Getting Started with WriteGuard

Welcome to WriteGuard — a powerful batch script interface for managing the Unified Write Filter (UWF) on Windows systems. This guide will walk you through installation, configuration, and basic usage.

Download

Download the latest version of WriteGuard from our SourceForge page:

Once downloaded, extract the .zip archive to a convenient location on your system.

Requirements

Ensure your system meets the following:

  • OS: Windows 10/11 Enterprise, Education, or IoT editions
  • Admin Access: The script must be run as an administrator
  • Windows Features:
    • Unified Write Filter (UWF)
    • Device Lockdown (optional, but recommended)

Installation

1. Extract the Files

  1. Unzip the downloaded file and open the folder.

2. Launch

Double-click on writeguard.bat

3. Enable filter

  1. Press F to enter filter Menu
  2. Press E to enable UWF
  3. Press R to reboot

4. Protect Volume

  1. Press V to enter the Volume menu
  2. Press P to Protect a volume
  3. Press 1 to protect a single volume (Recommended)
  4. Press A to protect all volumes
  5. Follow on-screen instructions to continue
  6. Finished UWF has been enabled and a volume
  7. Press R to reboot

Disabling or Uninstalling

To disable UWF:

  1. Run writeguard.bat as Administrator
  2. Press F to enter the Filter Menu
  3. Press D to disable UWF
  4. Press R to reboot

To remove the script, simply delete the extracted folder.

Verify UWF Status

To check if UWF is enabled after reboot:

  1. Re-run writeguard.bat as administrator
  2. Press F to go to the Filter Menu
  3. If UWF is enabled, it will display: Filter state: ON

Troubleshooting

  • UWF not found: Your Windows edition may not support it, or the feature is not installed
  • Changes not saved after reboot: UWF discards changes unless files or registry keys are committed

Best Practices

  • Backup: Always back up registry keys or files before commiting changes
  • Use menus carefully: Avoid unprotecting critical volumes accidentally