Windows Firewall Control

The Windows Firewall settings are not very flexible and they can be confusing for novice users. Non critical applications may be allowed to pass through the firewall by default, without your knowledge. This is why it is important to change its settings yourself. Windows Firewall Control's functionality should be obvious from its name. It offers a set of easy to use options, for controlling various aspects of your firewall. You can find its functions quickly, so you will not have to go through countless menus, just to allow or block an application.

The setup file takes up only half a Mb of disk space. The installation process is fast and there are no difficult configurations to make along the way. Before running the file, you may need to rename it, otherwise the setup wizard will not launch.

The core functions are located on a small, tabbed interface. It shows up in the lower right corner of the screen, when you click the application's system tray icon. You can use a slider to select different filtering methods. The software can block all outgoing connections, allow or deny connections which do not match certain rules or it can turn off the firewall. If you activate the learning mode, on the interface's Options page, Windows Firewall Control will show notifications when outgoing connections are blocked.

Rules are created and managed on a separate window. A large number of rules are created by default, to allow critical services through the firewall or block unimportant applications. The rules are displayed in a list and you can filter them, using various parameters. A rule can be created in a matter of seconds, by selecting an application's .exe file. There are two browsing options available, which can be used to allow or block an application. Alternatively, you can target an application by clicking its active window, after selecting a Block or Allow option.

You can change the listed rules at any time, to allow or block the selected applications. It is also possible to disable rules and reactivate them later on, regardless if they are set to block or allow. Once installed, the application will integrate with the Windows Shell and it will add new context menu options. In this way, you can allow or block applications, by right clicking their .exe files and selecting the appropriate options.