Windows 10: How effective is Windows Controlled Folder Access?

I have my laptop continuously connected to external disk drives for backup purposes. Backups take place through the day at scheduled times with no intervention by me. I use Macrium Reflect and GoodSync.

Since I see a risk in that ransomware could access my backup disks I decided to investigate the Windows Controlled Folder Access feature. Currently I get occasional warnings about programs trying to access the external disk drives and I act accordingly. Hopefully things will soon settle down and I'll stop getting any new warnings.

My idea is that if my C drive is infected by ransomware I should be able to recover by going to my backups as long as these are clean, that is before the ransomware entered my system. For this purpose I keep several versions of backups.

However, I couldn't find any third party software to keep my external drives locked and only allow access when a backup would take place. My question is, in the above circumstances how effective is the Windows Controlled Folder Access against ransomware?

:)

 

Controlled Folder Access

Hi.

I've been using Controlled Folder Access recently but I'm having a problem getting one application to change/create files. I use doPDF8 to create PDF files, but when CFA is active, it won't save my work. The notice explaining that something has tried accessing the folder only comes up once. (I assume that if you don't do anything about it, the program trying to access the file is put on the 'black list'.) Turning CFA off and then on again causes the notice to appear once more. However, the notice seems to suggest that it is C:\Windows\splwow64.exe that is trying to access/create the file, but when I put this into the 'allow app control' list, it still doesn't work. The only way I can find to get the PDF file created is to turn off CFA, create the file and then turn it back on again.

Any ideas?

Matt

(Windows 10 ver 1709)

 

Controlled Folder Access is off. Shouldn't this be on?

Suggestion to also read

• this article (ignore ads):
  How to Protect Your Files From Ransomware With Windows Defender’s New “Controlled Folder Access”
• and this thread:
  Controlled Folder Access Feature in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update Questions?
  

 

Is anyone using Windows Defender Controlled folder access?

Thanks for bringing out that 1127.. This event (blocking memory) isn't listed in Controlled folder access events, yet it occurs from time to time. And I don't notice any side effects of it... *Confused

It is triggered (on my system) by hwinfo, powercfg, UUP2ISO, nothing to do with Controlled folders, but memory.