Can't turn SP2 Firewall On! Something about Group Policy?

[Ferrari692]

I am having a problem with my SP2 firewall. I am running XP Pro on this system and after installing SP2 I noticed that firewall was disabled. However the buttons to access the firewall are all grey and I cannot modify any settings. Apparetly the computer thinks that this has something to do with group policy settings but I have never messed with these settings before and I am not on an office network.

Any suggestions to how I can enable the firewall would be greatly appreciated.

 

[mechBgon]

What have you been using for a firewall up 'til now, and what sort of Internet connection do you have (broadband, dial-up)? There are piles of viruses that go out of their way to disable the Windows Firewall forcibly, is what I'm thinking about. More info on your situation?

 

[Ferrari692]

I am using broadband cable internet and was using no extra firewall software previously. I also think it is a virus because I just removed a ton of trojans and spyware off this computer. Any suggestions of how to remove the virus would be great. I have run panda antivirus and mcafee but norton is having problems on my system.

 

[BadThad]

Originally posted by: Ferrari692
I am using broadband cable internet and was using no extra firewall software previously. I also think it is a virus because I just removed a ton of trojans and spyware off this computer. Any suggestions of how to remove the virus would be great. I have run panda antivirus and mcafee but norton is having problems on my system.

Unfortunately, if you had a "ton" of viruses and malware on that system, IMO it's a lost cause. Save yourself a ton of headache and hours of work by simply reinstalling the OS. Either you spend 40 hours sweating it out trying to "fix" the system, or you spend 3-4 hours reinstalling the OS, patches and programs.

 

[mechBgon]

Ok, #1 thing here: go get a router, here's one I like and have instructions on setup for: Netgear RP614 info for you.

If you've been flyin' around on broadband with WinXP SP1 or WinXP with no Service Pack at all, AND no firewall of any kind, then I say Drop The Bomb On It?.

1) back up your data and stuff

2) put in your WinXP CD and begin Windows Setup from the CD

3) when it shows the partitions on the hard drive, delete all of the partitions, then exit Windows Setup by pressing the F3 key twice.

4) now begin Windows Setup from CD a second time, and follow through. You need to have that router in place to provide firewall protection during this vulnerable phase... here are more infos for you: Preventing insta-worm during Windows Setup and also look at the other pages for more security ideas too.