Help Turning on Ports...

[Mark]

Hi,

I have a Game Server that opens port X and allows a localhost client
to connect. This Server works on a machine with XP Media Center SP2,
and my wife's XP Home Edition SP2, but not on my kid's XP Home Edition
SP2.

I've confirmed (using netstat -ano) that the Server successfully opens
port X (TCP) on the machines it works on. But, on the kid's PC, it
fails to open a port.

I'm guessing the kid's PC had some kind of virus on it, but now it's
clean. What can I do to get port X working again.

Note: the kid's PC connects to the internet and all else works well.
Also, I have the firewalls and antivirus stuff OFF when I test, though
on the other machines, the firewalls and antivirus don't affect the
Server and it works fine.

Any ideas, besides upgrading to XP Pro?

 

[Charlie Tame]

It's unlikely that any sort of virus would stop a port opening unless it
happened to be trying to use the same port (in which case it really isn't a
virus but a Trojan). What security software is running and are you 100% sure
all firewalls are behaving as they should?

Can you mention specifically what you are trying to run and what network
layout you have, presumably there's a router is there? Are you seeing any
kind of error messages?

Charlie

 

[Mark]

Hi Charlie,

I don't really want to mention the program, or the port, as it might
give away info on how to compromise my system. Suffice it to say that
on computer PC#1 (XP Home SP2) I run the sever and then do netstat
-ano and I see the server listening to the port. When I run it on PC#2
(Also XP Home SP2), it starts normally, but does not show up as
listening to the port.

Note that this server uses localhost, so there's no external network
connection involved. It basically looks at 127.0.0.1:<port X>.

What windows XP system files control the ports? Does Winsock do more
than just dial-up? I'm thinking I can copy a few system files from
PC#1 to PC#2 if something's corrupted.

M.

 

[Charlie Tame]

Stab in the dark here but because I recently came across this exact problem.

Have you ever had Zone Alarm installed on that machine and uninstalled it?

I guess any other uninstalled firewalls "Might" do it but ZA can leave the
firewall service behind and running when uninstalled improperly, and this is
exactly what it does.

Right now I can't think of another answer, sorry, will think about it later.

Charlie

 

[Mark]

Hi Charlie,

The computer is about one-year old, and we did upgrade Zone Alarm, but
I only see the normal: zlclient and vsmon programs in the tasklist.
Nothing else is suspicious.

Nothing show up on netstat -ano (or Fport) as using the port.

When I remove the program from Zone Alarm, it properly comes up and
asks if I want to let it use the internet...I say yes (and remember)).
The program is very happy...it shows that it's connected to the port,
even though it isn't. ARGH>>>>

This app works on all 3 of my other computers.

What windows files control the ports? Maybe I can check the sizes with
my other XP HOME SP2 computers...

M.

 

[Charlie Tame]

Well at risk of wasting your time and assuming you have the archive or
install media for Zone Alarm I still think it's a recent update because
that's what I just fixed twice.

Unfortunately I can't promise.

In ZA control panel disable the "Start when windows starts" or whatever the
option says nowadays.

Reboot.

Make 100% sure that no part of ZA has started up again.

Remove the ZA directory including the settings files (Save copies somewhere
else if you want to keep them although that may be where the problem lies)

Reboot, try again. If it still doesn't work, well, sorry, but not too much
damage done because you can restore ZA and settings... although I would
start over with ZA periodically anyways. I don't have an attitude toward ZA,
it's just that this problem was common some versions back after some update
or other, the control panel lost contact with the firewall somehow and no
other remedy came close to working because the firewall is darned near
indestructible

And of course without the disable at startup + reboot folks were thinking
they had uninstalled it but it's designed to be hard to kill deliberately so
all they had done was break the control linkage and the firewall was then
running with no means of adjustment.

By all means see if anyone else can come up with an alternative, but unless
you can think of some other program that opens ports for XP home that you
can test this with I don't know what else to suggest .

Charlie

 

[Mark]

Thanks Charlie...I'll give it a try. It's not Windows Firewall, as
I've disabled that at the service level