Sophos Client Firewall: compatibility with other software firewalls

To avoid compatibility issues with Sophos Client Firewall, you should remove other firewall software before installing Sophos Client Firewall.

• When the Sophos Client Firewall is installed, the Windows Firewall is automatically disabled.
• If you have installed any sniffers (applications that capture network packets) you may also need to remove them, as they might interfere with the running of Sophos Client Firewall.

Why uninstall other firewalls?

Installing more than one personal firewall usually causes one or more of the following problems:

• 'Blue screen' fatal errors, system freezing or sudden system reboots.
• Every access request will be allowed for every application. Nothing will be blocked.
• All your application and system activities will be blocked and you will not be able to connect to any site.
• Your computer will be unable to boot.

These problems do not relate only to Sophos Client Firewall. They are common to all firewall software.

Disabling your firewall from starting at boot-up, or simply shutting down one of the firewalls, will not solve the problem because most personal firewalls leave their drivers and services in memory.