Microsoft KB Archive/943787

= How to configure OneCare Firewall =

Article ID: 943787

Article Last Modified on 10/27/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Windows Live OneCare

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INTRODUCTION
The firewall in Windows Live OneCare monitors programs on your computer when the programs try to connect to the Internet. If a program is not listed in the firewall policy, OneCare blocks the program and then asks you whether you want to continue blocking the program. OneCare will automatically configure the firewall based on the type of network that you select. However, if you want to modify the settings, you can also configure the firewall manually.



Manually add a program to the firewall

 * 1) Open OneCare.
 * 2) Under Quick links, click Change settings.
 * 3) On the Firewall tab, click Advanced settings.
 * 4) On the Programs tab, click Add.
 * 5) Click the executable (.exe) file for the program that you want to add, and then click Open.
 * 6) Click OK, and then click OK again.

Manually block or allow programs

 * 1) Open OneCare.
 * 2) Under Quick links, click Change settings.
 * 3) On the Firewall tab, click Advanced settings.
 * 4) On the Programs tab, click Block or Allow next to the program.
 * 5) Click OK, and then click OK again.

Reset the firewall settings
Important Restoring the default firewall settings clears your program list and your port list.


 * 1) Open OneCare.
 * 2) Under Quick links, click Change settings.
 * 3) On the Firewall tab, click Advanced settings.
 * 4) Click Restore Defaults, and then click Yes.
 * 5) Click OK, and then click OK again.

Turn the firewall on or off

 * 1) Open OneCare.
 * 2) Under Quick links, click Change settings.
 * 3) On the Firewall tab, select one of the following settings:
 * 4) * On (recommended): Use this setting if you use your home or personal network and you want to enable an easy connection to other printers, other computers, or other devices.
 * 5) * Off: We recommend that you do not use this setting. Turning off the firewall can put your computer at risk. If you must use this setting, select the time period that you want the firewall turned off from the drop-down menu.
 * 6) Click OK.

Change the zone for a network
Important Changing the zone setting from public to private will reduce the overall security of your computer and may put your computer at risk in a public area, such as an airport or a coffee shop that has a wireless network. We recommend that you only change the zone setting to private if you trust the network to which you are connecting.

When OneCare detects a new network, you are prompted to select the zone that you want to use for that network. A zone is a level of network security that is determined by a collection of firewall settings that are automatically configured by OneCare. You can select Home, Work, or Public Place. To help protect your computer, certain activities will be turned on or off in each zone. We recommend that you select Public Place if you use a single computer that is not connected to a local network, if you use a dial-up connection, if you use a public wireless network, or if you do not use a router.
 * 1) Open OneCare.
 * 2) Under Quick links, click Change settings.
 * 3) On the Firewall tab, follow one of these steps:
 * 4) * If you have one network connection, click Configure firewall, click Change location, and then click Close.
 * 5) * If you have multiple network connections, click Advanced settings. On the Network connections tab, click the network for which you want to change the zone, click Change location, and then click OK.
 * 6) Click OK.

Manually turn an activity on or off
 Open OneCare. Under Quick links, click Change settings. On the Firewall tab, click Configure firewall. Next to the activity that you want to turn on or turn off, click the arrow. Click the appropriate option to turn the activity on or off, and then click Apply. Click Close, and then click OK.

Note If you cannot turn on an activity and the activity is marked as &quot;SUSPENDED,&quot; that particular activity is not available when you are connected to a network that is designated &quot;Public.&quot; In this case, follow the steps under &quot;Change the Zone for a network&quot; earlier in this article to change from a public zone to a private zone in order to use these activities.

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Notes
 * Some programs do not automatically try to access the Internet. After you allow a program access through the firewall, you may have to exit that program and then restart the program before it can access the Internet.
 * If you install a newer version of a program that was already installed, the firewall treats the new version as a different program. If the firewall policy is up to date, the new version of the program may already be included in the OneCare firewall policy.

Keywords: kbinfo KB943787

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