Windows XP Msinfo32.exe Tool Fails with WXP Firewall

[David Lingren]

I am unable to use the View / Remote Computer... option in msinfo32.exe to
view information on remote computers with the Windows Firewall turned on. It
looks like the firewall is blocking traffic on ports 137 and 138, among other
things.

What must I add to the firewall Exceptions list to fix this problem?

[Torgeir Bakken \(MVP\)]

David Lingren wrote:

> I am unable to use the View / Remote Computer... option in msinfo32.exe to
> view information on remote computers with the Windows Firewall turned on. It
> looks like the firewall is blocking traffic on ports 137 and 138, among other
> things.
>
> What must I add to the firewall Exceptions list to fix this problem?
>
>
Hi,

I would think you need to apply this policy setting on the remote
computer to open for this:

Policy path:
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Network\
Network Connections\Windows Firewall\<Domain|Standard> Profile\

Policy name:
Windows Firewall: Allow remote administration exception

From PolicySettings.xls available here:

Group Policy Settings Reference for Windows XP Professional
Service Pack 2
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=ef3a35c0-19b9-4acc-b5be-9b7dab13108e&displaylang=en

<quote>
Administrative Templates\Network\Network Connections\Windows Firewall
\<some> Profile
Windows Firewall: Allow remote administration exception

Allows remote administration of this computer using administrative
tools such as the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) and Windows
Management Instrumentation (WMI). To do this, Windows Firewall opens
TCP ports 135 and 445. Services typically use these ports to
communicate using remote procedure calls (RPC) and Distributed
Component Object Model (DCOM). This policy setting also allows
SVCHOST.EXE and LSASS.EXE to receive unsolicited incoming messages
and allows hosted services to open additional dynamically-assigned
ports, typically in the range of 1024 to 1034. If you enable this
policy setting, Windows Firewall allows the computer to receive the
unsolicited incoming messages associated with remote administration.
You must specify the IP addresses or subnets from which these
incoming messages are allowed. If you disable or do not configure
this policy setting, Windows Firewall does not open TCP port 135 or
445. Also, Windows Firewall prevents SVCHOST.EXE and LSASS.EXE from
receiving unsolicited incoming messages, and prevents hosted
services from opening additional dynamically-assigned ports. Because
disabling this policy setting does not block TCP port 445, it does
not conflict with the Windows Firewall: Allow file and printer
sharing exception policy setting. Note: Malicious users often
attempt to attack networks and computers using RPC and DCOM. We
recommend that you contact the manufacturers of your critical
programs to determine if they are hosted by SVCHOST.exe or LSASS.exe
or if they require RPC and DCOM communication. If they do not, then
do not enable this policy setting. Note: If any policy setting
opens TCP port 445, Windows Firewall allows inbound ICMP echo
request messages (the message sent by the Ping utility), even if the
Windows Firewall: Allow ICMP exceptions policy setting would block
them. Policy settings that can open TCP port 445 include Windows
Firewall: Allow file and printer sharing exception, Windows Firewall:
Allow remote administration exception, and Windows Firewall: Define
port exceptions.

</quote>


Using netsh.exe, you can configure the "Allow for remote administration"
setting from command line as well, like this:

netsh.exe firewall set service type=remoteadmin mode=enable scope=subnet
profile=domain

If not a domain computer, you need to change to 'profile=standard'
(or 'profile=all'). Scope can also be set to 'custom' and then you
can add ip ranges to the command line as well.

The netsh.exe syntax is documented in WF_XPSP2.doc.

WF_XPSP2.doc "Deploying Windows Firewall Settings for Microsoft
Windows XP with Service Pack 2" is downloadable from
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=4454e0e1-61fa-447a-bdcd-499f73a637d1



--
torgeir, Microsoft MVP Scripting and WMI, Porsgrunn Norway
Administration scripting examples and an ONLINE version of
the 1328 page Scripting Guide:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/default.mspx

[David Lingren]

Thanks for this prompt and helpful response, which enabled me to solve my
problem.

I actually found the PolicySettings.xls file at this location:

Group Policy Settings Reference for Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=7821c32f-da15-438d-8e48-45915cd2bc14&DisplayLang=en

I also found these articles helpful, since I ended up using NETSH for the fix:

The Cable Guy - February 2004: Manually Configuring Internet Connection
Firewall in Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/columns/cableguy/cg0204.mspx

The Cable Guy - November 2001: Managing Windows 2000 Networking Components
with Netsh
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/columns/cableguy/cg1101.mspx

Thanks again for your help!
David Lingren


"Torgeir Bakken (MVP)" wrote:

> David Lingren wrote:
>
> > I am unable to use the View / Remote Computer... option in msinfo32.exe to
> > view information on remote computers with the Windows Firewall turned on. It
> > looks like the firewall is blocking traffic on ports 137 and 138, among other
> > things.
> >
> > What must I add to the firewall Exceptions list to fix this problem?
> >
> >
> Hi,
>
> I would think you need to apply this policy setting on the remote
> computer to open for this:
>
> Policy path:
> Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Network\
> Network Connections\Windows Firewall\<Domain|Standard> Profile\
>
> Policy name:
> Windows Firewall: Allow remote administration exception
>
> From PolicySettings.xls available here:
>
> Group Policy Settings Reference for Windows XP Professional
> Service Pack 2
> http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=ef3a35c0-19b9-4acc-b5be-9b7dab13108e&displaylang=en
>
> <quote>
> Administrative Templates\Network\Network Connections\Windows Firewall
> \<some> Profile
> Windows Firewall: Allow remote administration exception
>
> Allows remote administration of this computer using administrative
> tools such as the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) and Windows
> Management Instrumentation (WMI). To do this, Windows Firewall opens
> TCP ports 135 and 445. Services typically use these ports to
> communicate using remote procedure calls (RPC) and Distributed
> Component Object Model (DCOM). This policy setting also allows
> SVCHOST.EXE and LSASS.EXE to receive unsolicited incoming messages
> and allows hosted services to open additional dynamically-assigned
> ports, typically in the range of 1024 to 1034. If you enable this
> policy setting, Windows Firewall allows the computer to receive the
> unsolicited incoming messages associated with remote administration.
> You must specify the IP addresses or subnets from which these
> incoming messages are allowed. If you disable or do not configure
> this policy setting, Windows Firewall does not open TCP port 135 or
> 445. Also, Windows Firewall prevents SVCHOST.EXE and LSASS.EXE from
> receiving unsolicited incoming messages, and prevents hosted
> services from opening additional dynamically-assigned ports. Because
> disabling this policy setting does not block TCP port 445, it does
> not conflict with the Windows Firewall: Allow file and printer
> sharing exception policy setting. Note: Malicious users often
> attempt to attack networks and computers using RPC and DCOM. We
> recommend that you contact the manufacturers of your critical
> programs to determine if they are hosted by SVCHOST.exe or LSASS.exe
> or if they require RPC and DCOM communication. If they do not, then
> do not enable this policy setting. Note: If any policy setting
> opens TCP port 445, Windows Firewall allows inbound ICMP echo
> request messages (the message sent by the Ping utility), even if the
> Windows Firewall: Allow ICMP exceptions policy setting would block
> them. Policy settings that can open TCP port 445 include Windows
> Firewall: Allow file and printer sharing exception, Windows Firewall:
> Allow remote administration exception, and Windows Firewall: Define
> port exceptions.
>
> </quote>
>
>
> Using netsh.exe, you can configure the "Allow for remote administration"
> setting from command line as well, like this:
>
> netsh.exe firewall set service type=remoteadmin mode=enable scope=subnet
> profile=domain
>
> If not a domain computer, you need to change to 'profile=standard'
> (or 'profile=all'). Scope can also be set to 'custom' and then you
> can add ip ranges to the command line as well.
>
> The netsh.exe syntax is documented in WF_XPSP2.doc.
>
> WF_XPSP2.doc "Deploying Windows Firewall Settings for Microsoft
> Windows XP with Service Pack 2" is downloadable from
> http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=4454e0e1-61fa-447a-bdcd-499f73a637d1
>
>
>
> --
> torgeir, Microsoft MVP Scripting and WMI, Porsgrunn Norway
> Administration scripting examples and an ONLINE version of
> the 1328 page Scripting Guide:
> http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/default.mspx
>