Changes to Firewall settings via Administrator Tools don't stay put

[roschler]

I am a Surface 2 app developer. I need to disable the firewall on my Surface 2 so I can do remote debugging. However, the Firewall is preventing inbound connections so I can't do this. I found the Firewall settings page within the Administrative Tools (Control Panel). But when I change any of the Firewall settings they don't stay changed. For example. I tried to disable the Fireall completely by setting it's status to OFF using the drop-down box, then I click Apply followed by OK. But when I go back into the settings dialog the Firewall status is still ON. If try to allow Inbound connections instead I can change it to Allow (from Block All) and then I do Apply followed by OK. But again when I return the settings dialog it still says Block All.

Has anybody seen the same behavior and knows hot to fix this?

 

[jnjroach]

Windows RT prevents all in-coming connections (it is unable to act as a Server) with the exception of Calls from a Mobile Device Management product like Windows Intune.

 

[roschler]

But apps are able to open ports in the Firewall. I just double-confirmed this. Out of desperation I uninstalled the remote debugging tools and re-installed them, just to get the dialog during the installation that asks for permission to modify the Firewall rules. Once I did that it started working again. Something must have reset the Firewall rules, perhaps an update? I don't know.

I would still like to know how to open a port in the Firewall successfully, just so I don't have to go through that lengthy process again every time I want to do remote debugging.

 

[jnjroach]

But apps are able to open ports in the Firewall. I just double-confirmed this. Out of desperation I uninstalled the remote debugging tools and re-installed them, just to get the dialog during the installation that asks for permission to modify the Firewall rules. Once I did that it started working again. Something must have reset the Firewall rules, perhaps an update? I don't know.

I would still like to know how to open a port in the Firewall successfully, just so I don't have to go through that lengthy process again every time I want to do remote debugging.

The only way I would know to investigate being to opening up is either through the Registry or using PowerShell.

 

[roschler]

The only way I would know to investigate being to opening up is either through the Registry or using PowerShell.

Thanks. Do you have a relevant link to PowerShell that would help me learn how to do that?

 

[jnjroach]

You can start here:

Use PowerShell to Create New Windows Firewall Rules - Hey, Scripting Guy! Blog - Site Home - TechNet Blogs

How to manage the Windows firewall settings with PowerShell - James O'Neill's blog - Site Home - TechNet Blogs

 

[roschler]

Thanks Jeff, Perfect!