Edit or Delete a Port Firewall Rule
Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2
Use this procedure to change or delete a port exception in the Windows Firewall exceptions list. This procedure is useful when you change or delete the ports used by a program or system service and you want to update the port settings in Windows Firewall.
Administrative Credentials
To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Administrators group on the local computer, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. If the computer is joined to a domain, members of the Domain Admins group might be able to perform this procedure.
Special Considerations
You can configure Windows Firewall settings in the standard profile or the domain profile. The domain profile is used when a computer is connected to a network in which the computer's domain account resides. The standard profile is used when a computer is connected to a network in which the computer's domain account does not reside, such as a public network or the Internet. Make sure Windows Firewall is using the correct profile when you perform this procedure.
For more information about Windows Firewall profiles, see Managing Windows Firewall Profiles.
You should verify scope settings for any exceptions that you change. For more information about scope settings, see Configuring Scope Settings.
To edit or delete a port exception
This procedure can be performed using the graphical user interface or the command prompt.
Using the graphical user interface
To edit or delete a port exception
Open Windows Firewall.
Click the Exceptions tab, and then click the port exception that you want to edit or delete.
If you want to delete the port exception, click Delete, and then click OK.
If you want to edit the port exception, click Edit, make changes to the port exception settings, and then click OK.
If a Windows Firewall setting appears dimmed in the graphical user interface, and on the General tab, you see For your security, some settings are controlled by Group Policy, the setting might be managed by Group Policy. If all Windows Firewall settings appear dimmed, and on the General tab, you see You must be a computer administrator to change these settings, you do not have administrative rights to configure Windows Firewall.
Using the command prompt
To edit or delete a port exception
Type the following at the command prompt, and press ENTER:
netsh firewall set portopening protocol = protocol port = port name = name mode = mode
Substitute values for the placeholders in italics. The following table lists possible values for each placeholder.
| Placeholder | Possible Values | Description |
|---|---|---|
protocol |
TCP, UDP, All |
Specifies the protocol for the port. Use All to specify both TCP and UDP. |
port |
Any number from 1 to 65,535 |
Specifies the port number. |
name |
Any string less than 256 characters |
Specifies the friendly name of the port exception, which is displayed in the graphical user interface. You must enclose name in quotation marks. |
mode |
enable, disable |
Specifies whether to allow incoming traffic into the port. |
If you get an "Access Denied" message when you run a command, you do not have administrative rights to configure Windows Firewall. If you get an "Ok" message but the command does not take effect, the setting might be managed by Group Policy.
Notes
To start Windows Firewall, click Start, point to Control Panel, and then click Windows Firewall.
To open a command prompt, click Start, point to All programs, point to Accessories, and then click Command Prompt.
You can also use Group Policy settings to perform this procedure and configure other Windows Firewall settings.
Windows Firewall is not included in the original release of the Windows Server 2003 operating systems.
See Also
Concepts
Configuring Port Firewall Rules
Known Issues for Managing Firewall Rules
Add a Port to the Firewall Rules List
Add a Port to the Firewall Rules List for a Specific Connection