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WSA Firewall randomly blocks outbound access for one of my software DLNA servers.  When that happens, the Active Connections UI becomes corrupted -- it doesn't show Block/Allow options any more.  Screen shot attached.  Once the UI gets corrupted, I can't get network access for the server software unless I completely disable the WSA firewall.

 

 



 

I've solved it before by completely uninstalling and reinstalling WSA, but that has become a tedious exercise and I'd like a better, easier and more permanent solution.

 

Thanks,

Jeff
Hi jmbellune

 

There is no corruption...this is completely normal in Windows 8/8.1. To quote one of the gurus here (Kit):

 

"'WSA Firewall Settings in Windows 7 just expose control of the Windows Firewall that aren't exposed by the OS but can be controlled by other apps.



In Windows 8 and 8.1, these firewall settings are exposed by the OS, but MS took control away from apps to prevent apps from deciding to kick each other. So there is already these controls in the OS and WSA couldn't change them anyway.



Those controls are completely separate from the WSA portion of the firewall which triggers and takes action related to infections, so there is no reduction in protection.

 

And further, to quote Joe Jaroch, the previous VP of Development, who wrote:

 

"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).

 

Those controls are completely separate from the WSA portion of the firewall which triggers and takes action related to infections"

 

Hope that clarifies things for you?

 

Regards, Baldrick
Thanks, Baldrick, but I don't think that's correct.

 

I searched the forum before I posted, and I saw 2 threads that contain the information you quoted.  Both dealt with the Firewall *settings*.  I'm not in the Advanced Settings, I'm in the "Active Connections" section.  The Windows Firewall doesn't block the server software, as evidenced by the fact that disabling the WSA firewall allows the server to function normally.  It is purely a WSA issue, and without the Block/Allow buttons I can't change or edit WSA Firewall behavior.  Further, a reinstall of WSA brings the Block/Allow radio buttons back to the UI.

 

Any other ideas or solutions?

 

Thanks,

Jeff

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