Firewall is disabled, but it still blocks applications. Now gimme my prize, gimme, gimme, gimme!

Firewall is disabled since I installed Vista.
Java application (any many others that were blocked), are running constantly since then.

Firewall just decided to start blocking them...


Want a prize - I'll give you my Vista DVD

My firewall is on and never gives me notifications.
I have no clue why.
I even made a group policy to always alert me but its afk.

Is Windows Firewall service disabled and stopped?
Start - run - services.msc - Windows firewall service.

By the way, do not believe, if Windows claims something, like that WF is not running.
If you have a public IP, do a port scan here, to see, if you get closed or stealthed ports.

FW Service was really still running...

was is the point of setting it off if it doesn't really set it off?

To give users an illusion of control over the PC.
Microsoft just tries to protect users from themself.