windows firewall

I just switched to live essentials vs onecare, and I have to use the windows
firewall.
I think I recall this firewall doesn't have all the power of others. And it's
definitely not the onecare firewall.

I fired it up, and added a few programs that I know are web bots [always
calling home], and deselected the check boxes. What I want to do is BLOCK
specific programs from calling home.
There's no real help that I can find googling, or in the firewall itself.

So can this windows firewall be configured to block the call home programs ?
And if so, how, and where is the online help to explain the setup ?

.invalid wrote:
> I just switched to live essentials vs onecare, and I have to use the windows
> firewall.
> I think I recall this firewall doesn't have all the power of others. And it's
> definitely not the onecare firewall.
>
> I fired it up, and added a few programs that I know are web bots [always
> calling home], and deselected the check boxes. What I want to do is BLOCK
> specific programs from calling home.
> There's no real help that I can find googling, or in the firewall itself.
>
> So can this windows firewall be configured to block the call home programs ?
> And if so, how, and where is the online help to explain the setup ?


As it is, Vista's built-in firewall solution is more than
adequate for most consumers' needs. While it's not quite up to the
ease-of-use standards of Kerio or ZoneAlarm, it has been noticeably
improved over WinXP's version.

There are two interfaces for Vistas built-in firewall:

1) A simplified one accessed through the Control Panel that is the only
one most people see. To further supplement this view, Sphinx's Vista
Firewall Control [URL="http://sphinx-soft.com/Vista/"]http://sphinx-soft.com/Vista/[/URL]) is a piece of freeware
that makes the Vista Firewall much more useful to the average user.

2) And the more advanced "Windows Firewall with Advanced Security
(WF.msc), accessed via the Start Menu's Administrative Tools folder, for
the experienced user who wants more granular control.

Having said that, it's important to remember that firewalls and
anti-virus applications, which should always be used and should always
be running, while important components of "safe hex," cannot, and should
not be expected to, protect the computer user from him/herself.
Ultimately, it is incumbent upon each and every computer user to learn
how to secure his/her own computer, and how to safely briwse the Internet.