Uninstalling Microsoft Firewall

[Guest]

The AOL Safety and Security Center told me that my security status is "fair"
and that multiple firewalls installed on my computer may negatively affect
its performance. They recommend that I uninstall the Microsoft Firewall.
Could you tell me how to do this?

Also, could you briefly explain how multiple firewalls can affect a
computer's performance? Thank you.

 

[Malke]

The AOL Safety and Security Center told me that my security status is
"fair"
and that multiple firewalls installed on my computer may negatively
affect
its performance. They recommend that I uninstall the Microsoft Firewall.
Could you tell me how to do this?

Also, could you briefly explain how multiple firewalls can affect a
computer's performance? Thank you.

AOL's Safety and Security Center is a POS and I wouldn't use it. However, if
you want it and also have XP SP2's firewall, go to Control Panel and open
the Windows Firewall applet. Click the button to turn it off.

You should not run two firewalls. The simplest way to explain it is to say
"things won't work" and leave it at that.

Malke

 

[Gordon]

Malke wrote:

The simplest way to explain it is to say "things won't work" and leave it at that.

Ooooh! Like it!

 

[Guest]

As far as I know, the Windows Firewall can only be disabled, and not
removed. It is fully intergrated into Windows

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

The AOL Safety and Security Center told me that my security status is
"fair" and that multiple firewalls installed on my computer may
negatively affect its performance.

Yes. And cause problems by their conflicting with each other.

They recommend that I uninstall
the Microsoft Firewall. Could you tell me how to do this?

I would much sooner get rid of the AOL firewall.

Also, could you briefly explain how multiple firewalls can affect a
computer's performance? Thank you.

When you run *any* program, it uses CPU cycles and memory. If you run two
programs when you need only one, you are wasting the CPU cycles and memory
that one of them is using.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

The AOL Safety and Security Center...

The last dsource in the world anyone should trust for security advice....

... told me that my security status is "fair"
and that multiple firewalls installed on my computer may negatively affect
its performance. They recommend that I uninstall the Microsoft Firewall.
Could you tell me how to do this?

It can't be done; it's built into the OS. Which pretty thoroughly
proves how little AOL knows.

Also, could you briefly explain how multiple firewalls can affect a
computer's performance? Thank you.

In precisely the same manner as having multiple copies of any
application running simultaneously; having two (or more) firewalls
running will obviously consume more system resources than will having
one firewall running.

Seriously, you do need to have a firewall running, but there's no point
in running more than one. The most important thing for you to do is
replace any AOL software on your computer with something a bit more useful.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrum Russell

 

[Pappion]

Et tu, Brute.

message Malke wrote:

The simplest way to explain it is to say "things won't work" and leave
it at that.

Ooooh! Like it!

 

[steven]

The last dsource in the world anyone should trust for security advice....



It can't be done; it's built into the OS. Which pretty thoroughly
proves how little AOL knows.

A friend of had a virus (actually more than one) on his computer which
removed the Windows XP firewall. The XP firewall couldn't be turned
back on even with SP2 installed.

I had to install Zone Alarm to provide him with a working firewall.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

A friend of had a virus (actually more than one) on his computer which
removed the Windows XP firewall.

Not possible.

The XP firewall couldn't be turned
back on even with SP2 installed.

Disabled isn't the same thing as uninstalled. And if you simply left
the built-in firewall disabled, rather than removing the virus and
repairing the WinXP uinstallation, you've done your friend no favors.

I had to install Zone Alarm to provide him with a working firewall.

While ZoneAlarm is admittedly superior to WinXP's built-in firewall,
you still should have cleaned your friend's system of the viruses and
repaired the OS, rather than just applying a band-aid to a crippled OS.

If you don't know how to remove the virus, advise your friend to seek
professional technical assistance.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrum Russell