An exception may not show up in the Windows Firewall graphical user interface if you create the exception by modifying the registry (897663)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows Server 2003 SP1
  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP2
  • Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition SP2
  • Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition Service Pack 2 (SP2)
  • Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition Service Pack 2 (SP2)

Technical update, August 31, 2005

Microsoft has released a Microsoft Security Advisory about this issue for IT Professionals. The security advisory contains additional security-related information about this issue. To view the security advisory, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/897663.mspx

SYMPTOMS

If you create an exception by modifying the registry on a computer that is running Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) or Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 (SP1), the exception may not show up in the Windows Firewall graphical user interface.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs if you do not specify a name when you add an exception by modifying the registry key. For example, this behavior occurs if you add a port to the registry and then set the registry value to 12345:TCP:*:Enabled. This value opens the TCP port 12345. However, the Windows Firewall graphical user interface does not show this port because the registry value does not contain a name. The following value is the correct value:

12345:TCP:*:Enabled:exception name

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue in Windows XP Service Pack 2, install Update for Windows XP (KB897663). This update will make sure that a firewall exception created through the registry is listed in the Windows Firewall interface the same as if the exception was created in the interface itself. To download and install Update for Windows XP (KB897663), visit the following Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=478FD24B-B2C4-4207-B1B9-1C988698C888

Prerequisites

Because of file dependencies, this update requires Windows XP Service Pack 2.

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

322389 How to obtain the latest Windows XP service pack

Restart requirement

You do not have to restart the computer after you apply this software update.

File information

The English version of this update has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.
   Date         Time   Version            Size    File name
   --------------------------------------------------------------
   04-Aug-2005  01:44  5.1.2600.2732      80,896  Firewall.cpl

STATUS

This behavior is by design.

WORKAROUND

To work around this behavior use one of the following methods.

Method 1: Append a name to the registry value

To work around this behavior, append a name to the registry value. For example, change 12345:TCP:*:Enabled to 12345:TCP:*:Enabled:exception name.

Method 2: Use the netsh firewall command

To work around this behavior, you can see the exceptions that you have created in the registry by using the netsh firewall command. To do this, follow these steps:
  1. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
  2. Type netsh firewall show state verbose = enable, and then press ENTER.
  3. Search the output text for the following text:

    Ports currently open on all network interfaces

    The ports and programs that are listed in the Ports currently open on all network interfaces section are unblocked. Additionally, these unblocked ports and programs represent enabled program or port exceptions.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about how to configure Windows Firewall, visit the following Microsoft Web sites.

Windows Firewall Operations Guide

http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/en/library/c52a765e-5a62-4c28-9e3f-d5ed334cadf61033.mspx

Manually Configuring Windows Firewall in Windows XP Service Pack 2

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/columns/cableguy/cg0204.mspx

For more information about how to troubleshoot Windows Firewall settings, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

875357 Troubleshooting Windows Firewall settings in Windows XP Service Pack 2

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:6/5/2006
Keywords:kbHotfixServer kbQFE kbtshoot kbSecAdvisory kbSecurity kbFirewall KB897663 kbAudEndUser kbAudITPRO
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