Firewall Context Menu

As its name suggests, Firewall Context Menu is a lightweight and useful, little application that provides users with a quick way to either allow or block various executable files’ network access with no more than a few mouse clicks.

What makes this app noteworthy is the way it smoothly integrates with the Windows contextual menu. All users have to do is right-click any executable file, and choose one of the three available options such as “Allow in Windows Firewall,” “Block in Windows Firewall,” and “Delete from Windows Firewall.”

With that in mind, it’s quite clear that Firewall Context Menu has a lot of good and practical uses. For example, the app might prove to be helpful for users who are looking to prevent potentially suspicious software from communicating to an unsecured server or source, or from blocking known apps from updating, just to name a few.

The installation procedure is quite straightforward, as users only need to make sure that .NET Framework 4.0 or newer is installed on their computers. While the “Delete from Windows Firewall” option is the most straightforward one (as it deletes the existing firewall rule for the selected executable file), the first two have a bit more depth.

When choosing “Allow in Windows Firewall” or “Block in Windows Firewall,” users are instantly provided with a tiny dialog box that allows them to choose from five (or all five) options. Users can allow or block executable to private or public networks, as well as domains. Users can also allow or block the direction, either incoming or outgoing.

To conclude, Firewall Context Menu is not what one might call a generally appealing app since most users don’t really require this level of network access control. However, for the few that need a quick way to turn network access for various apps on or off quickly, this app is extremely useful and, most importantly, very easy to use.