How to Disable Web Proxy Auto-Discovery (WPAD) On Windows 10/11 [Solution]
0How to Disable Web Proxy Auto-Discovery (WPAD) On Windows 10/11 [Solution]
Web Proxy Auto-Discovery or WPAD allows apps such as browsers to discover the location of a web URL or a file on the internet. It was introduced in 1999, letting browsers know which proxy to use. So if you are in a corporate environment with its proxy, the browser can figure out that using the auto-discovery. However, the protocol is not safe anymore and can easily be hijacked. So you should disable Web Proxy Auto-Discovery (WPAD) in Windows 11/10.
Issues addressed in this tutorial:
disable web proxy auto-discovery protocol (wpad)
disable web proxy auto discovery group policy
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Proxy servers---not to be confused with virtual private networks (VPNs)---are sometimes required to browse the web on some business or school networks. When you configure a proxy server on your system, your system will send your browsing traffic through the proxy server rather than directly to the websites you visit. This allows organizations to perform web filtering and caching, and may be necessary to bypass the firewalls on some networks.
The WPAD protocol is designed to allow organizations to easily provide proxy settings to all devices that connect to the network. The organization can place a WPAD configuration file in a standard place, and when WPAD is enabled, your computer or other device checks to see if there's WPAD proxy information provided by the network. Your device then automatically uses whatever settings the proxy auto-configuration (PAC) file provides, sending all traffic on the current network through the proxy server.
This tutorial will apply for computers, laptops, desktops, and tablets running the Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating systems (Home, Professional, Enterprise, Education) from all supported hardware manufactures, like Dell, HP, Acer, Asus, Toshiba, Lenovo, Alienware, Razer, MSI, Huawei , Microsoft Surface, and Samsung.