How to Enable Ping Response on Windows 7 Firewall? How to Block Too

If you have enabled Windows firewall on Windows 7, by default, it is going to block the ping requests. If any ICMP echo request (which used in ping command) comes from the internal or external network, your PC will not respond to those requests. It is one of the basic security with most of the Windows Operating Systems. But in some cases, it is needed to be enabled on computers to make sure the connectivity and other tests (mostly in the networked environment). This post explains how to enable ping response on Windows 7 laptop or desktop. After enabling, it will respond to all ping ICMP echo requests from other network resources.

Indication: ‘Request Time Out’ message from Windows 7 Computer and it’s not responding to ICMP echo requests from other network devices.

All network sharings are working but ping reply is not working, so how to enable ping response in Windows 7?

Reasons: By default ICMP echo requests, used for ping command is blocked in Windows 7 firewall default settings.

Solutions to Enable Ping Response on Windows 7

1) Disable the firewall completely in Windows 7, which is not recommended.

2) Create an exceptional rule for ICMP echo request to reply ping commands in existing firewall, without disabling it completely.

ICMP Rule in Windows 7 Firewall

Follow these steps to create the rule on the firewall to allow ping response. Though it looks little advance, anyone who has Administrative rights on the computer can enable ping on Windows 7.

1) Go to Windows Firewall in Control Panel

Here you can see that Windows Firewall status is On. Click on Advanced settings on the left side as mentioned above.

2) Select Inbound Rule, Right clink on it and select New Rule.

3) Choose Custom (Custom Rule) at last and press Next.

4) Leave All programs and go to Next.

5) Click on the Protocol type and select ICMP4 as shown below. ICMP4 is the protocol used in ping command when your network is communicating with IPv4.

6) Since we are going to apply this rule for any IP, that means to respond to any IP addresses coming with echo request, select ‘Any IP addresses’ in next screen. You can add specific IP addresses also if you want your Windows 7 computer to respond to them only for ICMP echo request (ping)

7) Allow the connection in next screen, press Next.

8.) Keep the all three check boxes checked in the next screen, to apply this rule any network you connected.

9) Give a name to this rule. This name will be showing under Inbound Rules in Windows Firewall. In future, you can delete the rule by this name.

Click Finish.

10) That’s it; these are easy steps to enable ping on Windows 7 and the rule will be immediately applied and appeared in inbound rules. Now, Windows 7 computer will be responding to ICMP echo ping requests without disabling or stopping the windows firewall.

How to Disable Ping Reply on Windows 7?

As mentioned earlier, ping reply is disabled by default on Windows firewall. If you have created exception rule as above, you have to simply turn off the above rule to block/disable ping reply on Windows 7. Make sure firewall service is up and running.

Though you have enabled the ping response on Windows firewall, if you have a third party firewall software such as Comodo or ZoneAlarm, you must enable ping reply on that security software if they are working as first firewall protection on your computer.