Recently, I had to install Zscaler on my computer to connect to a partner/client’s network. No big deal — Zscaler is pretty common in corporate environments for security and traffic filtering.
But here’s the catch: due to the client's strict policies, I couldn't uninstall or even disable Zscaler using the graphical interface. That quickly became a problem for me as a developer — breaking local environments, interfering with API calls, blocking containers, etc.
After some digging, I found a workaround that’s not perfect, but gets the job done — using PowerShell on Windows.
Here’s how it works
When Zscaler is installed, it attaches itself to your network adapter as a binding. The good news? You can manage these bindings directly from PowerShell.
✅ 1. Check the current Zscaler binding status
Get-NetAdapterBinding -AllBindings -ComponentID ZS_ZAPPRD
This will list all network adapters with Zscaler bindings.
❌ 2. Disable Zscaler
Get-NetAdapterBinding -AllBindings -ComponentID ZS_ZAPPRD | Disable-NetAdapterBinding
This command disables the Zscaler component on your network adapter — effectively removing its control.
🔄 3. Re-enable Zscaler (when needed)
Get-NetAdapterBinding -AllBindings -ComponentID ZS_ZAPPRD | Enable-NetAdapterBinding
Run this whenever you need to reconnect to the corporate environment.
⚠️ Final Thoughts
This doesn’t uninstall Zscaler, and might not work if your company has extra security layers like GPO or enforced admin restrictions. Use with caution and only if you understand the risks.
This little trick saved me a ton of headaches while working on my project. Hopefully, it helps someone else out there too.
If you found this useful, drop a ❤️ or leave a comment below.
Let’s keep dev life smooth — even in locked-down environments. 🔓💻🔥