Resources

Every time I turn on my PC, the firewall icon comes on stating it isn’t turned on. I go to Windows to enable it and message states: sorry etc. Why do I have to go to Windows Firewall and turn on the firewall every single time I go online? Why does it go off? Can other people find info on my PC if I have wireless?

What Does Windows Firewall Do?

First, let’s talk about what Windows Firewall is designed to do. It is intended to protect you from computer worms that are sent over a network. It is also intended to hide your computer from outside users and to prevent them from gaining unauthorized access to your computer and its contents. Therefore, if you do not have Windows Firewall enabled and you do not have another firewall of some type on your computer, then it is not protected.

Troubleshooting Windows Firewall: Possible Reasons behind the Problem

A number of different scenarios could lead to the turning off of your Windows Firewall. In particular, since it is such a superior application, the presence of Norton Antivirus is known to turn off Windows Firewall. As long as you have that application installed, then you will continue to experience this message. In this case, it’s okay as the firewall found in Norton is providing the protection that you need.  

Other applications that include a firewall of their own can also cause this to happen. This includes the following: Zone Alarm, Norton Internet Security, and Comodo Firewall.

Basic incompatibility between applications will make one or both of them fail to function properly. If you recently installed a new computer security application, this could be creating the problem.

Troubleshooting Windows Firewall: Leaving it Disabled

If you have another firewall on the computer that can protect you from viruses, worms, hackers, and Trojans, then you could allow Windows Firewall to remain off. Alternatively, you could decide to continue using Windows Firewall and uninstall the other firewall.

Troubleshooting Windows Firewall: Scan for Malware

Scan your computer now to see if it has been infected with a virus, Trojan, or other form of malware. If it has, this infection could create this type of problem. If you don’t have a reliable anti-virus application, I can recommend that you try Anti-VirusPLUS. Once you remove the infection, this problem should go away.

Troubleshooting Windows Firewall: Additional Tips

• Uninstall any recent hardware additions and reboot the computer.
• Uninstall any recent software additions and reboot the computer.
• Complete a “System Restore” with a date that occurred before this problem began.

How to Turn on Windows Firewall

To enable Windows Firewall, you can follow these directions:

• Select “Start.”
• Select “Run.”
• Type “Firewall.cpl” and select “OK.”
• Select “On (recommended)” under the “General” tab.
• Select “OK.”

If none of the above information helps to resolve the problem for you, please submit the entire error message that you are receiving.

The DOCX File Extension

The DOCX file extension is a new file extension used primarily by Microsoft Office 2007, though it is slowly spreading to other word processing applications such as OpenOffice.org.

Unfortunately, since it’s so new, the file extension is going through growing pains. For example, people that do not have Word 2007 must jump through a few hoops in order to open this file type. Fortunately, the hoop jumping isn’t too terribly difficult and you’ll soon be able to open DOCX files with ease.

Updating Your Version of Word for Compatibility

First, if you currently have an earlier version of Microsoft Word installed on your computer, you can update your version so that it will open DOCX files. This update will also allow you to open Excel 2007 spreadsheets (XLSX files) and PowerPoint 2007 presentations.

You will need to download and install the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for the 2007 Office System. This pack updates Word 2000 and above (and Office 2000 and above) so that you can open the new 2007 file formats in your existing software.   

File Extension .DOCX not opening? — Run a free Windows diagnostic scan Now –

Once installed, you’ll be able to use your version of Microsoft Word as normal. It will now have enhanced compatibility features.

Downloading the Free Word 2007 Viewer

The Word 2007 Viewer is also available for anyone who wants to be able to view .DOCX files. This free viewer allows you to open, view, and print DOCX files, but you won’t be able to change, create, or edit Word files in it.

When opening Word 2007 DOCX files in the viewer, some elements created in Word 2007 will be changed to static text or images. This is fine for viewing purposes but may not be desirable if you need to edit these elements (such as equations, bibliographies, citations, diagrams, etc.) in Word 2007 later.

Alternatives to Creating DOCX Files

Some users have Microsoft Word 2007 installed on their computers, but need to save their documents in the earlier .DOC format so that other users can open their documents without having to jump through hoops. This is easy enough to do. If you have Word 2007 and want to save a single document as a .DOC document rather than a .DOCX file, go to the Office button and click Save As > Word 97-2003 Document.

If you want all of your documents to default to .DOC instead of .DOCX, go to the Office button and click on Word Options. Click Save and choose “Word 97-2003 Document (*.DOC)” in the dropdown list next to “Save files in this format.” Click OK.