How to Allow or Block an Application in Windows Firewall

Ever wondered how ?

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Sugavanas
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Have you ever been in a situation where you want to block a application from connecting to the internet ? or allow a internet using application that doesn’t work ? Here are 2 methods to connect edit the firewall yourself and allow connection to internet.

Method 1 : 

  1. Open Control Panel in windows. To Open contol panel in widnows, go to start and search Control Panel. Click on Control Panel Icon.
  2. In Control Panel choose to view by “Category” and click on System and Security Menu.
    Control Panel

     

  3. Click on Windows Firewall
  4. Click on Advanced Settings. Click on Yes on UAC pop-up.
  5. A new windows will open, Windows Firewall with Advanced Security. On your left hand side, select Outbound Rules under Windows Firewall with Advanced Security on Local Computer.
  6. Select New Rule under Actions windows on your right hand side. A New Outbound Rule Wizard window will popup.  As we are going to allow/block an application, we select the Program. You can select Port if you want to allow an port to be accessible [e.g. A TCP port 3389 which is needed by RDP]. I will discuss about Predefined and Custom rule in my future posts. Click Next.
  7. As we are going to allow/block only one application, we will choose the second option and browse for the .exe file. In case if you want to allow/block All the programs, then choose the first option and click next. Choosing the first option is not a good idea.
  8. In this step, choose if you want to allow / block the connection of the application to the internet. By allowing, you are allowing the application to communicate online and by blocking you are not allowing the application to check for updates and etc. The second option ‘Allow the Connection if Secure’ is to only allow the connection if the connection is encrypted. If you are using a application which can send sensitive data to its server, then its better you choose this option. If the application is not using encrypted data, then windows firewall will block the connection [this may cause a problem with cheap application which may use unsecured connection]. Click Next.
  9. In this step, you should select where the connection Applies to. Most probably if you are in Public Network, you don’t want to allow your apps connection so you can check it off. Choosing the options, will only let the application connect to internet when they are connected to a domain/private/public network. [e.g. I am blocking a .exe connection to internet when it is connected to a public network] Click next once you choose your options.
  10. This step is just to add a Name and Description to the New Rule you set up so you remember it in future when you see it or when you want to edit it again. Click Finish.
  11. Your new rule will be added to the list.
  12. Now the application you specified, will not be able to connect to the internet if you blocked the application. Which means, they can’t send data from your PC to internet.
  13. Outbound Rules are rules are outgoing rules from your computer to the internet. If you are running a Web Server and want to allow Incoming connections to a application then you specify it in Inbound Rules. Inbound rules are Incoming Connections.
  14. Inbound rules can be set up the same way as Outbound rules as they have the same type of wizard.

 

Method 2: 

  1. Open Control Panel in windows. To Open contol panel in widnows, go to start and search Control Panel. Click on Control Panel Icon.
  2. In Control Panel choose to view by “Category” and click on System and Security Menu.

    Control Panel
  3. Click on Windows Firewall
  4. Click on Allow and app or feature through Windows Firewall
  5. Click on Change Settings and click yes on UAC popup. Now if you application is listed in the list, then you can allow/block the application on Private/Public network. If your application is not listed, simply click on Allow another app… and choose the application you want. It will be added to the list. If you want check the details, select a application from the list and click on Details… or if you want to remove, Click on remove.
  6. Once you are done, Click on OK to save your settings.

 

Video : 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=li_fOGO6R88&hd=1

 

This is how you Allow or Block an application in Windows Firewall

Have any questions ? Comment.

 

More about Windows Firewall can be found here.