Firewall recommend?

[Len Cuff]

Anyone suggest a decent firewall with OUTBOUND protection please? I
had PC Tools Firewall Plus 3 installed but it would seem that even
though it appears to be very good, it causes problems with Vista?
Since installing it, I have had random problems with the message 'An
unauthorised change was made to Windows' and it fails to log on. Safe
Mode and a system restore fixes it every time but looking through the
Microsoft Forums, it appears that this program can cause exactly this
type of error at random so I've uninstalled it. Now looking for a
replacement which works with Vista!

TIA


cheers,
Len

 

[Andre Da Costa[ActiveWin]]

You might want to take at the Windows Firewall with Advance Security located
in Control Panel > Administrative Tools
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista/aa905080.aspx

 

[Mellowed]

The Zone Alarm free version
http://www.zonealarm.com/store/cont...ily.jsp?dc=12bms&ctry=US&lang=en&lid=db_trial
will do the job.

 

[Alias]

Anyone suggest a decent firewall with OUTBOUND protection please? I
had PC Tools Firewall Plus 3 installed but it would seem that even
though it appears to be very good, it causes problems with Vista?
Since installing it, I have had random problems with the message 'An
unauthorised change was made to Windows' and it fails to log on. Safe
Mode and a system restore fixes it every time but looking through the
Microsoft Forums, it appears that this program can cause exactly this
type of error at random so I've uninstalled it. Now looking for a
replacement which works with Vista!

TIA


cheers,
Len

Try Comodo. http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/ It's free and quite
good.

Alias

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

Len

The firewall in Vista does inclde 'outbound' protection. Follow the advice
Andre posted and take a look at it in Control Panel.

 

[Len Cuff]

Len

The firewall in Vista does inclde 'outbound' protection. Follow the advice
Andre posted and take a look at it in Control Panel.

Ronnie,
I did take a look at the advanced settings but they don't seem
to do a great deal? I deleted an entry and once I started that program
up, the firewall said it was blocked and should I allow it to continue
so there is some form of outbound protection but nowhere near as much
as Zone Alarm for instance. Once I installed the free version, I got
loads of pop ups as I started various programs. I just want something
which will alert me if a 'nasty' is trying to send data home!!



cheers,
Len

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Anyone suggest a decent firewall with OUTBOUND protection please? I
had PC Tools Firewall Plus 3 installed but it would seem that even
though it appears to be very good, it causes problems with Vista?
Since installing it, I have had random problems with the message 'An
unauthorised change was made to Windows' and it fails to log on. Safe
Mode and a system restore fixes it every time but looking through the
Microsoft Forums, it appears that this program can cause exactly this
type of error at random so I've uninstalled it. Now looking for a
replacement which works with Vista!

TIA


cheers,
Len

Vista's built-in solution is more than adequate for most consumers'
outbound protection needs. While it's not quite up to the ease-of-use
standards of Kerio or ZoneAlarm, it has been improved over WinXP's version.

There are two interfaces for Vistas built-in firewall:

1) A simplified one accessed through the Control Panel that is the only
one most people see. Sphinx's Vista Firewall Control
http://sphinx-soft.com/Vista/) is a piece of freeware that makes the
Vista Firewall much more useful to the average user.

2) And the more advanced "Windows Firewall with Advanced Security
(WF.msc), accessed via the Start Menu's Administrative Tools folder, for
the experienced user who wants more granular control.


--

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. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

 

[CB]

Ronnie,
I did take a look at the advanced settings but they don't seem
to do a great deal? I deleted an entry and once I started that program
up, the firewall said it was blocked and should I allow it to continue
so there is some form of outbound protection but nowhere near as much
as Zone Alarm for instance. Once I installed the free version, I got
loads of pop ups as I started various programs. I just want something
which will alert me if a 'nasty' is trying to send data home!!



cheers,
Len

Len Cuff,

Your firewall does not know the difference between a "nasty" and a "goody".
You have two options: list the goodies in your firewall policies or wait for
the firewall to alert you and then make a decision.

I have used ZoneAlarm's free firewall, but like the rest of their products
it caused many problems in Vista.

I would suggest Comodo. It is free and easily configured to suit your needs.

Have a nice day.

C.B.