Windows Firewall Control


Windows Firewall Control — Free Download. Firewall control

Windows Firewall Control is a system tray utility that extends the native Windows Firewall with additional management capabilities. It provides four filtering profiles: High Filtering blocks all inbound and outbound connections, Medium Filtering blocks outbound connections that do not match a rule, Low Filtering allows outbound connections that do not match a rule while permitting the user to block specific programs, and No Filtering disables Windows Firewall entirely. The program delivers notifications for blocked outbound connections, supports a learning mode that automatically allows digitally signed programs, enables creation of temporary rules that expire or are removed on restart, and offers full support for standard user accounts with elevated privileges required only during installation.

5.0(2 ratings)
File size: 3.43 MB
The latest version of Windows Firewall Control is: 6.33.0.0
Operating system: Windows
Languages: English
Price: $0.00 USD (Free product)
  • Notifications of blocked outbound connections. The program displays a notification each time an outbound connection is blocked by Windows Firewall. This notification identifies the program that attempted the connection and provides immediate options to allow or block it. The user can create a rule directly from the notification, which reduces the time required to manage firewall permissions and helps identify unauthorized network activity.
  • Learning mode. Learning mode automatically allows digitally signed programs to initiate outbound connections without prompting the user. This mode is intended for initial setup periods when many legitimate applications require network access. The program evaluates the digital signature of each executable and grants permission only to files with valid signatures, which reduces the number of manual approvals while maintaining a baseline of trust for verified software.
  • Temporary rules. Temporary rules are firewall rules with a defined expiration time or a lifetime limited to the current program session. When the expiration time is reached or the program restarts, these rules are automatically deleted. This feature supports testing scenarios and short-term access requirements without leaving permanent entries in the firewall configuration.
  • Full support with standard user accounts. The program operates under standard user accounts without requiring administrative privileges during normal use. Elevated privileges are required only at installation. This design allows daily firewall management tasks to be performed by users who do not have administrator rights, while system-level changes remain protected.
  • Disable tampering with Windows Firewall rules and state. The program includes a protection mechanism that prevents other applications from modifying Windows Firewall rules or changing the firewall state. This feature blocks attempts by unauthorized software to disable the firewall or alter existing rules, which maintains the integrity of the configured security policy.
  • Integrated rule management. The program provides integrated support for creating, modifying, and deleting Windows Firewall rules. Users can define rules for specific programs, ports, protocols, and addresses without navigating to separate Windows Firewall interfaces. This centralizes rule administration and reduces the steps required to adjust network access permissions.
  • Multiple ways of creating new rules. New firewall rules can be created through several methods, including from the program interface, from the right-click context menu of executable files, and from notifications of blocked connections. This variety of entry points allows rule creation to occur at the moment a need is identified, which simplifies the process of granting or denying network access.
  • Lock feature. The lock feature disables access to the settings of the program and to Windows Firewall. When activated, it prevents changes to the firewall configuration and to the program's own options. This feature is intended to protect a configured security policy from modification by other users or processes on the same system.
  • Shell integration. The program integrates into the right-click context menu of executable files. This integration allows a user to create a firewall rule for a specific application directly from Windows Explorer or another file manager. The rule can be created without opening the program interface, which reduces the time required to configure access for a new application.
  • Display of invalid rules. The program automatically identifies and displays firewall rules that reference programs which no longer exist on the system. These invalid rules can be reviewed and removed. This feature helps maintain a clean rule set and prevents the accumulation of obsolete entries that no longer serve a purpose.
  • Detection of duplicate firewall rules. The program can find and display duplicate firewall rules. Duplicate rules can occur after repeated rule creation or after importing rule sets. The detection feature allows the user to identify and resolve these duplicates, which reduces confusion and maintains a consistent firewall configuration.
  • Merging of similar rules. Multiple similar or duplicate firewall rules can be merged into a single rule. This feature reduces the total number of rules and simplifies the rule set. Merging is performed based on common parameters such as program path, port, protocol, or address, and it helps maintain an organized firewall configuration.
  • View recently allowed and blocked connections. The program displays recently allowed and blocked connections by reading the Windows Security log. From this view, a user can create new firewall rules based on observed connection attempts. This feature supports the identification of applications that require network access and provides a basis for rule creation from actual traffic data.
  • Import and export of partial sets of rules. Firewall rules can be exported to a file and imported from a file. The program supports partial sets of rules, which allows selected rules to be transferred between systems or backed up separately. This feature supports configuration migration and rule set management across multiple installations.
  • Protection to unauthorized uninstallation. The program includes a protection mechanism that prevents unauthorized removal. This feature blocks attempts to uninstall the program without proper authorization, which maintains the presence of the firewall management layer and prevents accidental or malicious removal.
  • Restore previous settings at uninstallation. When the program is uninstalled, it can restore the previous Windows Firewall settings. This feature returns the firewall configuration to the state it had before the program was installed, which avoids leaving modified rules or settings after removal.
  • Global hot keys and shortcut keys. The program supports global hot keys and various shortcut keys. These keys allow filtering modes to be changed and common actions to be performed without opening the program interface. This feature supports quick adjustments to the firewall state during work sessions.
  • Multi-language support. The program interface is available in 23 languages. This feature allows users to operate the program in their preferred language, which supports accurate configuration and reduces the risk of errors caused by unfamiliar terminology.

Windows Firewall Control was developed by BiniSoft, a software development company. The program was first released in 2011 and has received regular updates since that time. It is written in C# and runs on the Microsoft .NET Framework. The development is led by a small team focused on firewall management utilities for Windows. The program supports Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7, and Windows Server versions from 2012 through 2025. System requirements include Microsoft .NET Framework version 4.8, an enabled Windows Firewall service, and an enabled DNS Client service for notifications to function correctly. Known limitations include incompatibility with software proxies, web filtering modules, NDIS drivers, and other security software that redirects traffic away from Windows Firewall.

Alternatives to Windows Firewall Control: