Does anyone know why portable web applications fail to resolve the web at all when Windows firewall is set to default block policy, despite app allows in firewall rules?
Having given web apps like Firefox wide allows in firewall, setting default policy to block instantly fails them.
I have also tried forcing Firefox to use local wireless network DNS with continued failure. Windows native applications do not fail in this way, and I cannot understand why.
I have also tried web apps under VPN proxy with firewall set to default block, with same result. Altering local Firefox configuration, any, including auto-detect or attempting manual values does not work.
Neither did attempting to enter VPN settings manually in Windows settings. As it happens, with default firewall policy set to block and a VPN operating, native Windows web apps and commands fail too :/
I assume development must have some insight here. Mozilla guidelines, for Mozilla apps only, offer no insight. When a proxy is absent, portable web apps still fail IF default policy is block, despite plentiful allow rules. I just have no idea why.
Visit the Community page
Join our forums
Subscribe to our email newsletter
Subscribe with RSS
Follow us on BlueSky
Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on LinkedIn
Follow us on Mastodon
Follow us on Twitter
With Firefox Portable, for example, are you allowing firefox.exe within FirefoxPortable\App\Firefox64 (assuming you're using Windows 64-bit)?
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Thanks for the reply.
I have tried the executables in both App/Firefox and App/Firefox64, as well as the generic .exe in the installation directory. None appears to provide access under default block conditions. As far as my general exploration of the default block firewall problem goes, I have been stumped in a number of cases where the mere addition of predictable allow exception rules for any of various available objects achieve no positive results, resulting in the assumption that something more exotic or overlooked is required.
Yes the version is Win10 64b.
It occurred to me that since Windows native apps, like nslookup or Edge, do work, since the principle distinction is corresponding registry vfs entries, this might have something to do with it? Does FF portable possess reg entries stored in a local .ini file or the like, and would these being added to reg make a difference?
Firefox Portable doesn't handle the types of registry keys you're thinking of. It just removes its own if it adds any. I unfortunately don't know Windows firewall well enough to know why it might have this issue. It could be setup to only work with 'installed' apps in some way.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!