TinyWall 2.1.7

[show-Zi]

Hi, can you share some information so that I can find out why it wouldn't start on your PC? Was it the latest stable (2.1.11) or the beta? Which Windows version? 32 or 64 bits?

As for your other question: The UI in the beta looks the same as in 2.1 in general (except it has additional features and more will come), but as oldschool said, it is not controlling Windows Firewall anymore, but is a completely separate firewall solution.

As a small clarification for anybody else (for new visitors), since this is a thread for TinyWall 2.1.7, I'd like to point out that 2.1.7 has been outdated for a very long time and has known problems, and anybody wanting a stable version of TinyWall should install 2.1.11 instead while version 3 is in development.

It is win10-64bit pc. Currently using v2.1.11. I tried installing the beta version on this pc.

We first uninstalled v2.1 and then installed the paper version. The installation process finished without problems, but the notification area icon remained white and was unresponsive.
The behavior was the same as when v2.1.7 became unusable in 1903.

I apologize if my English text is strange.:emoji_pray:

 

[ultim]

@show-Zi Ok, so at least the stable is stable, and I broke something in the beta
Can you send me the C:\ProgramData\TinyWall\errorlog? To tinywall[-at-]pados.hu
Thx

 

[blueblackwow65]

Program could not be started, windows froze ,service does not start ,windows buufer error at restart,ram very high ,cpu spikes.Great program though .

 

[ultim]

Program could not be started, windows froze ,service does not start ,windows buufer error at restart,ram very high ,cpu spikes.Great program though .

I'm sensing a copious amount of sarcasm, but very misplaced.

Because TinyWall does not install any drivers and has no kernel code (this is true for both the stable and beta), it is technically impossible for it to freeze your computer or to cause buffer errors in Windows. The worst that can happen is that a bug in another software is triggered, or that TinyWall itself won't work.

Which means you have a faulty driver installed (either a device driver or another security product with kernel code), if it is even related to TinyWall at all.

 

[blueblackwow65]

it was not meant for any saecasm,sorry about that ,i love the prgram just the way i placed the words

that error was just after restart with a buufer overrun or something and that someone could get in my computer ,something like that. it could be norton not playing well, but i have never seen this error before.

 

[ultim]

that error ... that someone could get in my computer ,something like that.

That was 100% not TinyWall, it doesn't have any messages like that. TinyWall's service crashing though is a separate problem. Can you send me the errorlog? Also, do you have any HIPS or whitelisting software installed?

 

[show-Zi]

@show-Zi Ok, so at least the stable is stable, and I broke something in the beta
Can you send me the C:\ProgramData\TinyWall\errorlog? To tinywall[-at-]pados.hu
Thx

I sent an e-mail. My environment uses WD and voodooshield.

 

[ultim]

Thank you very much, got it! By WD you mean Windows Defender, right?

 

[show-Zi]

Thank you very much, got it! By WD you mean Windows Defender, right?

Yes. Since it is not the main PC, it has a simple configuration as much as possible.

 

[ultim]

@show-Zi @blueblackwow65 Ok, can you please re-download the beta and send me the new errorlog? The problem won't be solved yet, but the new version logs the exact error code on your computer, so hopefully it will bring me a lot closer to a solution. Sorry for the trouble.

 

[show-Zi]

V.2.99.4 Log has been sent.
As with debugging, you may also need a new tinywall thread.

 

[oldschool]

anybody wanting a stable version of TinyWall should install 2.1.11 instead while version 3 is in development.

The installer is still blocked by Windows Defender in Windows 1903 Chromium Edge Dev. I haven't tried it in another browser yet as I only have this installed right now.

 

[ultim]

The installer is still blocked by Windows Defender in Windows 1903 Chromium Edge Dev. I haven't tried it in another browser yet as I only have this installed right now.

There is not much I can do about IE's or Edge's so called SmartScreen. Either enough people have to download TinyWall over these browsers, or I need to buy an EV certificate. The latter is way too expensive (about $600/year or $1100 for 3 years), and is not really worth the cost just to get a better ranking with SmartScreen. Basically, Microsoft built himself a paywall here where normal people have to pay a lot if they don't want SmartScreen to nag about their software.

Aaa, there is one more possible solution. You can report TinyWall's installer as safe here to Microsoft. I've done it now as a developer, but I don't believe they will take proper action unless users also start doing so. If you feel like helping with this matter, you can report TinyWall as safe to Microsoft too (just watch out because the default selection on the submission form is that you are reporting a malicious program, so don't skip over that ). EDIT: Actually, let them process my submisiosn first and see if it changes anything. I'll be able to see their ruling over the matter once it's done, so it'll be interesting to see how they decide and how that translates to actual SmartScreen popups on user machines.

 

[ZeroDay]

I've not tried TinyWall yet, but, you've taken the time to develop this software for us end users. So I've taken the time to submit the installer to MS as a false detection: Submission details (cc3979cd-5acc-4782-b180-38d875ff0437) - Microsoft Security Intelligence

 

[oldschool]

There is not much I can do about IE's or Edge's so called SmartScreen. Either enough people have to download TinyWall over these browsers, or I need to buy an EV certificate. The latter is way too expensive (about $600/year or $1100 for 3 years), and is not really worth the cost just to get a better ranking with SmartScreen. Basically, Microsoft built himself a paywall here where normal people have to pay a lot if they don't want SmartScreen to nag about their software.

Aaa, there is one more possible solution. You can report TinyWall's installer as safe here to Microsoft. I've done it now as a developer, but I don't believe they will take proper action unless users also start doing so. If you feel like helping with this matter, you can report TinyWall as safe to Microsoft too (just watch out because the default selection on the submission form is that you are reporting a malicious program, so don't skip over that ). EDIT: Actually, let them process my submisiosn first and see if it changes anything. I'll be able to see their ruling over the matter once it's done, so it'll be interesting to see how they decide and how that translates to actual SmartScreen popups on user machines.

Yes, I understand M$ does not make life easy for small developers or many other users, to say the least. @Andy Ful develops some very nice tools and has had to jump through their safety hoops as well. Smartscreen still throws a warning for some of them upon installation. (Some people won't even install when this happens! ) Smartscreen definitely has both strong and weak points. I will get it with another browser. Please keep us posted if your submission does not fly with M$.

 

[ultim]

@Andy Ful develops some very nice tools and has had to jump through their safety hoops as well.

Yes I can already see those hoops coming my way too. Both previous submissions have finished processing at MS. In @ZeroDay's case, they confirm that TinyWall's installer "file is not malware", but go on to declare that they could not reproduce the false positive at all. For my submission (where I indicated clearly that I have a problem with the browser's SmartScreen filter), they again claim "Not malware" for all files inside the installer, and further write:

Analyst comments:

It appears that you've encountered issues with Network Protection feature in Windows Defender Exploit Guard. Please direct your inquires here
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/wdsi/filesubmission/exploitguard/networkprotection

To troubleshoot Network Protection, please visit:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/wi...indows-defender-exploit-guard/troubleshoot-np

Thank you for contacting Microsoft.

So they basically redirected me to a different team. At first I was happy but I quickly got disappointed. I went to check out the two links they provided of course, and the first link only allows sample submission for "corporate and Microsoft employee" accounts (after you've logged in with your MS account). The second has a section for reporting false positives and false negatives, but it redirects me to the same submission portal that me and ZeroDay already used, so we're back in circles.

And of course it is generally absurd that Microsoft is handling these in completely separate teams / portals / databases. Even if they successfully determine in Windows Defender that a file is not malware, the "Network Protection" team (above answer from MS suggests they are responsible for the SmartScreen) has no idea about it and will still happily block your downloads.

This is going to be so much "fun".

 

[oldschool]

Yes I can already see those hoops coming my way too. Both previous submissions have finished processing at MS. In @ZeroDay's case, they confirm that TinyWall's installer "file is not malware", but go on to declare that they could not reproduce the false positive at all.

I believe this has been @Andy Ful 's occasional experience as well. This is life in the complicated, bureaucratic tech age!

 

[ultim]

@show-Zi @blueblackwow65 New, fixed version uploaded. Thanks for your help.

Continuing to document the case with SmartScreen. I've now filed a dispute with MS about the results of our submissions. Of course I am not disputing their decision about not being malware, but I explained that it does not help me with the SmartScreen issue, and all pointers they gave me in the analysis results are either unusable or lead me in circles. So I asked for help with SmartScreen unblocking. I'm now waiting for their answer.

 

[ZeroDay]

Re-Submitted - Because it can't hurt: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/wdsi/submission/3ab650e5-4a3d-494a-b083-3bb3a2a7b8d4

 

[show-Zi]

I am glad to cooperate. Good job
I installed v2.99.7. There seems to be a problem importing past settings.