How To Find And Close Listening Ports In Windows 10

Listening ports on your Windows 10 machine can be open invitations—for both legitimate software and unwanted intruders. Knowing how to identify and close these ports is an essential step toward tightening your system’s security.

This guide walks you through how to find which ports are open and close the ones you don’t need. No fluff. Just straight answers.

Step 1: What Is a Listening Port?

A listening port is like a door your system keeps open to communicate with the outside world. Programs use them to send and receive data—like browsers, email clients, or remote desktop services. Some are essential. Others are just sitting there, waiting to be exploited.

Step 2: How To Find Listening Ports

Option A: Using netstat

1. Press Windows + R, type cmd, and hit Enter.
2. In the Command Prompt, type: netstat -ano | findstr LISTENING This command lists all ports currently listening for incoming connections, along with the Process ID (PID).
3. To match a PID to a program, type: tasklist | findstr <PID> Replace <PID> with the actual number from the netstat output.

Option B: Using PowerShell

If you prefer PowerShell, run:

Get-NetTCPConnection -State Listen | Select-Object LocalAddress, LocalPort, OwningProcess

Then use:

Get-Process -Id <PID>

to identify the owning process.

Step 3: Decide What to Close

Not all open ports are bad. Before closing anything, know what it’s doing. Here’s a quick rundown:

• Port 80 / 443: Web server? Leave it.
• Port 3389: Remote Desktop? Only keep open if you use it.
• Random high ports: Usually tied to software or malware. Investigate.

Tip: Google the port number or the associated application to learn more.

Step 4: How To Close a Listening Port

Method 1: Stop the Service or App

1. Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc).
2. Go to the Details tab.
3. Match the PID and right-click the process.
4. Choose End Task (if you’re sure it’s safe to kill).

Method 2: Disable the Service

1. Press Windows + R, type services.msc, and hit Enter.
2. Find the service linked to the PID or application.
3. Right-click > Properties > Set Startup type to Disabled.

Method 3: Block With Windows Firewall

If you can’t disable the app, block its port:

1. Open Windows Defender Firewall.
2. Go to Advanced Settings > Inbound Rules.
3. Click New Rule.
4. Select Port, click Next.
5. Choose TCP or UDP, specify the port, click Next.
6. Choose Block the connection and finish setup.

Bonus: Monitor Ports Automatically

For ongoing protection, consider tools like:

• TCPView from Sysinternals (real-time view)
• GlassWire (network monitoring with alerts)
• Nmap (external scan of your system)

Final Word

Open ports can be useful—or dangerous. Don’t leave them unattended. Take a few minutes to scan and shut down what you don’t need. Your system will be safer, and you’ll have tighter control over what’s running.

Got questions or want help analyzing a specific port? Drop a comment below and let’s troubleshoot it together.