No those are not true.
Low cost 3rd party software firewalls are pretty much problems waiting to happen. They all
have compatibility issues and offer only a few enhanced controls. In fact their issues often
actually lower the overall security instead of raising it. The Windows Firewall has no compatibility
issues and is extremely secure if you know enough to bypass most of the hype. Quality software
firewalls cost thousands. Most routers have hardware firewalls built in and those are considerably
better additions for the buck than any cheap/low cost software firewalls.
If you want to uninstall OR have uninstalled any antivirus/antispyware/security program be sure
to go to the maker's sites and look for Removal Tools (these can be run after the uninstall if
needed) and/or special uninstall instructions. Failure to do this will leave trouble causing
remnants which can be real problems later.
List of anti-malware program cleanup/uninstall tools.
http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/msestart/thread/407bf6da-c05d-4546-8788-0aa4c25a1f91/
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Here is what I use and recommend : (These are all Free versions and very effective.)
Avast and Prevx have proven extremely reliable and compatible with everything I have
thrown at them. Microsoft Security Essentials and Prevx have also proven to be very
reliable and compatible. Use MSE and Prevx or Avast and Prevx however not all 3.
Avast Home Free - stop any shields you do not need except leave File System, Web,
and Network running (Script and Behavior are also recommended in Ver 6+).
Prevx - Home - Free
Windows Firewall
Windows Defender (not needed if using MSE)
IE - Protected Mode
IE 8 - SmartScreen Filter ON (IE 7 Phishing Filter)
I also have IE to always start with InPrivate Filter active if IE 8.
(You occasionally have to turn it temporarily off with the little Icon on LEFT of the + bottom
right of IE)
Two versions of Avast are available 6.x and 4.8x
Avast 6.x - Home - Free - Stop the Shields you do not use (except File, Web, Network, &
Behavior) - double click the Orange Icon in Notification Area - Real Time Shields - click the
Shield you want to stop - STOP. To stop the Orange Icon from showing an error indicator -
click the Orange Icon - Upper Right - Settings - click Status Bar - uncheck the Shields you
disabled - click OK
http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download
Avast 4.8x - Home - Free - stop any shields you do not need except leave Standard, Web,
and Network running. (Double Click Blue icon - details next to OK. - upper left Shields -
Terminate those you do not use.)
http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download#tab4
Or use Microsoft Security Essentials - Free
http://www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials/
Prevx works well along side Avast or MSE
Prevx - Home - Free - small, fast, exceptional CLOUD protection, works with other
security programs. This is a scanner only, VERY EFFECTIVE, if it finds something come back
here or use Google to see how to remove.
http://www.prevx.com/ <-- information
http://info.prevx.com/downloadcsi.asp?prevx=Y <-- download
PCmag - Prevx - Editor'a Choice
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2346862,00.asp
Also get Malwarebytes - free - use as scanner only. If you ever suspect malware, and that
would be unsual with Avast and Prevx running except for an occasional low level cookie
(no big deal), UPDATE it and then run it as a scanner. I have many scanners and they
never find anything of note since I started using this setup.
http://www.malwarebytes.org/products/malwarebytes_free
Microsoft - PC Security - How to choose a firewall
http://www.microsoft.com/security/pc-security/firewalls-choosing.aspx
How to Turn Windows Firewall On or Off in Vista
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/92697-windows-firewall-off.html
How to Add or Delete an Exception in Windows Firewall in Vista
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/65334-windows-firewall.html
How to Use Windows Firewall With Advanced Security in Vista (This shows how to setup to block
Out-Going traffic IF NEEDED.)
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/92748-windows-firewall-advanced-security.html
Hope this helps.
Rob Brown - Microsoft MVP <- profile - Windows Expert - Consumer : Bicycle <- Mark Twain said it right.
A Windows 10 firewall that works like Little Snitch?
For those of you that don't know what Little Snitch is, it's a Mac program that detects outbound connections and lets you set up rules to block connections. You can block access to certain sites outbound, block certain applications outbound, or prevent a single app from accessing a specific IP address or domain name outbound.
So, for example, I could install Adobe Reader, and block it from accessing the Internet completely, or I could let it access the Internet and just not go to adobe.com.
Every time Little Snitch detects an outbound connection, it pops up a window and ask you if you want to allow the connection one time, or make a rule to allow connections to this URL from this app, block connections to this URL only, block this app from accessing the Internet at all, or allow this app to have full unrestricted Internet access.
I have never been able to find an app on Windows that does exactly what Little Snitch does. And a Google search has revealed a lot of questions about this, with a few answers recommending products that do not do what Little Snitch does.