# Need help with firewall rules

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-firewall-rules/257941>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 2, 2004, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-firewall-rules/257941 "2004-08-02T06:28:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2004, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-firewall-rules/257941/1 "2004-08-02T06:28:02Z")

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I have Tiny Firewall version 5.

Each time a program is spawned by WinRAR(ie, when I open a program directly from a compressed file, without extracting it first), it will open in WinRAR’s security context. So I will get no notification, and the opened program will have full file access in my computer.

This happens only with WinRAR. When programs are spawned by other applications, I get full notification from the firewall. I guess I have screwed the rules, but I can’t really understand how Tiny works. Any help would be apreciated.

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2004, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-firewall-rules/257941/2 "2004-08-02T06:45:39Z")

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Normally, I wouldn’t recommend someone change to a different software package than the one they were asking about, but in this case, I’ll make an exception. I can’t recommend [ZoneAlarm](http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/freeDownload.jsp) enough. It’s an excellent firewall, even in the freeware version, and it’ll never let _anything_ get out, or in, unless you specifically allow it to, plus it’s very easy to configure. It’s what I use, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

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**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2004, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-firewall-rules/257941/3 "2004-08-02T07:48:18Z")

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I just got Tiny version 6! I will have to uninstall the old version, so all rules will have to be written again. I guess this will solve the problem.

I have used ZoneAlarm in the past. Didn’t like it. Tiny is better 🙂

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2004, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-firewall-rules/257941/4 "2004-08-02T15:14:20Z")

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> [@Dog80](#):
>
> I have used ZoneAlarm in the past. Didn’t like it.

Out of curiosity, what didn’t you like about it?

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**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2004, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-firewall-rules/257941/5 "2004-08-02T18:17:32Z")

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> [@Q.E.D.](#):
>
> Out of curiosity, what didn’t you like about it?

ZoneAlarm is no better or worse than other popular firewalls like Norton, Kerio, BlackIce or McAfee (I have used all of them in the past).

Tiny on the other hand is in a league of its own. Try it and you’ll see 😉