The Windows 7 firewall will block the connection if the application has not been configured previously in the Windows Control Panel. The configuration can be strenuous especially in the beginning right after the first start of the operating system.

That’s where the Windows 7 Firewall Control steps in. The free version of the software program adds those application prompts to Windows 7. It displays a prompt whenever an unknown application tries to connect to the Internet.

This gives the user in front of the computer the option to enable or disable all traffic or enable only incoming or outgoing traffic. The selected setting will be stored in the program’s main interface only. This is one weakness of the program as it does not sync the settings with the Windows 7 Firewall. This is problematic as it means that the configured settings will be gone if the Windows 7 Firewall Control gets uninstalled. The reason for not syncing is that Windows 7 Firewall Control works independently from the Windows 7 Firewall. It does grab the configuration at startup but does not communicate with the firewall after that.

A pro version of Windows 7 Firewall Control is available offering additional features. Both versions can be downloaded at the developer’s website. (via Windows 7 News: Windows 7 Firewall Control)