”
4. In the left sidebar, click “Reset and clean up.”
5. Click “Restore settings to their original defaults.”
6. Click “Reset settings” and wait for the process to finish.
7. Close your Chrome browser and open it again.

If none of the troubleshooting methods resolve your proxy issue, you may wish to contact your proxy provider for further assistance.

In Conclusion

Now that you’re familiar with the ins and outs of setting up a proxy, changing your proxy settings, troubleshooting proxy errors, and disabling a proxy in Windows 11, you should have no problem navigating the intricacies of Windows 11 proxy settings. For more information about how proxies can protect you online, check out Rayobyte’s vast library of blog posts on the topic of proxies.

At Rayobyte, we offer the world’s most reliable proxies. With a massive proxy pool, a variety of proxy types, and a commitment to providing only ethically sourced residential proxies, we want to be more than just a proxy provider — we want to be your proxy partner. Contact us today for more information or to start a free trial!

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