Disabling the Windows 8 firewall. Common firewall problems and their solutions in Windows XP

A firewall is software or hardware that prevents hackers and certain types of malware from accessing your computer over a network or the Internet. Its action is to check information received from the Internet or local network and block or allow it to access the computer.

Firewall is not the same as an antivirus or malware protection program. A firewall provides protection against Internet worms and hacker attacks, antivirus programs provide protection against viruses, and anti-malware applications provide protection against malware.

All these types of applications are required on a computer. You can use the Windows Defender antivirus and malware protection software that came with Windows 8 or another antivirus that protects against malicious code.

You only need to install one firewall application on your computer (except your network router's built-in firewall). Using multiple firewall applications on a computer can cause conflicts and problems.

Windows Firewall included in the system by default.

This image shows how a firewall works:

• The firewall is enabled for all network connections.
• The firewall blocks all incoming connections except those that cannot be blocked.
• The firewall is enabled for all types of networks (private, public or domain).

Note: Computers running Windows RT or Windows 8 cannot be joined to a domain. Domain joining is only supported for computers running Windows 8 Pro or Windows 8 Enterprise.

Turn Windows Firewall on or off

Do not do it turn off Windows Firewall, if no other firewall is enabled. Disabling Windows Firewall may make your computer (and network, if you have one) more vulnerable to attacks from hackers or worms.

Note: If your computer is connected to a network, your network policy settings may prevent you from performing these actions. For more details, contact your administrator.

Windows Firewall Settings

There are four settings you can configure for each network type (public, private, or domain). To find these options, follow these steps:

1. Open Windows Firewall.
2. Click Turn Windows Firewall on or off.

The following describes what these options do and when to use them:

• Turn on Windows Firewall. This option is selected by default. When Windows Firewall is turned on, most applications are blocked from receiving information. To allow the firewall to accept information, the application must be added to the allowed list by following the steps described in the next section. For example, receiving photos in an instant message may not be possible until the corresponding application is added to the list of allowed applications.
• Block all incoming connections, including applications in the list of allowed programs. Using this setting blocks all unauthorized attempts to connect to your computer. This ensures maximum computer protection, for example, when connecting to a public network (in a hotel or airport). If you block all incoming calls, you can still browse most Web pages, send and receive email, and exchange instant messages.
• Notify, when Windows Firewall blocks a new program. When this checkbox is selected, Windows Firewall will inform you that the application is blocked and give you the option to unblock it.
• Disable Windows Firewall (not recommended). Do not use this option unless another firewall is running on the computer.

Note: If some firewall settings are not available and your computer is joined to a domain, it is possible that your administrator is controlling these settings by using Group Policy.

Permission to receive information through applications

By default, most applications blocked by Windows Firewall to improve your computer's security. However, some applications may require the ability to obtain information through a firewall to function properly.

Before you give an application permission to accept information through a firewall, there are some considerations that need to be taken into account.

Opening a port in Windows Firewall

If Windows Firewall is blocking a program that you want to allow to receive information over the Internet, this is usually done by adding the program to the allowed list, as described in the previous section.

However, if the program is not listed, you may need to open the port through which the program receives data through the firewall. For example, if you plan to use an application to play online multiplayer with friends, you may need to open a port for the application so that the firewall allows game information to be entered into the computer.

Ports remain open all the time, so close those that are not needed.

Since the development of the global Internet and the emergence of virus programs, Microsoft has developed such an integrated firewall as the Windows Firewall for various versions of operating systems. It's no secret that this program allows you to protect your computer from malware. But sometimes it simply interferes with the Internet and creates additional load on the processor, so many users are wondering how to disable the Windows Firewall.

8 Basic Functions Performed by a Firewall

How Windows Firewall works

At the moment, the firewall is included in any operating system by default, so there is no need to install this add-on. And when installing another firewall, there is a possibility that their operation will conflict. Do not confuse a firewall with an antivirus program. Their main difference is that the Windows firewall protects your computer from malicious worms and hacker attacks, while antiviruses block virus programs from entering your technical device.

Turn on the firewall on your computer and select its settings

Regardless of the type of network on your computer, be it private, domain or public, you can choose 4 types of this firewall. Windows Firewall settings are fairly easy to configure; you just need to follow a few steps. Namely:

Find and launch Windows Firewall.

In the list of settings, select one of 4 options and enable it.

Below we describe in what cases to use one or another type.

Enable Windows Firewall. This option works by default; you will have to add the application to the list of allowed ones or disable the program. Otherwise, the Windows 8, 7, XP and others firewall will simply block receiving information through applications.

Inform when the firewall denies access to a new program. If this option is active, you will always receive messages about prohibiting unauthorized programs with the option to unblock them.

Block incoming connections. Selecting this option completely blocks application access and attempts to make any unauthorized connections. Accordingly, your computer will be completely safe when connected to a public network. But this does not mean that web pages are blocked. You, as before, will work on the global Internet, send and receive messages on a social network or by email.

Deactivating the firewall

It happens that the firewall interferes with the installation of a new program, so it is possible to disable it. And if another firewall is running on your computer, it is recommended to disable the firewall so as not to create a conflict between their work. To disable, you will need to open the firewall, go to its settings and select the non-recommended disabling.

Windows Firewall: Exceptions

Some programs that are important for the user’s work often exchange information with the global network, but integrated software only interferes with their work. To eradicate this, the firewall provides a special function - exceptions. Windows Firewall allows the actions of the added program to pass through and no longer blocks the installed programs from attempting to accept external changes coming from the Internet.

Adding programs and ports to firewall exceptions

To add a program to exceptions, follow these simple steps:

First, you need to log in to the system with administrator rights. This way you will have more options.

Next, go to the “Start” menu and either find the command line in it and enter Firewall.cpl, which will open the desired window, or, if you have never worked with it, you can go to “Control Panel” -> “System and Security” -> “Windows Firewall”.

In the “Exceptions” tab, click the add program button. There is no such bookmark in Windows 7; it looks like a link with the name permission to launch components and programs.

A few words on setting up Firewall

Some websites advise disabling built-in software such as the Windows 8, 7 or other firewall, explaining this as an additional load on the system or poor protection. But would webmasters create such an additional security program if it was absolutely unnecessary? You may not have thought about the fact that nowadays there are quite a lot of attackers who are not averse to taking over your passwords for mail, e-wallet and other personal documents stored on your computer. This is why it is important to keep your firewall running 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. For home use, standard firewall settings are quite suitable. If similar software was additionally installed on your computer, it is best to disable one of them so that there is no conflict between their operation.

Windows 8 Firewall and its deactivation

Many inexperienced PC users who have installed the updated version 8 operating system on their device are wondering whether to deactivate the firewall. How to disable the Windows 8 firewall temporarily or permanently? It should be noted that this software is noticeably different from its predecessors. All software is hidden and can be difficult to find.

Temporary shutdown involves a series of actions taken. To get to the settings section, press the Windows key combination + I. This will bring up a menu with a control panel. After switching to it, from the existing shortcuts you need to select “System and Security”. Next, in the new window that opens, click on the “Windows 8 Firewall” section. To partially disable it, just click on the left side of the window to turn the firewall on and off and confirm this command by clicking on the “Ok” button.

To completely deactivate the program, you will need to remove it from autorun. To do this, press the Windows + R key combination to open the command line and enter services.msc in it. In the window that opens, select the item for the firewall we need and go to the “General” section, where we disable its autorun. After clicking the “Ok” button, all changes take effect.

Windows 7 Firewall

Activating and configuring a firewall on the Windows 8 operating system is very different from its predecessor 7. But even on it, some users do not know how to enable the Windows 7 firewall. But it is so necessary to protect the computer from intruders.



In order to enter the settings window, follow the following path: “Start” -> “Control Panel” -> “System and Security” -> “Windows Firewall”. And then everything is simple! A new window opens in which you need to select options to enable the firewall if it is deactivated. On the left of the window there is an item about changing notification settings, where the basic settings are selected. After making changes, all that remains is to click on the “Ok” button. After these steps, you don’t even need to restart your computer; all changes will immediately take effect.

The deactivation process is just as simple. You can simply look at how to enable the Windows 7 firewall. Then do the same steps, but instead of activating, select another option. Namely: “Turn off Windows Firewall (not recommended).” Of course, if you are 100% sure that this is necessary.

Windows XP Firewall: activation, settings, deactivation

The firewall on the XP operating system is no different in functionality from the above, and its settings may seem a little simpler to some.

To ensure that there are no problems when working with your computer and the global Internet, you should correctly configure your firewall settings. Go to the Start panel, go to Control Panel. There are many integrated components installed in Windows, including the firewall. Once the new window opens, you will see three tabs: General, Exceptions, and Advanced. In general settings you can enable or disable the firewall. In addition, if you are connected to a public network, you can check the box next to disable added exceptions. This way, your computer will not be at risk of infection by worms or attack by intruders.

In the exceptions tab, the settings are quite simple. There are buttons for adding ports, programs, changing and deleting them. In the scrolling window you can see the added programs, next to which you should check the box and click on the “OK” button to save changes.



In the “Advanced” tab, you should check whether the option to connect to a virtual private network is selected; if not, then you need to check the box next to it, and also go to the ICMP protocol parameters and select the following items: incoming request permissions, echo, mask, router, and also redirect permissions. After these steps, all that remains is to save the changes by pressing the “Ok” button. Your Windows XP firewall is now configured.

Common firewall problems and solutions in Windows XP

Most often, users encounter difficulties when setting settings. In this case, it turns out that the user is not logged into the system with administrator rights, and therefore has limited access. Sometimes shared access to folders and connected printers disappears, and network computers are not displayed. To solve this problem, you will need to add a printer and file sharing folder to your firewall exceptions. And when the firewall cannot start, the system displays a message stating that Windows Firewall was unable to change some settings. Restarting your computer should fix this error.

Setting up Firewall using the command line

If you are sure that a firewall does not guarantee adequate security for your device, then you are mistaken about this. If configured correctly, the firewall will not interfere with your work, but will take care of unintentional attacks from hackers, virus worms and other unauthorized external activities.



There is another more advanced installation method: using the command line. Using the Set Logging command, you can learn more about the operation of the OS-integrated firewall.

Before deliberately disabling your firewall, be sure to install a good antivirus program that will protect your device from malicious attacks from the outside.

If at home you can work using standard firewall settings, then when connecting to a public network, turn on the ban on exceptions. This action will further secure your computer. And most importantly, you will have no doubts about the security of your passwords for your e-wallet, mail, and important business information. Do not rush to make erroneous conclusions about the operation of the software; if some problem arises, try to solve it without deactivating the firewall.

The firewall in Windows 8 is designed to protect your computer from viruses or hacking carried out over the Internet. This application is different from an antivirus program, which finds and removes viruses that may infect your computer. A firewall is an excellent protection against intruders and network worms, however, it is powerless against malware.

Should I turn off my firewall?

The application is included initially in Windows 8. Moreover, it is recommended to use its default settings. You should set the settings so that the application blocks all connections except those allowed by the user. Additionally, it is recommended to enable it for all network types.

Some antiviruses have built-in firewalls. If two of these applications are running on the computer at the same time, this may cause wastage of resources. Also, such a situation can lead to conflicts and problems. If you have installed a third-party antivirus that already has a firewall, then it is recommended to disable the built-in tool. But do not forget that disabling a service in Windows 8 if a similar application is not activated is not recommended, as this will make the computer quite vulnerable.

Some firewall settings

Initially, the firewall blocks many applications, including those useful to the user. In order to avoid this, you will need to obtain data through a firewall. To do this, you need to start the service.
You can open the firewall by entering the name of the application in the search bar. After that, in the window, select the line that will allow you to interact with applications in the service. Click Change settings and select the application you need. We mark the types of networks for which we need to allow data exchange and click OK.

How to disable the firewall

To disable the firewall, click Win + I on the desktop, which will bring up a menu in which you must select Control Panel. What other ways are there to open the Control Panel from this. After opening the window, you should switch to the Large or small icons view mode. Now you need to select System and Security, in the window of which click directly on the Windows 8 Firewall. On the left side of the screen, select the button Turn the firewall on or off. Next, select disablement in both items that open. Confirm your choice by clicking OK.

Once you have disabled the firewall, keep in mind that only part of the firewall is disabled. In other words, the application is still running, but does not perform its immediate functions. Consequently, resources will continue to be consumed by the service. In order to avoid this, you will need to disable the firewall with service unloading.

So, press the combination Win+R and enter the command services.msc. You can also enter it directly in the start menu. After this, a window will appear in front of us in which we can manage services. On the right side we find Windows Firewall and double-click on it. In the window that opens, go to the General tab. Here, in the startup type, select the Disabled state and click the Disable button. Close the window by clicking OK.

You should be happy with your Windows 8 firewall settings. If the service denies access to any applications, then you can temporarily or permanently disable it. Of course, it is not recommended to leave your computer unprotected, so you need to activate a third-party antivirus, which usually has its own firewall. The choice of antivirus programs is quite wide. You can read about the most popular types of antiviruses. We discussed how to disable the firewall above, and it should be noted that this is a very simple procedure.

Setting up the Windows 8 firewall, how to enable/disable the firewall, how to use a firewall to block a specific program from accessing the Internet, how to add an exception, additional settings for the Windows firewall. Unlike what was described in another article, the Windows firewall is not as simple as it might seem at first glance, and there are a huge number of different configuration options hidden under its hood.

The main Windows 8 Firewall window doesn't offer many features. It just gives information about the network to which you are currently connected and shows the current state of the firewall in relation to this network.

However, even in the main firewall window there are many additional options. You can access them in the menu on the left. Let's try to talk about each of them in turn. The first option - allowing interactions with a component or application in the Windows Firewall - allows you to unblock a previously blocked program (perhaps it was blocked due to suspicious activity or you accidentally blocked it yourself).

But keep in mind that Windows 8 will not allow applications to exchange data so easily. First you will have to click the " Change settings", which will confirm to Windows your desire for these changes. This protection prevents malware from automatically entering, even if you accidentally allowed installation via UAC.

If the program or application does not appear in the list, you can click the " Allow another app» and find it manually.

Advice. If you are having problems with your firewall, click on the " Restore Defaults", and reset its settings to the default configuration.

Block programs from accessing the Internet in the firewall.

Click the “Change settings” button in the upper right corner of the window and allow or block the program or application from accessing the Internet through the firewall. To do this, check or uncheck the network settings for this program: private (for example, at home, at work) and public (cafes, libraries). You may need to set these parameters individually, for example, you have a file synchronization program (SkyDrive or Dropbox) that needs blocking when connecting to public networks; you don’t want someone to intercept your transferred files.

As mentioned above, if you don’t see the program you need in this list, add it manually. After clicking on the “Allow another application” button, a new window will appear with a complete list of your installed applications and programs. In principle, it should not differ from the main list of allowed applications, but there may be changes, it depends on whether you have installed user programs.

To add any desktop software not included in this list, click the " Review" When you select the program you want to add, click the " Network types"(public and private) networks to which you want to allow the program to connect, and finish adding by clicking the " Add».

Enable/Disable Windows 8 Firewall.

In the main Windows Firewall window, you can change notification settings and enable/disable Windows Firewall. Both links lead to the same place.

While you can disable the firewall on private networks, leave it running on public networks. Why might this be needed? Let's say you're a gamer and the firewall is interfering with your online gaming at home, or an office worker whose IT department requires you to turn off the Windows Firewall because it's conflicting with something on your computer.

But on a laptop, if you are away from home, it is still recommended to have firewall protection enabled. So leave the firewall enabled for public networks and disabled for private ones.

Windows Firewall Enhanced Security Mode.

There is also a checkbox that blocks all incoming connections, which provides increased security, especially on public networks, but by checking it you may find that some programs or applications have stopped working because they need this function. So, if some application suddenly stops working adequately, check your firewall settings.

The next item resets Windows Firewall settings to default values. This option is very useful, especially if you changed something and don't remember what it was.

Additional firewall settings.

In the main firewall window, click the option " Extra options"and go to another window in which you can set specific rules for incoming and outgoing traffic; and also perform other operations, such as opening and blocking connection ports.

The main area, in the center of the open window, displays the current state of the firewall, but it's also a good idea to familiarize yourself with the two side panels. The panel on the left side displays a tree showing the various firewall parameters: inbound and outbound rules, connection security rules, and firewall monitoring. On the right side are controls, including options for creating and managing firewall rules.

To create a new firewall, click in the left panel on any of the items: rules for incoming/outgoing connections or security rules, and in the right panel click the button " New rule" A window will open in front of you “ Wizards for creating a new rule».

Outbound/Inbound Rules will allow you to control and set rules for individual programs. To create a new rule for a program, or to allow/block a port on your computer, click on the desired item in the right panel.

Opening and blocking ports is important for certain applications, such as gaming and file sharing, where typically unused communication ports are blocked by firewalls by default.

Here you can set whether certain programs or ports will work only if the data connection is secure.

If you use your computer for any sensitive industry: security, business, scientific research, etc., you may need to allow applications to send and receive data only when connected to a secure, encrypted network. Here you can specify specific programs or applications to work only in these conditions.

To ensure connection security, even if you connect to your company via a virtual private network (VPN), you may be prompted to set specific connection security rules. This is done in the connection security rule section, where the type of connection is indicated (there is a description) and the type of authentication required for the connection.

When you set up, you will likely need certain input parameters that your company or organization will provide to you.

One of the most useful features is the creation of a custom connection rule, according to which you can configure a connection between two or more specific computers with specific IP addresses, with or without encryption and authentication.

If you have a closed connection in your office and you only need to connect to certain computers, for example to be able to connect and check their operation, here you can set their IP addresses. However, do not forget that you need to create rules for both incoming and outgoing connections.

Note. If you allow your computer to connect to other computers, make sure they have static IP addresses in your router.

Windows OS is equipped with its own protection system, which is based on the work of the “Firewall” or system firewall. This system blocks unwanted applications that, in its opinion, are potential carriers of malicious viruses or spyware. To avoid blocking the necessary software and to ensure effective operation of all installed ones, sometimes it is necessary to deactivate such protection. This article discusses ways to disable it in the most popular versions of Windows OS (7, 8, 10).

Windows 7

The algorithm of actions is very simple:

1. Once all the described steps have been completed, the control window for our defender should turn red. The system tray will display a pop-up message to deactivate the firewall.

But it is worth noting that when the firewall itself is turned off, the service responsible for its operation continues to function. Interfering with this service may cause network problems. Therefore, all actions described in the following can be performed at your own risk, or require the intervention of a professional.

1. Next, the computer will prompt you to reboot the system, to which you must agree.
2. After reboot the service will be disabled.

Windows 8

For this version of the operating system, the only change in the action algorithm is that you need to enter the firewall management window through the “Control Panel”. Login is carried out by pressing the combination “Win” + “I” and selecting the line “Control Panel” in the list that appears. Next, you need to select the icon corresponding to the firewall; if all the icons in the window that opens are divided into categories, then you need to change the viewing option to “Large icons” in the upper right corner of the window.

Disable on Windows 10

In this version of the operating system, all actions are repeated similarly to the two previous methods, despite the fact that the “Control Panel” can again be opened through the Start menu, as in Windows 7. There is also an additional way to disable it via the command line, but it is not more or less effective , but requires the ability to use the specified service. Therefore, it is more advisable to disconnect using the method already described above.

From the above, it becomes clear that disabling the protection system is not difficult, but it is best to think about your decision in advance, since very often it is the work of the system firewall that saves unprepared users from various types of malicious manifestations in the operating system that lead to problems. Also, you should not take any action if the shutdown attempt fails. It is best to contact professionals who can restore the device to working condition and also explain errors in the actions taken.

Video on OS versions.