PrivateFirewall V7.0.28.1 Released Today

Version 7.0.28.1 of PrivateFirewall was released earlier today. The change log is here: http://www.privacyware.com/PF_support.html.

I have ugraded three of my systems to the new release, and I am happy to report all three systems are running great....

 

Any changes in the UI.

 

Installed and running smoothly (as always) on the missus' setup. A great firewall/HIPS.

(djohn, no changes to the UI...just incremental updates/changes to the app.)

 

Thank you blues.

 

Wow! And wow again!

This version is a keeper! I haven't run PF in a while and after some minor tweaking of rules and settings, passed all Shields Up tests including the Leaktest. Passed all PCFlack tests including exploits and leaktest. And the cue de gra, passed all AKLT tests. Zemana Antilogger failed the screen shot tests.

Will do some further tests as time permits.

Kudos to Greg Salvo and the rest of the PF crew.

Up your nose with a rubber hose Matousec.

Win 7 x64, SP1.

 

It's Greg Salvato...but I otherwise totally agree with your take about PF, Greg and his team at PrivacyWare.

 

I didn't mean to butcher his name. It's been a while since I conversed with him via e-mail. BTW - I don't think the guy ever sleeps. Never had the CEO directly respond to your e-mails and in a timely fashion to boot.

 

Yeah, I've wondered about that. Must be the influence of this whole vampire culture that's so prevalent these days...

By the way, he's not just another geek...he's also a connoisseur of fine single malts.

Oh, and if you don't mind sharing some of your settings (if it's not a hassle to do so), it'd be interesting reading.

 

Have they changed that Kiddy icon (the cross walker, with a stop sign).
This has been what keeps me from using PF.

 

Nope. Greg said they're going to keep it there just to annoy you.
(Just kidding... ...but yes, it's still there.)

 

It's working!

 

LOL

 

I installed PrivateFirewall V7.0.28.1 today but my hard drive keeps grinding away. And it does seem complicated to understand for a novice.

Can I run it out of the box and have adequate protection?

 

It's HIPS?

 

All the apps/programs that show up with an Yellow Icon next to them, should they all be selected to "Set all Rules to allow traffic" and make them a green tick?

 

I told PF to be in TRAINING MODE for 3 days, but when I load programs it pops up a window asking me to allow or block. Why?

 

I love PF. However, since this last update my computer will occasionally freeze up (sometimes when loading MLB pages that have video feeds, etc). I even tried completely uninstalling and reinstalling the latest PF and I still get the freezing. I'm currently running Comodo FW and will see if it still happens. I really want to use PF as it seems quite effective and is really light on resources.

 

The only thing I allow is my AV real time application. I used Norton AV 2012 and it connects through ccsvchst.exe to different ports and appears to also proxy DNS requests.

Remember that when you set an application entry to allow, it overrides any PF generated firewall rules and allows everything. Obviously you only want to do that with an app you fully trust.

Process settings are different. They control access rights within your system. You only want to fool with those if you know what you are doing or if you have a problem with any application.

 

But what does the YELLOW ICON "Set all rules to FILTER Traffic" do? So everything should be selected as that to be safe? And the YELLOW ICON "Set all rules to FILTER Traffic" will allow internet access normally? But how is that different from GREEN ICON?

And when I go into W7 Task Manager, I see many process running, e.g wmpnetwk.exe etc, but when I look in PrivateFirewall "Process Monitor", I don't see "wmpnetwk.exe" anywhere? Why not? Because if PrivateFirewall doesn't show ALL process' running, what good is it?

 

I take it you've read through the product tour?

 

For applications:

Yellow = filter = apply generated firewall rules to inbound and outbound activity

Green = Allow = ignore generated firewall rules and allow all inbound and outbound activity for the application

 

Thanks. But where are the firewall rules that the yellow icon applies to?

But another confusion I have..when I go into W7 Task Manager, I see many process running, e.g wmpnetwk.exe etc, but when I look in PrivateFirewall "Process Monitor", I don't see "wmpnetwk.exe" anywhere? Any idea what's going on with that? Why doesn't PrivateFirewall show the MS Media Player Network Sharing Service which IS RUNNING?

May I add, wmpnetwk.exe does show up under Port tracking, but why dont it show up in PrivateFirewall "Process Monitor", so I can block it from accessing the internet?

Does anyone know how I can DENY "wmpnetwk.exe, "MS Media Player Network Sharing Service" internet access seeing it doesn't show up in the PrivateFirewall "Process Monitor?

 

Start up windows media player and do something that requires Internet access, PF will then generate the necessary application and process rules for it.

By default PF will only generate rules for applications involved in Internet access. It only creates select system default rules at installation time.

 

Double click on the yellow icon.

 

Too late, I am in training mode and the file is already running and not showing up anywhere under "Process Monitor". Besides it's a SERVICE that runs at boot time, not a program I can launch manually. And when I run Media Player, it just loads, and PrivateFirewall says nothing.

But surely there is a way to access the file? Does anyone know WHY "wmpnetwk.exe, "MS Media Player Network Sharing Service" doesn't show up under PrivateFirewall "Process Monitor" and if it's listed anywhere in PrivateFirewall and HOW I can block the file from having internet access?

I cannot understand how a program that is running and showing up in W7 Task Manager is nowhere to be seen in PrivateFirewall?