Windows Firewall has been in Windows XP since it was released. With Service Pack 2, Microsoft has shined the spotlight on the firewall as a key component to keeping your computer safe on the Internet.

Being a good Windows Citizen, you duly enable the Windows Firewall, and all of a sudden, applications you care about stop working. Before you turn off the firewall, watch this video to see how you can customize it, possibly allowing your application to resume working while retaining the security of the rest of the firewall.

In other words, let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater. At least not yet.