Unable change firewall settings

I am running Windows Vista Starter and I am having problems allowing
exceptions to work through my firewall. In particular I want to be able to
use Remote Assistance. I can check it in the exceptions list but when I try
to run it I get a message that tells me it is being blocked by Windows
Firewall.

I also have tried to turn the Windows firewall off completely but the “Turn
Windows Firewall on and off� screen is greyed out and so I cannot change that
setting either. There is a message on the screen that says “For your security
some settings are controlled by Group Policy�

I bought this pc a month ago. It was brand new and I set myself up as a
user. It is for home use only and has never been a part of a network.

I am the only user set up on my system and so am an administrator with full
rights.

I do not have any other firewall installed and I do not have a router either.

Could somebody help me please? As I am a novice in computer systems an
answer in non technical language would be very much appreciated.

If there is any other information that you require I will be pleased to give
it to you

Many thanks

"sharon" <sharon@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:A14BFA2B-C092-4CBC-B4AE-ECF6DEEEC11C@xxxxxx Did you try to run the short-cut/program with Run as Administrator to
escalate your privileges, even as admin? No, that may not be so on Vista. In some cases, even someone with admin
rights, the user is locked down with standard user rights, which must be
escalated by using Run as Administrator.

Hi

Try disabling the Windows Firewall Service itself, that's how I disabled it
to run another Firewall, since the built-in Windows firewall is kinda cr@xxxxxx

In Control Panel, Admin tools, click Services, scroll to Windows Firewall.
Dbl-clk it to open the properties, click Stop the Service and then set the
Startup Type to Disabled. Reboot and this should take care of that for you.
When you're done with Remote help be sure to reverse those settings...even
tho it's a cr@xxxxxx firewall it's better than no firewall at all.

Dave

"Chappy" <Chappy@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:3127838B-EB9A-4B68-8C21-2B24B39629D4@xxxxxx If you have made this statement about the Vista FW/packet filter, then you
do not know what you are talking about.
You do not know what you are talking about when it comes to the Vista
FW/packet filter.

I suspect that you have installed some kind of a 3rd party snake-oil crap
solution that's your security blanket that's trying to protect *you* from
*you* that it cannot do, with all the little bells and whistles.

What is it?