does WinXP firewall do anything?

[pctwo]

specifically, does it block outbound connections and alert you to possible trojans and malware?

I have it turned on but it doesn't seem to do anything. There are some apps that got added to the exception list but I don't recall it asking me about it or I added them manually.

I should add that I have a h/w router with firewall built in, so most incoming connections are blocked unless I open up the port.

 

[InlineFive]

It allows for basic control of inbound traffic.

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: pctwo
specifically, does it block outbound connections and alert you to possible trojans and malware?

I have it turned on but it doesn't seem to do anything. There are some apps that got added to the exception list but I don't recall it asking me about it or I added them manually.

I should add that I have a h/w router with firewall built in, so most incoming connections are blocked unless I open up the port.

In your situation, the Windows Firewall primarily protects your computer from worms or hacking attacks originating from other computers that might be sharing your router. If you want to see what-all it's doing, enable the logging feature of Windows Firewall, note where the log file is located, then check the log file after you've done some normal activities.

To activate logging, go to Control Panel > Windows Firewall, click the Advanced tab in Windows Firewall, and then you want the Security Logging there.


Big picture: if you're worrying about Trojans or malware, use a good antivirus software and look at these proven security strategies.

 

[pctwo]

thanks for the info! 🙂

 

[corkyg]

It does all I need when used in conjunction with Windows Defender.