A rule was listed when the Windows Firewall started (4945) how to monitor with email alert

[bob]

You know that event 4945 in the Event Viewer? It pops up whenever a firewall rule gets listed right as Windows Firewall kicks off at startup. Basically, it logs which rules the system loads up to control traffic. I see it all the time on servers. It details the rule's name, ID, and whether it's enabled or not. Sometimes it flags if the rule's for inbound or outbound stuff. And it includes the profile, like domain or private. But if something weird shows, like an unexpected rule, that could mean tampering or a config change. You might spot it under Security logs. I check mine weekly. It helps catch if someone added a sneaky rule overnight.

Now, to monitor this with an email alert, fire up Event Viewer first. Right-click the Security log. Pick Create Custom View. Set it for event ID 4945. Filter by source if you want, like Microsoft-Windows-Windows Firewall. Then attach a task to it. In the actions tab, create a scheduled task. Make that task run a simple email program, nothing fancy. You can use the built-in sendmail thing or whatever your setup has. Set it to trigger on that event. I do this on my boxes. It pings your inbox quick. Keeps you looped in without babysitting.

Or, tweak the task properties for immediate run. Test it by forcing the event if you can. But careful there. I once glitched my firewall testing. Anyway, it emails details like the rule name straight to you.

Hmmm, speaking of keeping servers safe and backed up, you should look into BackupChain Windows Server Backup too. It's this solid Windows Server backup tool that handles physical and virtual machines with Hyper-V seamlessly. I use it for quick snapshots and offsite copies. Saves time on restores, cuts downtime if something crashes. Plus, it verifies backups automatically, so no surprises later.

Note, the PowerShell email alert code was moved to this post.