Most users today install good antivirus programs on their computer with a built-in firewall. At the same time, everyone chooses the most suitable option for himself. There are both paid and free utilities. All of them reliably protect the system.
If you installed an antivirus, it is recommended to disable the Windows firewall, as it may conflict with a third-party program, block various applications, and affect the speed of the Internet. But in other cases, deactivating the firewall can lead to malware entering the system, so doing this is highly undesirable.
Next, you will learn what a firewall is and how to disable it, thereby eliminating conflicts with other software, if you have it installed.
Why do I need a firewall?
Translated from English, the word "firewall" means "fire wall" (fire - fire, wall - wall). Indeed, this program built into Windows serves as a barrier to various worms, trojans and other viruses. A firewall (firewall, or firewall) filters Internet traffic and passes only that which is allowed by the program.
It is worth noting that there are free firewalls, which include the built-in Windows firewall, as well as paid firewalls. In principle, the "native" version, especially starting with Windows 7, is able to provide high-quality protection for your computer, but if you want, you can purchase a paid program. In this case, remember that when installing a third-party firewall, you must deactivate the built-in Windows.
About what a firewall is and how to disable it in various versions of Windows, read below.
Deactivating Windows XP Firewall
You can disable the firewall in the "expiry" as follows. Go to the “Start” menu and select “Control Panel”. Here you will need to go to the "Firewall" section. On the General tab, set the checkbox next to the Disable option and click OK.
By the way, in Windows XP (SP 1) the firewall did not provide normal protection, in addition, many users did not yet realize that while they spent time on the Internet, the computer could be attacked by intruders. As a result, a lot of unpleasant situations happened, but with the release of SP 2 the situation improved significantly.
So, now you have an idea of what a firewall is and how to disable it on Windows XP.
Firewall Windows 7. How to deactivate?
The firewall built into the "seven" is much more reliable than its predecessors. However, as mentioned above, many users prefer to install antivirus programs that have their own firewall. Most likely, this is the right decision. What is a firewall and how to disable it in the "ekshirka", you already know. But what if the seventh version of Windows is installed? In fact, you don’t need any deep computer knowledge, because deactivating the firewall in the "seven" is as easy as in Windows XP.
Click “Start,” and then click “Control Panel.” Select Small Icons in the viewing options. Go to the "Firewall" section. On the left, find the “Enable or disable the firewall” link and click on it. Set the checkboxes next to the options that deactivate the firewall.
As you can see, having learned what a firewall is and how to disable it on Windows 7, you can do this procedure in just a minute.
Disabling the firewall at the G8
If Windows 8 is installed on your device, then in order to deactivate the "native" firewall, follow these steps:
- being on the desktop, click "Start" RMB;
- a context menu will open where you will have to go to the "Control Panel";
- select the "Firewall" section (before that, set the "Small Icons");
- in the menu on the left, click on the link that allows you to activate or deactivate the firewall;
- set checkboxes opposite the desired option.
Now you know what a firewall is and how to disable it on Windows 8.
Some helpful suggestions
Do not disable the built-in firewall of Windows unless you have another program that protects your computer from malware. Of course, the firewall sometimes interferes with blocking some applications, but it is configured in such a way that the risk of being attacked by an attacker is minimized.
If you have a good antivirus that has its own firewall, be sure to disable the “native” Windows Firewall, as conflicts can occur.
You can install a third-party firewall if the standard one is in doubt (which is extremely rare). However, remember that downloading such programs from sites that have a dubious reputation is highly undesirable.
Conclusion
So, you have learned what a firewall is and how to disable it in popular versions of Windows. As you can see, the sequence of actions is almost identical. Regardless of which OS is installed, you can do this operation yourself.