What's the deal with my ZoneAlarm?

Forums › Microsoft Windows › What's the deal with my ZoneAlarm?

Kingrow

40 posts

Geek

#34940 1-Jun-2009 15:41

I'm not sure where this topic fits, but since I use XP, I thought why not post here.

Anyway, I use ZoneAlarm version 5.0.590.043, and I keep getting annoyed with it lately. Here's why.

I have it set to have those speech bubble popups come up when a program tries to access the Internet, which is fine. But what gets me is the fact that every program that's tried (every day) for several months now has already been "allowed", and set to remember the program for next time it connects. It's like ZA isn't listening to my commands and continuously asks me if I want my allowed applications to use my connection, and it always gets in the way of what I'm doing at the time (including games).

How do I stop ZoneAlarm from annoying me about previously-allowed applications in the future? It's driving me insane (wouldn't take much)!

Kingrow

40 posts

Geek

#221151 3-Jun-2009 00:15

Anybody?

Stu

Hammered
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#221174 3-Jun-2009 08:15

You might need to uninstall and completely remove ZoneAlarm and re-install from scratch. Sometimes an update sorts this out, but usually not.

johnr

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#221179 3-Jun-2009 08:32

Just remove it full stop

xrajux

111 posts

Master Geek

#223665 10-Jun-2009 16:22

yeah my experience with zone alarm wasnt pretty either, ultimately i had to remove it altogether!!!

Kingrow

40 posts

Geek

#223670 10-Jun-2009 16:46

xrajux: yeah my experience with zone alarm wasnt pretty either, ultimately i had to remove it altogether!!!

Hmm... Are there any other decent (free) firewalls out there?

xrajux

111 posts

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#223675 10-Jun-2009 17:02

at the moment im using outpost firewall and its working out pretty good for me

Dingbatt

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#223687 10-Jun-2009 17:47

Sorry to ask the obvious, but under program control have you got ticks or question marks against the offending programs. If it's ? change it to a tick maybe. Don't know if this helps but I operate ZA under XP and it works okay.

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johnr

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#223692 10-Jun-2009 17:56

Kingrow:
xrajux: yeah my experience with zone alarm wasnt pretty either, ultimately i had to remove it altogether!!!

Hmm...? Are there any other decent (free) firewalls out there?

What is wrong with the windows firewall?

John

Stu

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#223698 10-Jun-2009 18:11

I use Comodo. Windows Firewall doesn't give me the control I need. For general users there's no real need to install a 3rd party firewall, especially if you have a good ADSL modem/router.

Tarq57

156 posts

Master Geek

#224177 11-Jun-2009 22:34

Check out http://andymanchesta.com/ and look along the top line (freeware files)
I'm using PCTools firewall. Quite easy to use. Comodo is popular, but you have to download the full security package, from which you can selectively install what you want. Online Armour gets pretty good user (and test) reviews. Jetico and Kerio are considered good, Jetico takes a bit of setting up (rules based) but if set up correctly is very secure. (Like any firewall, if set up incorrectly can be almost worse than not using a firewall.)
Others I've tried are Felseclab personaly firewall, which is OK, and an old Norton 2000 job, which was brilliant, but no longer available.
For firewall reviews/tests, check out www.matousec.something. Org, I think.