Windows 7 Win 7 Firewall blocking authorised program

[Kaidonni]

Why might Windows Firewall *insist* that a program has been determined to not have authorisation to access it's online components? I've got inbound and outbound rules, the program is in the list of exceptions...it makes no sense. I've searched high and low, and not found anything helpful in any write-ups on configuring firewalls. What would the potential list of causes be? It's annoying, because I've had this program 6+ years, and only at the end of July does the firewall magically decide an authorised program has no authorisation...

Is there anything in anti-virus updates that might create a conflict? I've reinstalled the program, and it made no difference. I'm pretty sure the anti-virus has been updated plenty of times over the past 6 years, too, and nothing like this has ever happened.

This pops up in the log for the program...

Log: FIREWALL: Could not Authorize
Log: FIREWALL: Freed XP.SP2 Firewall Object

However, I'm not using XP Service Pack 2, I'm using Win 7. It isn't my computer, but my brother has no idea why this is happening. I think he has a virtual machine install, possibly recent, only noticed it very recently. Could that be causing a conflict?

 

[Saltgrass]

I can tell you this. I had a program once that used an additional .dll file to connect. The Windows Firewall allowed the normal program but did not recognize the .dll. The way I found the problem was by watching what was running when trying to connect. I like to use something like Process Explorer from Microsoft which makes it easy to watch running services and utilities. Task Manager may also work, if this could be your problem.

I do not have the experience with Virtual XP to attempt to answer any questions about it.

What program is having the problem? I am thinking my situation was with Open Office, but can't remember for sure.

 

[Kaidonni]

The program is Unreal Tournament 2004. I've checked Task Manager, it doesn't appear to show any additional programs beyond UT2004 when trying to connect. The message, when clicking on the multiplayer options in the menu, is basically that it has been determined that UT2004 does not have authorisation to access the internet. Quite where this has come from...again, it's almost magical because it's been a whole 6 1/2 years and nothing like this has ever happened before, especially with a fully authorised program, both private and public, with inbound and outbound rules. Like I said before, also, it's amazing how firewalls and antivirus have been upgraded in those years, but only now something causes trouble.

 

[TorrentG]

Why might Windows Firewall *insist* that a program has been determined to not have authorisation to access it's online components? I've got inbound and outbound rules, the program is in the list of exceptions...it makes no sense. I've searched high and low, and not found anything helpful in any write-ups on configuring firewalls. What would the potential list of causes be? It's annoying, because I've had this program 6+ years, and only at the end of July does the firewall magically decide an authorised program has no authorisation...

Is there anything in anti-virus updates that might create a conflict? I've reinstalled the program, and it made no difference. I'm pretty sure the anti-virus has been updated plenty of times over the past 6 years, too, and nothing like this has ever happened.

This pops up in the log for the program...

Log: FIREWALL: Could not Authorize
Log: FIREWALL: Freed XP.SP2 Firewall Object

However, I'm not using XP Service Pack 2, I'm using Win 7. It isn't my computer, but my brother has no idea why this is happening. I think he has a virtual machine install, possibly recent, only noticed it very recently. Could that be causing a conflict?

Hi and welcome!

Forgive me as I might not fully understand, but I don't see any issue in any of that. Is there an actual problem as in where you aren't able to do something you wish to do?

Yes, of course the virtual machine install's SP2 correlates to those firewall messages.

 

[TorrentG]

The program is Unreal Tournament 2004. I've checked Task Manager, it doesn't appear to show any additional programs beyond UT2004 when trying to connect. The message, when clicking on the multiplayer options in the menu, is basically that it has been determined that UT2004 does not have authorisation to access the internet. Quite where this has come from...again, it's almost magical because it's been a whole 6 1/2 years and nothing like this has ever happened before, especially with a fully authorised program, both private and public, with inbound and outbound rules. Like I said before, also, it's amazing how firewalls and antivirus have been upgraded in those years, but only now something causes trouble.

Now I understand as I hadn't seen this reply while making my last one. In an elevated command prompt, copy/paste this to it then press enter:

netsh advfirewall reset

Reboot.

 

[Kaidonni]

Thanks for the replies. My brother uninstalled the virtual machine, and hey presto, UT2004 was no longer blocked. Why the firewall might block it based on the virtual machine I don't know...

 

[DigitalG0D]

This problem drove me nuts, the solution is actually really simple. Open the UT2004.ini file in your *InstallDir*\System folder and add the lines:

[FireWall]
IgnoreSP2=1

Thats all