Hi Starbuck

 

Welcome to the Community Forums.

 

If you are using Windows 8 the you will not be able to carry out that configuration due (and I quote the previous VP of Endpoint Security):

 

"The firewall in Windows 8 is much easier to work with than previous platforms because of the built in OS controls. Every vendor needs to use the same APIs now (the older methods are deprecated), but that's exactly why we aren't doing it currently - no matter what vendor wraps the APIs, it will be exactly the same underlying calls which are built into the OS, and you can use the OS UI to do the same job if you want to customize it.

 

The reason why we have the functionality on Windows 7 and not Windows 8 is because Microsoft doesn't expose the same normalized interfaces on Windows 7 (or require vendors to use the new APIs)."

 

So it is not an issue with window resizing but rather dictated by MS...but as I said...I am assuming Win 8 use re. this reply.

 

Hope that helps?

 

Regards, Baldrick

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Hi Baldrick, and thank you for your fast answer!

 

So, yes, this helps to understand why the controls are not shown, but the fact that you can't control the antivirus firewall using Windows 8 (as, in fact, is my case) renders the builtin firewall useless. So, if I'm forced to disable it because it's blocking a program that I don't want to be blocked, it'll be better not to activate it by default. Furthermore, when the firewall is disabled, a warning sign is shown in the notification icon. This way I can not tell if there is any other problem that I must take care of, so all this firewall issue with Windows 8 is still a big problem to me, as the product doesn't deal elegantly with the new MS policies.

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Hi Starbuck

 

I understan you position as I was in the same boat but to be honest I have never had an issue with WSA blocking outbound something that it should not...and if it does block something that it has not before then it displays a popup asking for cinfirmation of how younwould like it to behave now and/or going forward.

 

Do note that if you disable the Windows protection younwill have NO inbound protection...as WSA leaves that to Windows so you would need to install a 3rd party firewall to take its place.

 

Cheers, Baldrick

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I can tell you for sure that a program got blocked without WSA asking for confirmation... It's a real shame that this single issue puts down the whole product. It'll be easier and less confusing for the final user to install/activate the firewall feature as an option, or at least don't warn it permanently in the notification area (or give the option to deactivate the firewall warning, at least to the Windows 8 users).

 

What I need is a good and fast antivirus solution (which WSA is), if I want a firewall, I'll install another dedicated product or choose an antivirus+firewall package, but why forcing everione to use the stiff WSA firewall? Bad choice, in my opinion. And sadly, as it is, I can not purchase nor recommend this solution to Windows 8 users.

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Hi Starbuck

 

Completely understand and respect your view...although I do not agree with it.

 

Good luck in your quest for thr right solution for you.

 

Regards, Baldrick

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