Re: XP File and printer sharing SOLVED!! A HIDDEN FIREWALL!!

KenV wrote:
"Steve Winograd [MVP]" <bcmaven@xxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:cr62q2pavfhmmk2sujip5fspr1da20rsp1@xxxxxxxxxx
In article <OQ0pzSnMHHA.4848@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "KenV"
<kvatz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Then click a shared folder to open it. If that gives an error, the
problem is probably caused by share permissions or NTFS file system
permissions.

Chuck and Steve,

I am going to cross post this in two threads, because I think it is so
important, and it may help a lot of other people here.

After going through everything in all the various posts, links, etc.,
multiple times, I decided that it /had/ to be a firewall problem.
This is after changing NICs and cables, updating drivers, setting up
permissions, fixing Winsock, TCPIP, etc., disabling the Windows and
OneCare firewalls, everything. It was obviously a problem with the
one computer A, and it had to be a firewall.

I noticed that when I used the Live Update feature in Symantec's
Norton Ghost it was still trying to update--unsuccessfully--some sort
of security software. I hadn't used any Symantec security software
for over a year (!), and had gone through all their uninstalls, and,
in fact, the network was working fine until early December, 2006.

So I went into the Registry looking for keys with Symantec files that
were unrelated to Ghost. They were all under HKLM, System,
CurrentControlSet, Services. I found all the files referred to in the
Registry located under \Windows\system32\* and I tried to delete
them. I couldn't delete them, which meant they were in use, even
though I couldn't find them in Task Manager. I then deleted the
Registry keys, rebooted, and deleted the files (which I didn't have
to do, once the registry keys were gone). These files were:
symtdi.sys, symfw.sys (likely the real culprit here), symndis.sys,
symids.sys, symredrv.sys, symdns.sys, and symRedir.inf.
Like magic, both Computer B and the Mac immediately saw Computer A
and all its folders and files! No browser problems, nothing.

Two frustrating weeks for me and everyone else on a problem that
wouldn't even exist--a completely hidden firewall--if software
companies made it easy to completely uninstall their security
programs. This company in particular is notorious for such behavior,
and it is very costly to the end users in terms of time wasted. It
does not go unnoticed, for whatever that is worth.
It wouldn't surprise me if this were a common problem. I see similar
posts to mine here every day--can't see one computer on the
network--and the firewall is always given as one likely cause. But
what if you can't find the firewall?

Anyway, thank you both for all the time, energy and expertise you put
into this for me. I learned a huge amount about networking along the
way, and got an incidentally (?) broken Winsock fixed in the bargain.

Ken

Near's I can tell it's only relevant in Norton 2002.



http://www.internetsecurityzone.com/Entities/?_Firewall+Filter+Driver



symfw.sys file information
The process Firewall Filter Driver belongs to the software Symantec Security
Drivers by Symantec Corporation (www.symantec.com).

Description: File symfw.sys is located in the folder
C:\Windows\System32\drivers. Known file sizes on Windows XP are 173208 bytes
(50% of all occurrence), 110784 bytes, 172216 bytes, 109200 bytes.
The driver can be started or stopped from Services in the Control Panel or
by other programs. The program is not visible. File symfw.sys is a Verisign
signed file. The file has a digital Signature. There is no detailed
description of this service. symfw.sys is not a Windows core file. The
process can be removed using the control panel Add\Remove programs applet.
Therefore the technical security rating is 10% dangerous.


Important: Some malware camouflage themselves as symfw.sys, particularly if
they are located in c:\windows or c:\windows\system32 folder. Thus check the
symfw.sys process on your pc whether it is pest. We recommend Security Task
Manager for verifying your computer's security. It is one of the Top
Download Picks of 2005 of The Washington Post and PC World.


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Too late for Administrators Password?
    ... if you're going to be messing with permissions then ALWAYS FIRST SET ... folder and click the Security Options folder. ... Next, administrator, you need to have the security tab show when you ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support)
  • Re: Still Read-only
    ... >That is how XP and W2k3 are. ... >read-only attribute of the folder. ... >and file permissions are different things. ... Security) ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.security_admin)
  • Re: Q.) NTFS rights - How to Append NTFS assignments
    ... The Share is setup to Everyone with Full access and the NTFS ... security restricts the permissions to only those authorized. ... via NTFS from the parent folder being requested to change - however I ... permissions on subfolders, set up different *shares* for your departments.. ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs)
  • Reinstalling WMP
    ... I don't know what the permissions were reset to. ... I tightened up the security on it and figured I'll ... reinstall by editing the .inf files that came with the WMP install package. ... Change the line to the new folder. ...
    (microsoft.public.security)
  • Re: file permission problems
    ... Windows 2003/2000/NT ... > would never trust a Microsoft firewall or software based in general. ... >> JR> give full control to "this folder, subfolders, and all other files". ... >> JR> directory in 2003 SBS as far as permissions are concerned? ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.general)