another Windows Firewall Control?

Strange. Look below to see how it looks like on my cheap LG monitor at 1920x1080. There is a big difference. Did you install your graphics card driver or do you use the one from Windows ? Only WFC looks bad in the system tray or some other programs looks the same ? I can't reproduce it.

 

Hello, I have another feature request. To be able to add ip blocking rules to Windows Firewall. Same as Peerblock. I made this one at the dev of TinyWall but he said that when he did it, it took a long time in processing when adding rules to Windows Firewall.

 

My guess that is already possible

Steps to take

- Create a rule for an App (or create a Duplicate)
- Open the rule (Properties)
- Change Program from "this program" to "all programs"
- Change name + Description to something descriptive like "Block Bad Ips"
- Change to advanced
- Change Protocol to Any
- Change Local Ports to Any
- Change Remote Ports to Any
- Change Remote Address to custom and enter the IP Address
- Change direction to Outbound
- Click on Apply (This will create the rule)
- Select the rule and click Block

All the IP addresses in this rule will be blocked !

 

What I mean is using a subscription, like the ones in -http://iblocklist.com .

 

Windows Firewall can block IP ranges. To block an IP range for all applications, you must create a rule which applies to all programs and set the IP range to be blocked. Please be more specific. Do you want a feature in which you can create a block rule for an IP range from one mouse click ? Right now, you can create a new rule, or duplicate one, and then you can set the Program to "All programs" and then set the Remote Addresses with the IP range that you want to block. This will apply for all programs.

This will require the following:
1. Downloading the *.gz files.
2. Unpacking and parsing the txt files. Takes time.
3. Create thousands of new rules in Windows Firewall for blocking these IPs. Takes time.
4. How you will maintain such a list in case of an update ? Delete a few thousands of rules and recreate them ?

Or, you can use PeerBlock, which is more suitable for for this purpose. Sorry, but this is useless work and having thousands of rules in Windows Firewall, or in any firewall, is just crazy.

 

Question,

just out of curiosity, how would this impact the performance of your PC / Firewall if you would create a rule with 100's of addresses and what is the limit of IP Addresses per rule ??

Is there any ?? Is it 65535 by any chance

Thanks

 

Strange indeed. I use the Windows default driver that the system came with (thought Microsoft would have the driver for their hardware). Not only WFC looks blurry, other non-windows stock software look blurry too. Will check for driver updates soon as I get Driver Genius installed.

 

The problem is that these files contain one IP range per line. Parsing, validating each range, join multiple of them into several rules, takes a lot of processing time. Also, maintaining and updating these rules can become a horror task. This will also bloat the Windows Firewall. Let's assume that you can set 65535 IP addresses in the Remote Addresses of a rule. Who can read this ? Also, it will take a long time for Windows Firewall to parse this field before accepting or denying a connection. I don't think this is good idea. It can be done but this work will not come with the expected benefits.

 

Version 3.9.0.3 available.

What's new:
- Fixed: Columns visibility in Manage Rules is not restored properly. If the user hides some columns, on reopening they appear all, including the hidden ones.
- Improved: When searching for invalid rules or for specific rules in Manage Rules window, only the results will be displayed instead of highlighting them.
- Improved: The startup time of the application was reduced due to refactoring of the code and alternative way that initializes the program.
- Improved: Some unused functionality which is not needed anymore was removed and the code was improved in several parts by including more speedful code.

Download location: http://binisoft.org/download/wfc.exe
MD5: a7571d8d05af59c4df48e61343fdfce0

Thank you for your support. Your feedback is welcome.

The developer

 

hi all i have installed this program and every time windows 7 loads it comes up with the error message as noted below.....

"This program already runs on another user account. Because this program is designed to run as a single instance, it can not be started again under a different user account. Please use task manager to close any instances of 'wfc.exe' and then try again. thanks you for your understanding"

Well the fact is i only have my account on windows at start up and the guest account which is turned off?

So im not sure what it is going on about. I have ticked the box "start automatically at user logon" in the program...

i have checked in the TASK MANAGER and there is only 1 instance of the wfc.exe?

can someone help me remove this error and does anyone know how to get the program to load without this message its quite annoying.

looking forward to your support/reply.

cheers

 

Great, columns stay disappeared now. I notice changed widths of columns keep getting reset though. On another note is there a way to only export user created rules? When I reinstall windows I don't want to override the original system rules, I just want to import only the rules I previously created.

 

Thanks for the update. Love your work.

 

Anyone can you please answer this querie?

 

Hold your horses, the developer is from Europe (Time difference) and will answer your query when he sees your post.

 

thanks... sorry but i really like this program and want it to work.

 

Check via regedit under

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

and under

HKCU\\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

if there are any Entries regarding WFC ??

Also check

C:\Users\(User Name)\Appdata\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup.

and check your Task Scheduler.

If you still can't find anything download Autoruns -http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx- and check for Multiple Entries for WFC.exe (not for WFCS.exe) !!!

Check all these thing both as User and as Administrator.

--Disclaimer --

Be very careful when editing your Registry and/or disabling Software, you could destroy your OS !!

 

Probably, the program tries to execute from multiple sources in the same time on the same user account, which is not allowed. Try what iammike said. Search for multiple entries from where the program could start. This is mostly the problem. This message should not appear with recent versions of WFC. What version do you use ?

The width of the columns is not saved, only the visibility and the order.

To save only your custom rules, you must do the following:
1. Export your current policy to have a backup. Just in case.
2. Go in Manage Rules and delete any other rules that you don't want to save. The ones from the operating system for example.
3. Go in Windows Registry (regedit.exe) and export the following key to a *.reg file:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\FirewallRules]
Here you will find only the remaining rules, your custom rules.
4. After you reinstall Windows, import the *.reg file and your custom rules will be restored.

 

i am using 3.9.0.3

on windows 7 ultimate edition [sp1]

I will try the above and then revert back.

So what do i delete?
Im not sure what im looking for.... i have never gone into the registry and deleted stuff.

 

I have done as you asked but there is no entry in the registry as you note above?

I cant find anything... what is causing the problem?

 

Upgrade from 3902 to 3903.
All went well, seemingly, got the "Finish" prompt.

But then & oddly:
And sure enough, "wfc.exe" does NOT exist there, nor anywhere else for that matter.

Oh, I did (do) have a second User account open, though I had exited from WFC (the GUI icon) from within that account, before switching to the current account & installing the update.
(I also renamed the downloaded "wfc.exe" program after I had started the install (upgrade), but before finishing - should that matter. I'll note that something like Windows MRT.EXE locks itself during its operation, so I would have to wait to rename it until after I had closed the program down.)

And what is in the instalDir:

Code:

02/19/2013  06:46 PM               355 2183e9f0.cmd
02/14/2013  06:28 PM           163,840 restore.dat
02/19/2013  06:46 PM            83,536 wfcs.exe

Ah, OK, it was almost certainly my interference that caused the trouble.

Code:

copy /y "C:\WLIB\LeechFTP\LeechTMP\wfc.exe" "C:\DEV\FIREWALL\Windows Firewall Control\wfc.exe"

I'm sure "wfc.exe" did not exist at that point to copy itself over.

Back in business (well except for the Manage Rules crash issue).
Manually copied & renamed "wfc_3903 (windows firewall control).exe" to "wfc.exe", then started the service, so good to go.

 

Have you tried autoruns (from the Microsoft link) that program looks everywhere for startup entries.

!! Don't forget to look as normal user and Admin !!

 

hi, nice piece of software. One problem though, I just can't test Java installation
(http://java.com/fr/download/testjava.jsp), java.exe being constantly blocked in medium filtering (I have Jre7 x86 and wfc 3.9.0.3), any idea?

 

In Medium Filtering, all outbound connections that do not match a rule are blocked. So because there is NO rule for it, it will be blocked.

How to create a rule for it !!

1 way of doing it

- Goto Manage Rules Screen
- Under (Create New rule) Select Browse to Allow
Browse to the program you want to allow and select open.

2nd way

- Goto Manage Rules Screen
- Click under view "Recently Blocked"
- Click under Actions "Refresh List"
- Find the program and Right Click and select "Allow this Program"

3rd way

- Buy the program (Not expensive)
- Set Notifications to Medium / High
- Allow the program from there


The rule you can find after creation in the top of the list, back in the "Manage Rules Window"

Edit

---- Begin Nothing to do with WFC ---

I have ditched Java around 6 months ago and I don't let it back in on my computer and I haven't found one thing that needs it.

But I can understand if you need it, that you have it installed.

--- End ---

 

well i already have those rules created.. keeps blocking, unlike other softwares. Not essential though, I can live with that

 

Can you show screenshots of the Rule itself ??

In The manage Rules in WFC, right click the Rule and select Properties.

Screenshot please of advanced, and also check if you perhaps (accidentally) created a Block Rule

Sample



Ps: If after checking still doesn't work, export your WFC rules (via WFC Control Panel, Policies, Export Policy) and send that file to the author.

Email address : Support {aT] binisoft [d0t}.org

Edit : Added Ps