Any recommendations for firewall that blocks outgoing applications & port access

I've been using Privacy Firewall with mixed results. Sometimes it's too aggressive in regards to blocking outgoing ports and applications that without performing a fresh Windows re-install you won't be able to regain access again. I've had this issue with PF and it blocked an application's ports accessing my default gateway and preventing the application's launcher from running. One time, it failed to protect me and it was in fact disabled as subsequent testing revealed. It also hasn't been updated since 2013 and the company remains silence on any questions or help regarding this deprecated app.

I*ve tried Comondo and it's nasty. Bloatware that you can't uninstall natively. It's baffling how this  firewall is recommended. Looks like reviewers are being compensated heavily in doing so through various methods and schemes.

Zone Alarm used to be great before they were sold and now there's ads plus it's heavy on my resources and has ads. 

TinyWall really is just another add-on to Windows Defender from what I seen and it doesn't allow me to monitor (and control) each process including hosts, traffic type and more. In particular, PF does the following which is what I need:

 

port manager, URL filtering, process monitor, and application/system behavior modeling and anomaly detection components. Privatefirewall 5.0 evaluates WinAPI calls and analyzes a comprehensive list of system variables and security-sensitive registry keys and alerts administrators to possible malware, attack, or policy violations.

 

Any suggestions on an alternative to PF?

Edited by hamluis, 07 July 2020 - 08:02 AM.
Moved from W7 to Firewalls - Hamluis.

Depends on the OS version of windows.

Win 7 or 8.1 use comodo firewall version 5 (without the bloat), as there is a "pure"  firewall version (not the suite) and do a custom install.

Win 10... hmm...either the third party addons for window's firewall or use a suite such as ESET or Kaspersky  (both can set to alert for new connections).

Thanks for the reply. It's Windows 7. Do you have a link to the older Comodo 5.0 version?

Tinywall is good enough, if you cant upgrade your computer to windows 8 or 10 then I recommend getting 0patch, its for both home use and has a free version, it will provide many vulnerabilitie patches that windows 7 no longer gets.

Maybe this one http://www.oldversion.com/windows/comodo-internet-security-5-12-256249

Do a Custom install - say no to the  antivirus, no extra browser, and no other stuff. Just the firewall.

After the install disable the sandbox feature, and use the HIPs with the firewall ( or no HIPS to your own  way). The sandbox with be out of date, and probably is useless

with the newer browsers and softwares.

Disable the updates in the firewall.

Enable IPv6 in the firewall.

Should be good to go.

Also consider the pctools firewall ( for win 7), as it is cleaner purer version of a firewall (no extras). It also did well in the leaktests back in the day.

https://www.softpedia.com/get/Security/Firewall/PC-Tools-Firewall-Plus.shtml

Edited by 0lds0d, 08 July 2020 - 11:30 AM.

Tinywall is good enough, if you cant upgrade your computer to windows 8 or 10 then I recommend getting 0patch, its for both home use and has a free version, it will provide many vulnerabilitie patches that windows 7 no longer gets.

As I stated above, TW is not good enough for me. It lacks many features which I need. 

Maybe this one http://www.oldversion.com/windows/comodo-internet-security-5-12-256249

 

Do a Custom install - say no to the  antivirus, no extra browser, and no other stuff. Just the firewall.

After the install disable the sandbox feature, and use the HIPs with the firewall ( or no HIPS to your own  way). The sandbox with be out of date, and probably is useless

with the newer browsers and softwares.

Disable the updates in the firewall.

Enable IPv6 in the firewall.

Should be good to go.

 

Also consider the pctools firewall ( for win 7), as it is cleaner purer version of a firewall (no extras). It also did well in the leaktests back in the day.

https://www.softpedia.com/get/Security/Firewall/PC-Tools-Firewall-Plus.shtml

Thank you! Unfortunately. pctools isn't downloadable from the above link. I'm referred to Norton's site. I was able to find it elsewhere but it's not compatible with my later Windows 7x64.

I might try Comodo another time, but I'm not holding my breath. I don't like how even older versions of the application including bloatware which makes me skeptical if it will install more applications despite a custom install which is what other versions do. 

Edited by Hmm888, 09 July 2020 - 12:26 AM.

Tried it this way?

msiexec /I cis_setup_x64.msi INSTALLANTIVIRUS=0 INSTALLFIREWALL=1 CLOUD_ANALYSE=0 FWFEATURES=0 SET_HIPS_STATE=0 SET_BBLOCKER_STATE=0 HIDE_SECURITY_ALERTS=0 SEND_STATISTICS=0 INSTALLDEFHOMEPAGE=0 INSTALLASKDEFSEARCH=0 /Quiet /NoRestart

See https://forums.comodo.com/install-setup-configuration-help-cis/is-comodo-free-firewall-the-right-product-for-my-site-t123285.0.html

Comodo used to be an excellent firewall that I used. Then they started the add-on features and tried to become all things to every man. Then the glitches, crashes and problems started. When I tried to remove it my internet connection was nuked. Three days I spent trying to find the cause, and unless I reinstalled Comodo I lost my internet. Tried their "help" forums which was totally useless. There were others with the same problem, and no answers.

I finally had to reinstall Windows and all my programs and finally I was free of Comodo. That is my experience with them.

Comodo used to be an excellent firewall that I used. Then they started the add-on features and tried to become all things to every man. Then the glitches, crashes and problems started. When I tried to remove it my internet connection was nuked. Three days I spent trying to find the cause, and unless I reinstalled Comodo I lost my internet. Tried their "help" forums which was totally useless. There were others with the same problem, and no answers.

I finally had to reinstall Windows and all my programs and finally I was free of Comodo. That is my experience with them.

I feel bad for your experiences. I know how that feels like. I use Revo Uninstaller which helps mitigate the negative effects but that isn't 100% as I have experienced with Private Firewall. I too have been troubleshooting it and how it's blocking some applications from launching completely. Once issues are noticed with a firewall, they can't be resolved unless you do a fresh Windows reinstall. That's what I'm facing now. 

I think if you want full control or automatic control of all your services and outbound ports etc. Private Firewall is king there, but not only is it so old now, it has some bugs with it and I won't recommend it. I suppose the only solution is to run Windows 10 . But that's not an option here.

I think I will have to up the UAC level and have Windows Firewall notify me as much as possible when an unknown service is detected and wants to access certain files like all the taskeng variants and svchost too which I believe Private Firewall has changed and is causing me me grief. I don't think most people online in general have an intimate knowledge of firewalls and how they exactly work so asking for help is futile as both our experiences have shown.
 

To be honest, I have been using Zone Alarm free edition on both W7 and W10 with excellent results. I get around 3 nag pop-ups form my system tray a week, I just click them off. Actually, I have Zone Alarm and W10 firewall running concurrently on W10 for a long time with no problems at all. I really like ZA's control and easy access to blocking and enabling inbound and outbound, and ZA notifies me whenever something wants to access the internet if I haven't allowed it. I found the W10 firewall is good, but not easily configurable.

To be honest, I have been using Zone Alarm free edition on both W7 and W10 with excellent results. I get around 3 nag pop-ups form my system tray a week, I just click them off. Actually, I have Zone Alarm and W10 firewall running concurrently on W10 for a long time with no problems at all. I really like ZA's control and easy access to blocking and enabling inbound and outbound, and ZA notifies me whenever something wants to access the internet if I haven't allowed it. I found the W10 firewall is good, but not easily configurable.

Are you using the paid or free version? If you're using the free version, who bad are the ads that may appear and where do they show up?

Hm888...read my post carefully, all is answered there.

Hm888...read my post carefully, all is answered there.

Got it. Free version. I will reformat my Windows and install Zone Alarm then. It will  use up higher resources than I want but at least it will do what Private Firewall did less the headache and glitches. 

Windows Firewall Control https://www.binisoft.org/wfc.php

That's a third party add-on for the native Firewall? Have you used it?