SP2 Question: Diasble Windows firewall on install.

[BuGaLoU]

I am installing SP2 for some computers on my LAN via remote desktop. I found that the Firewall blocks the remote desktop port by default causing me to have to go all the way to that machine and turn it back on. I am disabling the firewall anyways on all the client machine anyways because all the machines are already behind one. Is there a switch to keep it off?

Thanks!

 

[UMCPWintermute]

You can set up a script to run the SP2 install and then immediately run a netsh command to open the port for RDP:
netsh firewall set portopening TCP 3389 ENABLE (I think that's the right port number)

Alternately, you can set up an unattend.txt file to disable the firewall:
[WindowsFirewall]
Profiles = WindowsFirewall.TurnOffFirewall

[WindowsFirewall.TurnOffFirewall]
Mode = 0

However, if you're on the same subnet as the machine installing SP2, even with the Windows Firewall turned on, you can still RDP in. Worst case, if you have more than one machine, RDP to one, then from that machine RDP to the second - install SP2 and disable the firewall. Repeat

Once you have SP2 installed, you can turn off the firewall from the Security Center or - if you're in a domain - through Group Policy.