SP2 firewall status alert settings not retained

Folks

I don't need nor want SP2's firewall as my network is running thro' a
hardware firewall router. I've turned off the firewall and selected the
option not to be alerted as I have my own firewall solution. However when I
reboot, XP loses this setting and continues to alert me that its firewall is
not turned on.

How do I turn off this alert PERMANENTLY?

Many thanks.

First, it's advisable to use a third-party personal firewall (such as
EZ-Trust, Zone Alarm or Sygate etc) so that the outbound connections are
monitored (hardware firewall can be an addition). Regardsing the Security
Center, it may not retain the settings in some systems. Here is a
workaround:

Open the Security Center by typing WSCUI.CPL in the Start, RUN box. Or,
click Start, click Control Panel, and then click Security Center. Click
Change the way Security Center alerts me. Clear the check boxes beside the
items for which you don't want to receive alerts, and then click OK.

Additional Information:
From Torgeir Bakken, Scripting expert and Microsoft MVP Scripting and WMI

quote
Disable the Security Center service:

Start/Run -- services.msc

Find "Security Center" in the list, double click on it, set "Startup type"
to Disabled.

There is also a Group Policy setting available to disable the Security
Center (Start/Run-- gpedit.msc).

Take a look at the chapter for the Security Center in 06_CIF_Maintenance.DOC

What settings are added or changed in Windows XP Service Pack 2?
Group Policy settings (page 26 for me)

06_CIF_Maintenance.DOC ("Changes to Functionality in Microsoft Windows XP
Service Pack 2, Part 6: Computer Maintenance") can be downloaded from he

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...DisplayLang=en

Note: WinXPSP2_Documentation.zip contains all the .doc downloads...

/quote

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Window XP Shell/User
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k


"JTHM" .@.. wrote in message ...
Folks

I don't need nor want SP2's firewall as my network is running thro' a
hardware firewall router. I've turned off the firewall and selected the
option not to be alerted as I have my own firewall solution. However when I
reboot, XP loses this setting and continues to alert me that its firewall is
not turned on.

How do I turn off this alert PERMANENTLY?

Many thanks.

Thanks for the reply, but your workaround setting doesn't get retained
either!

If I disable Security Centre via 'services.msc' does this also disable
Automatic Updates?

Thanks again.
------

"Ramesh [MVP]" wrote in message
...
First, it's advisable to use a third-party personal firewall (such as
EZ-Trust, Zone Alarm or Sygate etc) so that the outbound connections are
monitored (hardware firewall can be an addition). Regardsing the Security
Center, it may not retain the settings in some systems. Here is a
workaround:

Open the Security Center by typing WSCUI.CPL in the Start, RUN box. Or,
click Start, click Control Panel, and then click Security Center. Click
Change the way Security Center alerts me. Clear the check boxes beside the
items for which you don't want to receive alerts, and then click OK.

Additional Information:
From Torgeir Bakken, Scripting expert and Microsoft MVP Scripting and WMI

quote
Disable the Security Center service:

Start/Run -- services.msc

Find "Security Center" in the list, double click on it, set "Startup type"
to Disabled.

There is also a Group Policy setting available to disable the Security
Center (Start/Run-- gpedit.msc).

Take a look at the chapter for the Security Center in
06_CIF_Maintenance.DOC

What settings are added or changed in Windows XP Service Pack
2?
Group Policy settings (page 26 for me)

06_CIF_Maintenance.DOC ("Changes to Functionality in Microsoft Windows XP
Service Pack 2, Part 6: Computer Maintenance") can be downloaded from
he

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...DisplayLang=en

Note: WinXPSP2_Documentation.zip contains all the .doc downloads...

/quote

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Window XP Shell/User
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k


"JTHM" .@.. wrote in message
...
Folks

I don't need nor want SP2's firewall as my network is running thro' a
hardware firewall router. I've turned off the firewall and selected the
option not to be alerted as I have my own firewall solution. However when
I
reboot, XP loses this setting and continues to alert me that its firewall
is
not turned on.

How do I turn off this alert PERMANENTLY?

Many thanks.

See if a direct registry edit helps, rather than configuring the Security
Center User interface. More Information:
http://www.winxptutor.com/sp2/seccenteralert.htm

If I disable Security Centre via 'services.msc' does this also disable
Automatic Updates?

No, it should not. I have Security Center service service disabled, and
still have Automatic Updates set to ON.

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Window XP Shell/User
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k


"JTHM" .@.. wrote in message
...
Thanks for the reply, but your workaround setting doesn't get retained
either!

If I disable Security Centre via 'services.msc' does this also disable
Automatic Updates?

Thanks again.
------

"Ramesh [MVP]" wrote in message
...
First, it's advisable to use a third-party personal firewall (such as
EZ-Trust, Zone Alarm or Sygate etc) so that the outbound connections are
monitored (hardware firewall can be an addition). Regardsing the Security
Center, it may not retain the settings in some systems. Here is a
workaround:

Open the Security Center by typing WSCUI.CPL in the Start, RUN box. Or,
click Start, click Control Panel, and then click Security Center. Click
Change the way Security Center alerts me. Clear the check boxes beside the
items for which you don't want to receive alerts, and then click OK.

I have come up with a solution that does not disable Security Center,
but keeps the Alerts settings you choose: (I also have a version of
this 'solution' on dslreports.com, with screenshots too, if you
prefer, check this link:
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/rema...3428~mode=flat

I believe a component of Symantec is resetting the alerts by making
changes in the registry key that controls whether alerts are on or
off. By changing the Permissions of that key, you can keep the
settings from being changed again. I posted the following procedure
at broadbandreports.com yesterday, so I'm going to paste the text
he

I will type a lot here, to help those needing the background info, but
I DO have a potential fix for this, scan down to where I write:
"----FIX----"

Not well documented issue in which (apparently) having a Symantec
products (Norton Antivirus, Internet Security) keeps resetting the XP
Windows Security Center settings to notify/alert that Firewall (or
other) aspect is not enabled.

After searching countless threads, so far the only option is to
disable the Security Center service completely. In my case I do not
want to run a software firewall, but am using Norton Antivirus 2004.
After each reboot, the firewall alert settings in Security Center get
wiped out, and reset to "Alert me if my computer might be at risk
because of my firewall settings." There are some discussions pointing
to Symantec security feature that restores the setting each time. I'm
sure they'll eventually come up with a patched file, but until then
this is what I have found will prevent the setting from changing.
(Other, more expert users, please chime in if there is a spin on this
that would be better!")

----FIX----

Solution is to change the permissions for the registry key which
handles Security Center Alert settings. By preventing the System
account from changing the value, the choices you make "stay put". You
should be doing this while logged in as a member of Administrators
group, by the way.

1) Use regedit to go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Security Center

The subkeys within are what change (either "0" or "1") when you change
your Alert settings within the Security Center.

AntiVirusDisableNotify
AntiVirusOverride
FirewallDisableNotify
FirewallOverride
UpdatesDisableNotify

A value of "1" engages the option, so to disable Firewall alerts, the
value should be "1"

2) Now, to stop these values changing from what you WANT, you must
highlight the Security Center key name, and right click on it (or use
Edit menu) and choose Permissions.

3) Click Advanced, under the Permissions tab, Permission entries,
select the SYSTEM (in the Name column) and click Edit.

4) In the Deny column (should start out all unchecked) click to select
the Set Value checkbox, and click OK. This way we create an exception
to the normal permissions of the SYSTEM account for this subkey ONLY.

5) When you click Apply or OK next, a warning is displayed regarding
setting a "deny" permission. If you are following the above, then the
only change to permissions are for this specifc subkey (Security
Center) and it poses no threat. Click Yes to continue. Click OK to
exit the last dialog box. You are done. (If you go go back to
permissions, Advanced, you see a new permission entry has been created
for SYSTEM to Deny Set Value. If and when you want to reverse the
registry adjustment we just made, simply highlight that new entry and
click the Remove button.)

NOTE!! The effect of this permissions change means that making changes
within the Security Center graphical interface for Alerts settings
will have NO EFFECT on the registry after this until such time as you
go back to the registry key and remove the one deny permission you
created. Unless you reverse the registry change, the only way to
change the alerting options is changing the above subkeys to zeros or
ones using regedit. Remember this is just a registry change for the
*alerting* options, it does not change the operation of the Security
Center in any other or negative way.

Hope this helps people who have been as frustrated as I.