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General discussion

Windows xp

Dec 8, 2004 4:10PM PST

Hello All

I'd appreciate it if someone could tell me how I might temporaly disable windows fire wall.

Is it nescessary....... if I have a McAffee firewall?

Thank you...................Brian

Discussion is locked

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Re: Windows xp
Dec 8, 2004 6:57PM PST

Windows firewall is lame at best. If you have another, I'd suggest you use it and disable Windows firewall. Go to the control panel then security center, if you have SP2 installed, and click on firewall. You have the option of turning it off which I would recommend you do.

If you don't have SP2 installed, go to the control panel and click on network connections. Right click on any connection listed then left click on properties. Click on the advanced tab then firewall settings. Change the setting to off.

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Re: Windows xp
Dec 9, 2004 2:54AM PST

Thank you glb 613..........I really appreciate your post

Regards....Brian

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Re: Windows xp
Dec 9, 2004 5:26AM PST

Anytime. BTW, I use Zone Alarm as my firewall. I did have problems with the newest version and reverted back to an older one. So far, so good.

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Re: Windows xp
Dec 9, 2004 6:14AM PST

I still keep finding many subtle changes, since installing SP2, and one is the change in Control Panel for security settings, which I accessed after you advised BTW what to do about the Windows firewall.

I cannot disagree with your advice and, certainly, under SP1 - with McAfee installed - I had disabled the inbuilt firewall, but now I am not so sure it is at all necessary, because my impression is that Microsoft and McAfee are de facto partners, such that there is unlikely to be any conflict (I can't comment on Norton, ZoneAlarm, etc.).

I should say that my situation is a bit "special", because I subscribe to ninemsn Premium, in which McAfee is packaged (I no longer subscribe direct to McAfee).

"Special" ... well not really, because I suppose that millions are subscribed to Premium; but the point is that - as far as I can see - if you have integrated products, such as XP SP2, MSN and McAfee, then maybe many issues which might pertain to other products do not apply.

I'm only exploring this, so I am interested in what oyhers think of course.

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Keyhoti, Don't Run the McAfee & Windows Firewalls.....
Dec 9, 2004 8:41AM PST

....at the same time. They are different beasts and work differently. I recommend choosing one or the other. If you want "outbound" attempts to be filtered/blocked you'll need to use the McAfee firewall. The XP firewall only blocks "incoming" intrusion attempts.

Hope this helps.

Grif

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Re: Keyhoti, Don't Run the McAfee & Windows Firewalls.....
Dec 9, 2004 4:30PM PST

Hi everyone

Thank you for your feed back.

I have disabled XP firewall and have McAfee working.

I also run their privacy service.

Does any one know how to clear the event log?

Cheers.........Brian

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Brian, Does This Do It For You ?
Dec 10, 2004 3:02AM PST

Unfortunately, some versions of the "Privacy Service" program has no internal method for clearing the "Event Log". It's designed that way, but on some versions of Privacy Service.... if I remember correctly, there is a way, if you choose:

First, try this:

Open McAfee Privacy Service>Privacy Tab > see all activity below the pie chart. Then hit the Clear button

If that doesn't do it....

Try this:

Find the "mcdndb.dat" file in the mcafee.com/mps folder. It's the file that "Privacy Service" uses to store the web sites visited. With admin rights, I renamed the file to "mcdndb.old". Now launch your browser, visit a few sites and then check the folder. A new "mcdndb.dat" is created with only those sites that you've just visited..

HOpe this helps.

Grif

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Re: Brian, Does This Do It For You ?
Dec 11, 2004 2:07AM PST

Hello Grif

Thanks for your post.

Couldn't find a pie chart so attempted your second suggestion but got lost some where along the way.

I would probally need to be "led by the hand" to have any success.If you have a moment I'd appreciate a click by click guide.

Regards .....................Brian

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Brian, Try It This Way...
Dec 11, 2004 9:50AM PST

In Windows XP, first temporarily disable Privacy Service. Now, click on Start, select "Search", then click on "All Files and Folders". At the next little window, scroll down and place CHECK marks in the boxes to "Search System Folders", "Search hidden files and folders", and "Search subfolders". Now scroll back up in that small window and in the "All or part of the file name" line type: mcdndb.dat, then click on the "Search" button. When the "mcdndb.dat" file is displayed in the search window, RIGHT click on the file, choose "Rename", then rename the file to "mcdndb.old", then choose "Yes", when it asks: "Are you sure?"

Now restart the computer and it should recreate a new "mcdndb.dat" file and the Event log should be clear except for any old sites that you visited. Remember, the new file will begin recording visited sites immediately after it's created.

Hope this helps.

Grif

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Grif.. thank you will get back Re: Brian, Try It This Way...
Dec 12, 2004 4:22PM PST

Cheers....Brian

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Privacy service?
Dec 12, 2004 11:31PM PST

I am a fan of McAfee - very much so, for their firewall and virus scan - but I found both "privacy service" and "spamkiller" to be a nuisance and of no benefit whatsoever ... even before I had SP2 and ninemsn Premium ... so my opinion is that you might be better off without "privacy service".

Maybe it depends on what else you are running, but I daresay someone will comment on this.

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Keyhoti, I'm Agreed...
Dec 13, 2004 1:57AM PST

I never saw a need to have them installed on the machine..but some of McAfee's "Internet Security Suites" now provide them....

That's one of the reasons that I'm not really a fan of ANY security "suite" product. Too many things get installed that aren't really necessary...Just my opinion though.

Hope this helps.

Grif

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open my computer's propertie, and check the win-firewall...
Jan 14, 2005 4:58AM PST

....settings, turn it off or on as you desire!!

and click ok