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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.

Any computer that connects to the Internet or is on a network needs to be protected from hackers and other dangers. Even a single computer that rarely connects to the Internet needs basic protection. Firewalls are one part of the computer security equation. Firewalls come in two flavors: hardware and software. Hardware firewalls are physical devices such as routers that block incoming intruders while software firewalls are programs that attempt to do the same thing.

Computer security requires a whole host of tools including both types of firewalls, anti-virus products, anti-spyware products, and real-time protection. A software firewall is the tool that you can configure to protect your computer against incoming hacker attacks as well as to block malware from “calling home.” The software firewall checks incoming and outgoing information  coming to our from your computer and compares it to your firewall settings before blocking or allowing the information to pass through.

Your Windows XP or Vista computer comes with a built-in firewall called Windows Firewall that should definitely be enabled if you don’t have a software firewall currently installed on your computer.

Windows Firewall is located in the Control Panel. It’s a basic firewall that allows you to turn it on and off as well as block all incoming connections when you’re connected to a less secure network. In addition, you can set exceptions to allow certain programs to communicate through the firewall as well select specific networks to actively protect. 

If you have Windows Vista, there’s a second version of Windows Firewall on your computer: Windows Firewall with Advanced Security. Go to the Start button and type in Windows Firewall with Advanced Security and then click the icon in the Program list. Once inside the program, you can create new rules, disable or edit existing rules, export a list of your settings, and monitor advanced security modes between two computers.

Windows Firewall only protects against inbound threats. Malware that’s programmed to call out can bypass the Windows Firewall.

Many fine third party firewalls exist that offer comprehensive controls over access to your computer including protection against outbound threats. You may even have a software firewall bundled with your computer’s Internet security suite. For example, many security suites contain anti-virus, anti-spyware, and anti-spam components as well as a firewall feature. Depending on the software firewall you have, you may be able to create different firewall “profiles” for varying network conditions as well as adjust your firewall settings.

While software firewalls have their place, they are only one of several security tools that any Internet connected computer should have.