# Computer HELP! needed.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-help-needed/324343
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [October 1, 2005, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-help-needed/324343 "2005-10-01T15:55:29Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2005, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-help-needed/324343/1 "2005-10-01T15:55:29Z")
To open some applications on the internet (like play videos or sound bites) I sometimes need to turn off my firewall. I use Norton Internet Security. All of a sudden, the program refuses to open. What do I do?
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### Author:  [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2005, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-help-needed/324343/2 "2005-10-01T16:01:08Z")
> [@pkbites](#):
>
> To open some applications on the internet (like play videos or sound bites) I sometimes need to turn off my firewall. I use Norton Internet Security. All of a sudden, the program refuses to open. What do I do?
Norton Security or the net app youre trying to run?
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### Author:  [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2005, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-help-needed/324343/3 "2005-10-01T16:05:13Z")
> [@astro](#):
>
> Norton Security or the net app youre trying to run?
Norton Security. It’s on my desk top, where it’s been forever. All of a sudden the program just will not open up no matter how many times you click on it. All my other programs open/run just fine.
WTF?😕
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### Author:  [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2005, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-help-needed/324343/4 "2005-10-01T17:10:24Z")
> [@pkbites](#):
>
> To open some applications on the internet (like play videos or sound bites) I sometimes need to turn off my firewall. I use Norton Internet Security. All of a sudden, the program refuses to open. What do I do?
If you haven’t tried it, do a warm reboot. This fixes many things.
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### Author:  [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2005, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-help-needed/324343/5 "2005-10-01T18:44:12Z")
You might also try uninstalling and reinstalling Norton.
Go to [http://housecall.trendmicro.com](http://housecall.trendmicro.com) - it’s a free online virus checker; you can use it to insure that you haven’t picked up something nasty that’s keeping Norton from openining. If you have picked up viruses, I’d suggest a hardware firewall (or NAT router) plus a reinstall of Windows. It’s generally not possible to reinstall Windows on an “open” broadband connection any more; the machine will be compromised before you can get the Windows updates done. (There are alternatives, like downloading a complete Windows patch disk on some other machine, and patching the machine while it’s not connected to the net, but the easist thing is to buy/borrow a router.)
Whenever you get this behind you, change your habits. You should NEVER, EVER turn off your firewall unless you’ve got an upstream router or firewall protecting you. Most downloads should not require the firewall to be shut off. If you find applications that do (games and video, mostly), LEARN HOW TO OPEN JUST THE PORTS THAT THEY REQUIRE. Do NOT turn off the whole firewall. My firewall records several attacks from the net per minute on most days, it’s just not safe to be connected without a firewall on.
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### Author:  [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2005, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-help-needed/324343/6 "2005-10-02T22:39:09Z")
> [@pkbites](#):
>
> To open some applications on the internet (like play videos or sound bites) I sometimes need to turn off my firewall. I use Norton Internet Security. All of a sudden, the program refuses to open. What do I do?
I’m having problems like this too. I can’t afford Norton update so I tried an on-line virus scanner. Actually two different ones. None would download.
Various programs won’t load. Would "Del boottext.log help? (In DOS)
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### Author:  [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)
#### Post date: [October 3, 2005, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-help-needed/324343/7 "2005-10-03T05:33:03Z")
Okay, a hot reboot fixed my problem. Thanks for the response, folks. 🙂
[QUOTE=TimeWinder]
Most downloads should not require the firewall to be shut off. If you find applications that do (games and video, mostly), LEARN HOW TO OPEN JUST THE PORTS THAT THEY REQUIRE.
I don’t understand how to do this.
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### Author:  [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)
#### Post date: [October 3, 2005, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-help-needed/324343/8 "2005-10-03T13:33:00Z")
[QUOTE=pkbites]
Okay, a hot reboot fixed my problem. Thanks for the response, folks. 🙂
> [@TimeWinder](#):
>
> Most downloads should not require the firewall to be shut off. If you find applications that do (games and video, mostly), LEARN HOW TO OPEN JUST THE PORTS THAT THEY REQUIRE.
>
> I don’t understand how to do this.
Most software firewalls will notify you when an application is trying to broadcast out to the internet. They prompt you to allow or deny this outgoing traffic. If you allow it, then you have set a rule that allows that application to communicate out to the internet and it should work fine. If you deny it, then it won’t communicate out.
What this does is place control of what can and cannot broadcast out to the internet in your hands so that if a piece of malware somehow gets installed on your PC and trys to broadcast out, you will get notified and be able to stop it, thus decreasing the load on your bandwidth usage.