How to close ports using Windows Firewall for Windows Vista/7
If you’re reading this, then you’ve probably just finished the port scan from tools.spirinet.com and have open ports you want to close. Closing ports on your system is relatively easy, and I’ll be walking you through the steps you need to take in order to close them. You will need to make sure that you have administrator privileges before you attempt to do this. If you are not comfortable working with firewalls or are unsure of what it is you’re exactly doing, feel free to give us a call or send us a message.
I’m going to assume you’re running Windows and have Windows Firewall turned on. First, open Windows Firewall. Depending on your operating system, the location to open it at can vary. Generally, it can be accessed through the Control Panel by double clicking on “Windows Firewall”.
After you have Windows Firewall open, click on “Inbound Rules” on the left hand side. Now, right click on “Inbound Rules” again and choose “New Rule”. It will ask you what type of rule you would like to create. In this case, you will want to select “Port”. Clicking next brings up more options for you to choose from. It asks you if the rule applies to TCP or UDP, and you want to make sure you select TCP. Below, make sure you have “Specific local ports” selected and enter in the open ports that you want closed into the textbox.
The next screen presents you with the actual option of blocking the connection or not. If you want the port closed, you will want to select “Block the connection”. If you are on Windows Vista or Windows 7, you will be asked if the rule should apply to Private, Public, or Domain networks. If you’re closing a port, you generally want it closed everywhere, so make sure all types of networks are checked.
The last step will ask you to give the rule a name and description. You may name it whatever you like. Most people tend to name a rule they’re creating something that’s memorable to them, like “Block port 445”. The description is entirely optional and is only to help you remember what this rule does if you come back to edit it in the future and have forgotten why you have created the rule.
That’s it! You’ve just successfully closed a port on your machine. The only other thing you need to make sure of is that Windows Firewall is on and running.
