Did you uninstall TrendMicro Internet Security? There is usually a special tool for that.

Windows 7 and Vista firewall are ok and should be on.

If XP you may consider adding a 3ed party firewall like Zone Alarm.

Thanks. I did uninstall TMIS, using the method that they supplied. I forgot to mention that my OS is WinXP. If I add Zone Alarm, then I should turn off Windows Firewall, right? Is the one in XP not very good, then?

XP is a one way firewall not the best. Yes turn off the windows Firewall. An add Zone Alarm that may take time to get use to it. Let us know. There are others available also.

this might help you out with the zone alarm.
ZoneAlarm firewall - Tutorial

be sure when you get za you get the free one not the trial of the pay and also be sure you un check any of the stuff they try to add that you do not want you ONLY want the firewall.

Thanks, Zep and Raven. I had a hard time finding the free ZA download, but managed to avoid the other stuff in the end. Oh, yeah, and I can see that ZA is going to take some getting used to. Lots of things in Program Control that I don't know what to do about, though when I can find time to go through all the tutorials Raven gave a link to, I hope I will begin to understand. But meanwhile:

(1) Will Firefox need to be "allowed" under "Server"? If I don't allow it, what might I miss out on?

(2) Should I allow Sys32\svchost under both Access and Server? I have no idea what it was allowed previously, though presumably access was allowed.

(3) Under Firewall>Advanced, I find "Disable Win Firewall," which I assume is good, now that I have ZA, but what is "Filter traffic over 1394"? No idea at all what 1394 is or what checking this box might do. Only these two boxes were already checked. I will leave them checked until I hear to the contrary by one of you.

All help along this line is appreciated!

1 Yes

2 yes

"Filter traffic over 1394" Those are for Firewire connections. If you don't use Firewire you could uncheck them. leaving them checked should not as far as I know cause any issues either.

I personally NEVER allow anything server rights on my firewalls, it just is not necessary and can be dangerous if the wrong thing is given server rights. I allow it permission but NOT server rights. I do check for it to remember the permissions on things like your browser, antivirus, etc that are going to be needing to connect on a regular basis, other that that and the system stuff that you will learn to allow the rest I have it set to ask me each time. You definitely need to go ahead and read that tutorial so you know what system things you will need to be allowing so that you can access the internet and things like that.
I would go back to anything you gave server rights to and un do that and just give it regular permissions not server rights.
Do not just blindly grant things permission with out googling it or asking what it is because it could be malware on your pc trying to phone home and do it's dirty work.

Just wanted to add this from zone alarm manual info
what the ZA manual says to do. Test and verify that the program operates without giving it server rights. If it does, then it doesn't *need* server rights--and can stay blocked.
I have yet to find one that must have server rights and according to an article by Fred Langa of the Langa list
"Langa newsletter said that one should generally never grant a program server rights, in firewall settings.."

Got it! Thanks. Guess I'll go uncheck the Server rights for a couple of things. I appreciate the explanation of 1394, too, Zeb. We don't have FireWire, so I guess checking that box is moot.

There is a check mark under Server to show "Generic Host Process for Win32," showing it as "Trusted," and I can't remove the check mark. Can't remember if it was there in the beginning, though I am sure there has always been a red cross under "Server>Internet". Clicking on the check mark only brings up the options "Remove" and "Add Program." So it's all right to leave that one as is, right? Not that I am able to do anything else at this juncture, unless I don't need "Generic Host Process for Win32" at all. Is this something optional?

I just got home a little while ago and haven't had time to study the manual, so I apologize if this is a question I shouldn't have had to ask. It's just that now I am leery of anything that has gotten trusted recognition as as server.

YOU MUST allow that or you will not be able to get on the internet or a lot of other things as I had said earlier you need to learn the system ones that are to be allowed and that is definitely one that has to be allowed however I have never ever given it server rights on any of mine and it works fine. You did good by asking.

so yes you will need to give it permissions.