Yes, the Avast! firewall is full featured but just does not include a HIPS. It is actually very easy to use and configure compared to the Windows firewall. I generally turn off the Windows firewall when using the Avast! firewall. Some leave it on while learning how to use the Avast! firewall, but that does not generally take very long. Others leave it on forever, since it does not interfere. If you want your rules to be followed, though, you need to turn off the Windows firewall.