Reference number: CH000907

How do I disable the firewall program installed on my computer?

Question:

Answer:

A software firewall can help protect your computer but at the same time can cause issues with your networking. For example, you may be unable to browse other computers on the network, other computers may be unable to browse your computer, and/or may not be able to print on a network printer because of a firewall.

To disable a firewall depends on what firewall or antivirus program is installed. Below are some recommendations for disabling the firewall installed on your computer.

Windows XP firewall

If you're looking for information about disabling the firewall included with Windows XP see document CH000551 for additional information about disabling it.

Other firewall / antivirus firewall

If you have another firewall program or antivirus program installed on the computer that includes a firewall these can be disabled by opening the program and/or opening the programs control panel or control centers. For example, in Microsoft Windows users can often right-click on the antivirus or firewall icon in the systray and launch or open the control program or disable the firewall through the menu that appears after right-clicking the icon.

Testing after disabled

Once disabled, test your network connection and see if the same issue is occurring. For example, if other computers were unable to browse your computer after disabling the firewall see if it fixes the issue.

If this does fix your issue then network traffic is being blocked by the firewall. If you wish to correct this issue you must configure the firewall to allow the type of traffic you need. For example, some firewalls disable the Microsoft file and printer sharing by default. Configuring the firewall to allow this service will allow other computers to display files and printers you have shared. To verify this corrects the issue you must re-enable the firewall once configured to accept the network services, programs, or ports you wish to use.

If this does not fix your issue it's likely that you're encountering another network issue or other installed is causing your issue. Additional help and troubleshooting documents on networking can be found through our network help page.

Re-enabling firewall

If the firewall has been disabled it is recommended it be re-enabled it after you've completed your testing. You can enable the firewall from the same the same screen you disabled the firewall.