# Windows Firewall & Norton - together??



## makomyday325 (Jul 20, 2005)

I've been running Norton Antivirus & firewall for yrs in the suite package. In a moment of weakness, I may have downloaded Windows updates for Windows firewall inadvertantly when updating Windows files in general. I now have a problem accessing the internet when the firewall are turned on. To access the internet, I have to turn off the firewall.

Currently to access the interent, the following holds true:
My Norton Protection Center shows the following on:
auto protect; spyware protection, intrusion prevention, pop-up blocking.

The following is off: personal firewall, ad blocking.

I believe the Windows firewall is on since it is checked in the Windows Security Center; Windows Firewall window.

I also believe, when reversed, the Windows firewall "off" and Norton firewall "on", I still had a conflict accessing the internet.

Question: Did I create a conflict? Am I better served with the Windows firewall than Norton? If so, can I use the Windows firewall & other features of Norton? If I need to remove either one, is it an easy remove (I believe Norton may have an uninstall feature whereas Windows does not)? 

PLEASE HELP !!


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## rka0 (Oct 12, 2007)

Hi makomyday325. I have heard that having dual software as described by you leads to double trouble anyway on a personal note have no confidence in norton what ever the product still if you can get rid of the norton firewall I would suggest that you try this one I have had no trouble with what so ever.
http://personalfirewall.comodo.com/


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## Hughv (Jul 22, 2006)

For most of us, personal firewalls are way over rated. Any software that causes this much trouble should be consigned to the rubbish heap immediately if not sooner.
I would uninstall all Norton products and get AVG free and Windows Defender and make sure the Windows Firewall is turned on. You an access the Windows Firewall settings in Control Panel.


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## redoak (Jun 24, 2004)

Usually the Ws firewall is disabled when a 3rd party firewall is installed. Apparently, you have overridden this subsequent to installing Norton.

Perhaps, and I emphasize perhaps, reloading S/N would deactivate the Ws firewall. S/N is very difficult in so many ways that it is hard to guess what may happen when procedures that work for other programs don't for S/N.

The Ws firewall is not the best, so I would try to deactivate it and use another, as has been suggested. I use "ZoneAlarm." It requires less "tweaking" than "Comodo."


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## rka0 (Oct 12, 2007)

Redoak is right about windows firewall also it only works one way which to my mind is leaving a gap for the nasty people out there a way into your machine go for comodo.


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## fairnooks (Oct 1, 2007)

Just a minor defense for windows firewall. It does only work one way on XP but its the correct way and by itself it is as effective at keeping nasty people out as any other BUT what rka01 may have really meant is that if the nasty people do get in then yes there is no way to prevent the grab and run. Of course there's no way for any other firewall (except hardware) to prevent the grab and run either because the nasty people are inside with the keys aren't they? They just tell the firewall to take a break and come back in 5 while they skip off.

I'm not here to argue the merit of any program above any other. I just want to state that you always want to keep the nasty people out or you are hosed no matter what. Anything else is a false sense of security.


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## makomyday325 (Jul 20, 2005)

Thanks everyone for your input. I always loved Norton (and still do as my current frustration is from the Windows firewall upgrade). However, I see too many are indicating there are far better products available. Based on ratings and other threads, it seems that maybe Kaspersky may be the best one to install. If I go this route, then I'll have to uninstall Norton Systemworks which means: norton utilities, norton antivirus, norton go back, norton cleanup and norton internet security which is: worm blocking, popup block, ad block, intrusion protest, spyware protection and anti spam blocking,

Aren't I giving up a lot? Also, I know how to turn off Windows firewall; but does anyone know how to uninstall it?

Thanks again all,


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## Hughv (Jul 22, 2006)

Windows Firewall came with SP2, so I doubt it can be removed.
Norton used to make great products, but System Works in particular and Norton in general became bloated and intrusive and I remove them from every PC I work on. In many cases users report a big increase in performance.
There are lots of Pop up blockers, including the ones built-in to Firefox and IE. System Restore is free, and it comes with Windows, so Go Back doesn't seem like much of a loss. Windows Defender is free, and does an adequate job, as is Spybot, which I run occasionally. I really like its "immunize" feature.
I'm a Windows firewall user, but I should add that I have a NAT router, which provides a lot of protection in itself.
I've used Zone Alarm and Comodo, but they don't seem to adapt well to my PC use, and often got in the way of what I want to do, like use my network, or surf the internet.
I set up all my PCs with AVG Free, Windows Defender and Windows Firewall, and have never had a problem.


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## makomyday325 (Jul 20, 2005)

Hugh, thanks for laying it out in plain English for this non tech end user. I think I'm going to follow your advice to the "T", but use Kaspersky instead.

Thanks again to all,


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