This is an update and maybe clarification of earlier messages.
My Windows XP Home SP2 firewall is not working as expected. It ignores its checkboxes for network connections and exceptions. Is there a way to repair it without uninstalling SP2? For example, can just the Windows firewall be reinstalled?
Here is some history of what has happened and how it behaves.
I use a DSL gateway which includes a hardware firewall. There are no other computers connected to the gateway.
I cloned my boot disk drive to a new disk drive, disconnected the original drive, made the clone my boot disk drive, and defragged it.
I used the computer that way for a while with no significant problems under Windows XP SP1. Firewall settings were: Firewire and Ethernet (DSL) network connections were unselected but my rarely-used dialup connection was selected. Default exceptions were used.
Then I installed SP2 via Windows Update. That went smoothly except my modem was not recognized on the first reboot. It was automatically reinstalled. Since then, the firewall has not worked as expected or described anywhere. That is still true after I disabled my unused firewire connection in BIOS, and made several changes required to get SP2 to work right: reinstalled Windows Media Player, uninstalled two versions of Java and installed the latest JRE, removed and reinstalled the HP Laserjet 2300d PCL5e driver.
If the Windows firewall is ON: It ignores its checkboxes for network connections (Control Panel - Windows Firewall - Network Connections Settings). It also ignores its checkboxes for exceptions (Control Panel - Windows Firewall - Advanced - Exceptions). It operates as if all such checkboxes are marked regardless of whether they are actually marked. Unmarking a checkbox has no effect.
If these two programs are not in its exceptions list, the Windows firewall blocks them after I log into my user account of Windows: Java(TM 2 Platform Standard Edition binary (javaw.exe) HP SocketPing Server (hpbspsvr.exe) The latter is only blocked if the Laserjet is in Standby. It has always had a minor problem of trying to notify me about printer status even it I selected nothing to be monitored and never to be notified.
If the two programs are in the exceptions list, they are not blocked regardless of whether their checkboxes are marked.
Running "netsh firewall show state" and "netsh firewall show config" show nothing that seems unexpected. Here are details with default configuration except both network connections are deselected. The two programs are blocked with this configuration.
Firewall status:
------------------------------------------------------------------- Profile = Standard Operational mode = Enable Exception mode = Enable Multicast/broadcast response mode = Enable Notification mode = Enable Group policy version = None Remote admin mode = Disable
Ports currently open on all network interfaces: Port Protocol Version Program
------------------------------------------------------------------- No ports are currently open on all network interfaces.
Domain profile configuration:
------------------------------------------------------------------- Operational mode = Enable Exception mode = Enable Multicast/broadcast response mode = Enable Notification mode = Enable
Allowed programs configuration for Domain profile: Mode Name / Program
------------------------------------------------------------------- Enable Remote Assistance / C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\sessmgr.exe
Standard profile configuration (current):
------------------------------------------------------------------- Operational mode = Enable Exception mode = Enable Multicast/broadcast response mode = Enable Notification mode = Enable
Allowed programs configuration for Standard profile: Mode Name / Program
------------------------------------------------------------------- Enable Remote Assistance / C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\sessmgr.exe
Log configuration:
------------------------------------------------------------------- File location = C:\\WINDOWS\\pfirewall.log Max file size = 4096 KB Dropped packets = Disable Connections = Disable
Local Area Connection firewall configuration:
------------------------------------------------------------------- Operational mode = Disable
Dialup firewall configuration:
------------------------------------------------------------------- Operational mode = Disable