A firewall can help prevent hackers or malicious software (such as worms) from gaining access to your computer through a network or the Internet. A firewall can also help stop your computer from sending malicious software to other computers.

Windows checks to make sure that your computer has a firewall installed and turned on, and then it displays the firewall's status in Action Center. If no working firewall is found, Windows alerts you by displaying a notification in the notification area. If your computer is protected by a firewall and you still receive a notification, it's possible that Windows didn't find your firewall or the firewall didn't report its status to Windows. Use the following steps to stop receiving this notification. You should only do this if you're sure that your computer is protected by a firewall.

To specify that you're using a firewall that Windows doesn't find

If your computer is on a domain, your security settings might be managed by your system administrator.

Open Action Center by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, and then, under System and Security, clicking Review your computer's status.
In the left pane, click Change Action Center settings.
Clear the check box next to Network firewall, and then click OK.

For more information about firewalls, see Firewall: frequently asked questions.

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