Windows Firewall Ports & Application Manager

Windows takes some default security measures to keep all of your files protected. An important features in this regard is the built-in Firewall, which decides what is allowed to access, and run on your computer. For a more advanced management of this feature, Windows Firewall Ports & Application Manager comes with just the right set of options.

On the one hand, you can use the application on other computers besides your own directly from a thumb drives, since it requires no installation in order to function. On the other hand, portability keeps the target PC safe, because it doesn’t modify registries during usage, so you don’t have to worry about stability.

Note that the application is best launched with administrator privileges so it can access all functions without any issues. What’s more, this is a mandatory step in case you want to add specific applications to the list of Firewall exceptions.

When launched, globally open ports, and authorized applications are shown in two separate sections, with the possibility to remove items, or toggle permission state. You can turn off the Firewall at the press of a button, toggle related message notifications, or bring up the Windows Firewall configuration panel.

Adding exceptions can be done in three ways, depending on the target item. Applications are the easiest targets here, since you only need to use the dedicated browse dialog to select the executable file of interest.

The range of targets extends to LAN and WAN connections. To add exceptions this way, you’re free to individually add ports, or a range. Dedicated options let you specify the protocol used, scope, and whether or not to enable the port. In case unexpected events occur, a dedicated function lets you revert all changes to the default configuration.

To sum it up, Windows Firewall Ports & Application Manager is a practical extension to the default set of Firewall configuration options. This way, you can easily decide what is allowed to access your computer, by simply specifying one or more ports, and selecting executable files of interest.