How do I troubleshoot the Windows Firewall settings?

If your Windows computer is mysteriously blocking connections to our servers — especially FTP connections — the Windows Firewall may be preventing the connections from getting through.

The first thing you should do if you suspect a firewall problem is restart your computer and your networking equipment (including your DSL or cable modem, which you should turn off, then on).

If that doesn't help, follow the instructions below.

Testing to see if the problem is the Windows Firewall

You can temporarily turn off the Windows Firewall to see if it's causing the problem. To do this:

1. Click the Start menu, then choose Control Panel.
2. Click Windows Firewall. (If your control panel is in "category view", click "Security Center" to see the "Windows Firewall" icon.)
3. A new window will appear showing the firewall settings. Click Off (not recommended).
4. Click OK to close the control panel window.
5. Try connecting to our servers and note whether it solves the problem.
6. After you test the connection, open the Windows Firewall control panel again and turn it On to make sure your computer is protected.

If this test solved the problem, that means that Windows Firewall is blocking the connections. If so, it may help to restore the firewall to the original settings that came with your computer. The instructions below explain how to do this.

How to reset the Windows Firewall

This section explains how to restore the Windows Firewall settings to the original ones that came with your computer. This will remove any erroneous firewall rules that are blocking legitimate connections.

During this process, Windows will tell you that restoring the default firewall settings may cause some programs to stop working. However, this is only the case if you have added custom firewall rules to allow certain programs that would have normally been blocked, which is rare. If you have added custom rules, you may not want to do this.

To reset the Windows Firewall:

1. Click the Start menu, then choose Control Panel.
2. Click Windows Firewall. (If your control panel is in "category view", click "Security Center" to see the "Windows Firewall" icon.)
3. A new window will appear showing the firewall settings.
4. Click the Advanced tab.
5. Click the Restore Defaults button. Windows will ask you if you want to continue; click Yes.
6. Click OK to close the control panel window.

After doing this, restart your computer to see if it has solved the problem.