How to Deal with a Windows Firewall Alert

PCs & Laptops For Dummies

You see firewall warnings on your Windows PC during one of two situations. First, because you're using a new program that accesses the Internet. Second, because something sneaky is trying to access the Internet or get into your computer from the Internet. In both situations, the firewall is unfamiliar with what's going on, so you're warned.

A typical firewall warning is shown here. The one you see on your screen may look different, but your actions remain the same:

A firewall warning.

Did you just start that program or do something that caused the program to ask for access? If so, allow the access. If not, deny access.

For example, if you're running an online, multiplayer game for the first time, you may see the firewall warning. That's an allowed use. On the other hand, if you see the firewall warning and don't recognize the program or you're not doing anything that requires Internet access, block the program.

• When you allow a program through the firewall, it won't ask again. That's because you created a new firewall rule that allows the program Internet access.

• You can unblock a program if you learn later that it's legitimate.

About This Article

About the book author:

Dan Gookin has been writing about technology for 20 years. He has contributed articles to numerous high-tech magazines and written more than 90 books about personal computing technology, many of them accurate.
He combines his love of writing with his interest in technology to create books that are informative and entertaining, but not boring. Having sold more than 14 million titles translated into more than 30 languages, Dan can attest that his method of crafting computer tomes does seem to work.
Perhaps Dan’s most famous title is the original DOS For Dummies, published in 1991. It became the world’s fastest-selling computer book, at one time moving more copies per week than the New York Times number-one best seller (although, because it’s a reference book, it could not be listed on the NYT best seller list). That book spawned the entire line of For Dummies books, which remains a publishing phenomenon to this day.
Dan’s most recent titles include PCs For Dummies, 9th Edition; Buying a Computer For Dummies, 2005 Edition; Troubleshooting Your PC For Dummies; Dan Gookin’s Naked Windows XP; and Dan Gookin’s Naked Office. He publishes a free weekly computer newsletter, “Weekly Wambooli Salad,” and also maintains the vast and helpful Web site www.wambooli.com.