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How-To Geek Forums / Windows Vista

Can't turn on Windows Firewall

(38 posts)
  • Started 4 years ago by RS
  • Latest reply from Santo
  • Topic Viewed 59043 times

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RS
Posts: 21

I have Windows Vista 32 bit OS.

Today I uninstalled the RAM hog Norton 360. I restarted my computer after it was uninstalled and I was immediately prompted to turn on my Windows Firewall. I go to turn it on and Windows says it cannot be turned on and then asks me if I want to turn it on manually. After I click on the "manual installation" option a new Windows Firewall window opens and it says the Firewall is not using the recommended settings to protect my computer ( which I later find out is another way of saying my Firewall isn't turned on.... Redundant message.) I'm given the option to update my settings for the Firewall, but Windows is not able to update the settings. It's almost as if I have another Firewall installed and Windows has automatically shut off the Windows Firewall. A little help would be nice... :)

Posted 4 years ago #
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ScottW
ScottW
Posts: 6609

RS, hi and welcome. We seem to be getting this a lot lately. You might want to hunt up the other threads from others who are having trouble starting Windows Firewall. Here's one now:
http://www.howtogeek.com/forum.....-not-start

You may also have the Firewall service not starting. Try the "sc queryex mpssvc" and "sc qc mpssvc" commands from an elevated command prompt. Also, try the System File Checker ("sfc /scannow").

Posted 4 years ago #
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RS
Posts: 21

When I type those commands into the command prompt I get a bunch of information, but from what I've seen the important info you needed is the dependencies and I got; mpsdrv: bse

I also read this article (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/943996) in one of the links you sent me and it looks like it may be able to help but I'm confused when it comes to all the registry keys; I don't know if the article is telling me to edit all of them or what so I'm a little hesitant to do that without knowing for sure.. Here's what I got when I typed those commands into the prompt...

SERVICE_NAME: mpssvc
TYPE : 20 WIN32_SHARE_PROCESS
STATE : 1 STOPPED
WIN32_EXIT_CODE : 1068 (0x42c)
SERVICE_EXIT_CODE : 0 (0x0)
CHECKPOINT : 0x0
WAIT_HINT : 0x0
PID : 0
FLAGS :

[SC] QueryServiceConfig SUCCESS

-------------------------------------

SERVICE_NAME: mpssvc
TYPE : 20 WIN32_SHARE_PROCESS
START_TYPE : 2 AUTO_START
ERROR_CONTROL : 1 NORMAL
BINARY_PATH_NAME : C:\Windows\system32\svchost.exe -k LocalServiceNoNe
twork
LOAD_ORDER_GROUP : NetworkProvider
TAG : 0
DISPLAY_NAME : Windows Firewall
DEPENDENCIES : mpsdrv
: bfe
SERVICE_START_NAME : NT Authority\LocalService

Posted 4 years ago #
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ScottW
ScottW
Posts: 6609

Yes, well there is a problem, alright. The service is set to start Automatically, but it is stopped with an exit code. It means:

1068 The dependency service or group failed to start.

So, in your case it would seem that one of the dependencies did fail to start. You need to trace back all of the service dependencies and their dependencies, and so on, until you find one with no dependencies that didn't start. Also, you should definitely run the SFC now because there may be a missing or corrupt system file. The Norton uninstall could have caused it.

As for that KB article, it does not apply to you. The exit code that you are getting is not the same.

Posted 4 years ago #
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RS
Posts: 21

Ok, I'm running the SFC now... Sorry, but how do I trace back all of the service dependencies and their dependencies until I find one that didn't start...?

Posted 4 years ago #
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ScottW
ScottW
Posts: 6609

There are two ways to trace back the dependencies. Either use more "sc" commands from the command line or use the Services MMC snap-in. To run the snap in, open a Run box with Win+R then type services.msc. Either way you need to track it back. Are mpsdrv and bfe running? If not, what are their dependencies? Are those dependencies running? And so on. When you find a stopped service with no dependencies that should be running that is the most likely culprit.

If that still doesn't make sense, just ask and I'll walk you through it. We geeks do this kind of thing so often that it's like breathing, but we were all new at one time.

Posted 4 years ago #
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RS
Posts: 21

Well I just finished the SFC, and I got this....

C:\Windows\system32>sfc/scannow

Beginning system scan. This process will take some time.

Beginning verification phase of system scan.
Verification 100% complete.Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but w
as unable to fix some of them.
Details are included in the CBS.Log windir\Logs\CBS\CBS.log. For example
C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log

C:\Windows\system32>

Posted 4 years ago #
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RS
Posts: 21

Now that I'm in Services program how do I check if the mpsdrv and bfe are running... I'm lost.. :p

Posted 4 years ago #
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RS
Posts: 21

In services I double clicked on the Windows Firewall. The service startup type is set to Automatic, but obviously it's stopped due to this error 1068... Under dependencies it says the program depends on "Base Filtering Engine --> "Remote Procedure Call (RPC)". Also, the Windows Firewall Authorization Driver. I hope this is what you wanted me to find...

Posted 4 years ago #
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ScottW
ScottW
Posts: 6609

RS, sounds like progress. Did you restart after running the SFC? Sometimes it requires a restart to fix the files. Also, run SFC again after the restart and it might run clean.

You are on the right track in Services. The Base Filtering Engine is the long name for "bfe" and the Firewall Authorization thing is "mspdrv". Keep tracing back the dependencies to find out why the Firewall service won't start.

Posted 4 years ago #
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RS
Posts: 21

Ok, so the Base Filtering Engine's depends on the "RPC," but I then open the "RPC" and it has no dependencies at all... Could this be my problem?

Posted 4 years ago #
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ScottW
ScottW
Posts: 6609

Is the Remote Procedure Call (RPC) service stopped? There are many services that depend on RPC, so if it were not running I would expect you to have more problems than just the firewall.

Posted 4 years ago #
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whs
whs
Posts: 17584

Just another thought. How did you uninstall Norton. If you have not used their removal tool http://service1.symantec.com/S.....38;src=hot then you may still have some Norton on your system that is blocking the Vista firewall.

Posted 4 years ago #
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RS
Posts: 21

The RPC service is running. Thanks whs, I'll give that a try.

Posted 4 years ago #
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RS
Posts: 21

Sigh*.... The Norton removal program did not work. Stuck again..

While in the Services are I noticed that there is a service named "msfwsvc" and under description it says "Failed to read desciption Error Code 2." I looked this file up and it's linked to Microsoft Live onecare, but I don't have this program installed on my computer... I wonder if this has anything to do with my problem?

Posted 4 years ago #
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RS
Posts: 21

Ah! I think I may have found the problem, one of the dependencies for the Firewall is the Base Filtering Engine and it is stopped. I try to start it and I get an Error 2 message saying the file specified cannot be found.

Posted 4 years ago #
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ScottW
ScottW
Posts: 6609

RS, did you try running the SFC a second time? It might fix the problem or generate a new log that would tell us something.

If you want me to look at the exit codes for the Base Filtering Engine, post the output of "sc queryex bfe" and "sc qc bfe".

Posted 4 years ago #
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RS
Posts: 21

I did run it a second time and it told me the exact same thing. Something about corrupt files and that there were more details in the CBS.log. I then tried to go into that log but got an "access denied"

Here's the outputs:

C:\Windows\system32>sc queryex bfe

SERVICE_NAME: bfe
TYPE : 20 WIN32_SHARE_PROCESS
STATE : 1 STOPPED
WIN32_EXIT_CODE : 2 (0x2)
SERVICE_EXIT_CODE : 0 (0x0)
CHECKPOINT : 0x0
WAIT_HINT : 0x0
PID : 0
FLAGS :

C:\Windows\system32>sc qc bfe
[SC] QueryServiceConfig SUCCESS

SERVICE_NAME: bfe
TYPE : 20 WIN32_SHARE_PROCESS
START_TYPE : 2 AUTO_START
ERROR_CONTROL : 1 NORMAL
BINARY_PATH_NAME : C:\Windows\system32\svchost.exe -k LocalServiceNoNe
twork
LOAD_ORDER_GROUP : NetworkProvider
TAG : 0
DISPLAY_NAME : Base Filtering Engine
DEPENDENCIES : RpcSs
SERVICE_START_NAME : NT AUTHORITY\LocalService

C:\Windows\system32>

Posted 4 years ago #
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whs
whs
Posts: 17584

The Norton removal tool has always worked for me. But I always had a whole Norton to remove. Maybe it did not work for you because you had only bits and pieces left. I would reinstall Norton and THEN use the removal tool.

Posted 4 years ago #
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ScottW
ScottW
Posts: 6609

Well, there is definitely a missing file, and it's preventing services from starting. For the BFE service, exit code 2 means:

2 The system cannot find the file specified.

Here are the official instructions from Microsoft on analyzing the contents of CBS.log. Try this first:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928228/en-us

Posted 4 years ago #
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