What computer settings help prevent unwanted entry into my computer?

Hi! I'd like to know what computer settings I should use to help prevent entry of unwanted and unknown persons - into my laptop computer. I have a Lenovo Thinkpad laptop computer. I listened to a tutorial in Youtube just now, on how to use CMD in Command Prompt to set it so intruders can't come in. But Command Prompt won't open up when I press the Command Prompt button. What do I do about that?

I don't use network sharing in our home. And am careful to always check to make sure System Protection option for allowing remote computer unchecked. But do I need to additionally - turn off individually - sharing for each folder and program on my computer for everyone except for myself for greatest security?

I use Avast antivirus, and also Ccleaner to help keep my computer clean.

Thanks for any help you can give on this subject!

Hi! I now know my computer was stuck up. I fixed it by running Ccleaner's registry cleaner. Now I can open up Command Prompt. But I don't need to, now that I looked again at the title of the tutorial I'd seen in Youtube. It was showing how to shut down other computers through one computer. I'm not interested in that. If you know of no other suggestions for prevention of entry of uninvited entry of others through the internet than what I'm already using, then you can close this. Thanks for your efforts to help!

If you connect to www through a router, that acts as a hardware firewall - preventing unwanted inward connections. There should also be a software firewall on your pc - make sure this is enabled.

Windows firewall is only set to block incoming data. You can instead use a 3rd party software firewall that also blocks outgoing. For the 1st few days, you will be constantly nagged with messages like 'do you want to allow Firefox to connect'. After this initial learning period, the firewall will be set up to fit your needs.

The biggest danger to pcs is the user allowing bad stuff in. The firewall 'nagging' feature helps in this respect, eg if you download something with malware that wants to 'call home' and transmit your bank details etc you (hopefully) get a prompt yes/no.

You say about sharing how many shares have you got? open cmd prompt type net share

Thanks for your helpful advice! I haven't shared anything with anyone on my computer. I was just wondering if it helps to make it clear that I'm not sharing anything by saying so for each program I want protected. I don't have network sharing turned on at all. Does that mean no one can get into my files without my consent? Unless malware gets into my computer? Through downloading unsafe programs?

What are results from post 6?

Debby said:

Hi! I'd like to know what computer settings I should use to help prevent entry of unwanted and unknown persons - into my laptop computer.

Hello, Debby.

'Computer security' can be viewed as an onion (the plant): You can only ever have layers of security (which can all be peeled back, inevitably). As previously mentioned: The firewall (networking) is one of the outer layers of the onion.

A router can provide an independent (hopefully) read-only (non-modifiable) solution (unless a program is locally trying to crack your router's password and security authentication measures). This form of a firewall (which prevents data transmission) is fairly secure, provided it's set up properly.

Obviously allowing free access across all ports (inbound/outbound) and on any type of protocol (TCP and UDP to just name two) would render the (hard firewall) useless.

Windows Firewall (a soft firewall) works all the same; except it resides on the operating system itself. By default: Windows Firewall will allow any outbound traffic. You can always modify this blacklist system to a whitelist system by changing the default behavior to: "BLOCK" from "ALLOW (default)."

Of course: You must also configure the Windows Firewall per program, per port(s) and per protocol(s) needed, PER process(es) and/or service(s) needed. It's a lot of research, potentially. This really begs the question: How secure and how much time are you willing to invest in hardening the system?

Aside from network-based security (the outer-most layer of the onion model): You also have file access models (NTFS' permissions) and other access-denial type models.

You can use RAM disks (in essence: What "Sandboxie" does); you can use USER level accounts (or lesser privileged) for day-to-day tasks in combination with all of these other layers of the onion. You can even go as far as setting up "appLocker" (process denial / whitelist) type system that ship with Windows 7 for free!

I'll refrain from explaining further, until we know what it is you're looking for.