Your Firewall Blocks Internet Explorer

No single tool can provide your PC total protection from the potential dangers on the Internet. Instead, a number of tools working together, such as an email filter, antivirus program, and a firewall, can give your system the coverage it needs.

Unfortunately, these tools—whether installed individually or as part of a suite—sometimes get a little overzealous. For instance, your email filter could quarantine a message you want to read, or your firewall might block a program you want to use.

A firewall is an indispensable part of system protection. It blocks the attempts of anyone on the Internet trying to connect to or access your system without your permission. The firewall also asks your permission—which you can grant permanently by establishing an exception—to allow connections you need for programs such as instant messengers or online multiplayer gaming. Some firewalls will block outbound communication with networks. In addition, they can protect against viruses and worms.


For quick access to Windows Security Center and Windows Firewall, open the Start menu and use the Run command.

However, when your firewall blocks your ability to use your Web browser, then it’s gone too far. If you can’t use Internet Explorer and you think your firewall is the culprit, here’s what to do—short of turning off the firewall completely.


Windows Firewall

When Microsoft released Service Pack 2, a major upgrade to Windows XP, it included Windows Firewall, which was designed to replace the old Internet Connection Firewall. By default, Windows Firewall is turned on. If you’ve installed another firewall, the installation process likely will ask you to turn off Windows Firewall, or the other firewall may automatically disable Windows Firewall. If you are using one of the major third-party firewalls, we’ll explain your troubleshooting options below.

To access Windows Firewall, go to the Start menu, open the Control Panel, and click Windows Firewall. (Alternatively, you can choose Start, Run, and type firewall.cpl.)

If Windows Firewall is blocking IE, you might receive a Windows Security Alert indicating such is the case. If so, click Unblock in this dialog box, and your problem should be solved.

However, if you can’t use IE and don’t receive a Windows Security Alert, a better course of action is to open Windows Security Center—make sure you are logged on as an administrator when doing this—and click the Windows Firewall link so you can manage its security settings. To do this, either click the Windows Security Center icon in the Control Panel or type wscui.cpl in the Run command and click OK.

In Windows Firewall, click the Exceptions tab. This displays the list of programs and services that Windows Firewall exempts from blocking incoming network connections for. If IE is not listed, click the Add Program button and use the Browse button to find it. (The file Iexplore.exe should be located at C:\PROGRAM FILES\INTERNET EXPLORER.) Highlight it and click OK twice.


Third-Party Firewalls

As mentioned, installing a third-party firewall, even if it’s just an incoming firewall that is part of another program, will result in disabling Windows Firewall. (If this doesn’t happen automatically, or if you aren’t prompted to do so, you should disable Windows Firewall because in most cases it’s best to have just one firewall running at a time.) Once the firewall is installed and activated, if you encounter a problem using IE, check the security settings.


Windows Firewall can help protect your computer by blocking unauthorized access from outside network or Internet communications.

If you are using Norton Personal Firewall ($49.99; www.symantec.com), for example, click Status & Settings on the left side of the main page and then click the Personal Firewall link. Now, double-click Default Level. Make sure the setting here is Medium, which will not only allow access to IE, but will also allow the use of Java applets and ActiveX controls. When these are blocked, many Web pages won’t load—making you think the problem is with IE.

Another example, the McAfee Personal Firewall ($34.95; www.mcafee.com), employs six levels of security—from the ultra-tight Lockdown level to the permissive Open level. The default setting is the Standard level, which alerts the user when a new or unknown program is seeking Internet access.

When the firewall is set to Lock-down, that effectively shuts down your Internet access. It blocks all incoming and outgoing connections to networks, including your access to the Web and email programs.

To get out of Lockdown, go to the Internet & Network Configuration window in Personal Firewall and click Advanced. This opens the Security Level pane. Here, move the slider from Lockdown to another security level. Moving the slider even one position to the Stealth security level should restore your access to IE. After you’ve chosen a security level, click OK.

Modify Your Firewall Rules

In addition to security settings, firewalls contain specific rules you can modify that govern how programs on your system access the Web. Thus, if you’re having problems with your browser, try modifying your firewall rules.

We’ll use Norton Personal Firewall as an example. Click Personal Firewall and then click Configure. On the Programs tab, choose from the Settings For drop-down menu and then choose the Network Location that contains the program rule you want to change. In the Manual Program Control list, click the program rule you want to change.


Short of shutting down a third-party firewall, such as Norton Personal Firewall, try turning down the settings in the firewall so that it doesn't block all programs, including Internet Explorer.

In the Internet Access column, use the drop-down menu to select Custom or Manually Configure Internet Access. Choose the firewall rule you want to change and then click Modify.

You will then need to determine the action the rule should take (Action tab), the type of connection the rule should monitor (Connections tab), the computers the rule should monitor (Computers tab), and the protocols and ports the rule should monitor (Communications tab). There are additional measures you can take on the Tracking, Description, and Locations tabs. When you are finished modifying the rule, click OK.

Update Your Virus Protection

If a firewall detects a security risk, such as one posed by a virus or worm, it might prevent a user from going online through IE. This is why it’s very important to keep your antivirus program updated. When you update your antivirus program, you are staying on top of the virus definitions the program uses to identify the latest virus threats.

Of course, it’s ideal to do this on a regular basis so that your system does not get infected. But if you find access to IE blocked and tweaking the settings in your firewall doesn’t work, the problem might actually be a virus. One solution is to go online with a different computer and visit the Web site of the manufacturer of your antivirus program. Download the latest definitions to a CD and then insert the disc into the computer with the nonfunctioning IE.

Once you load the new definitions, initialize a full-system scan with your antivirus program and then use a repair wizard or similarly named tool to fix any security risks that are found. Restart your system, and you should be able to launch IE