I suggest that you re-install Zone Alaram.
By default Zone Alaram is supposed to block ALL outgoing traffic. That is a
good thing. The XP fire wall does not even try to do that; it only blocks
some incoming traffic.
Zone Alarm is reasonably intelligent and can be easily trained. When it
asks do you want to grant access to a program, check the "remember" box,
then click either allow or not as you choose. HINT: If you just clicked on
a legitimate program that logically should access the internet, and ZA
popups up, choose allow. If a popup occurs for no obvious reason, say no,
although possibly only for that occurance. Then try to find out what the
program is and why it is trying to get out of the PC.
ZA maintains a list of pograms and your choices, which you can change any
time. From the main ZA interface, prgam control, programs. Change any that
you want to always connect to a "check mark". To block, change to an "X".
To casue the popup each time, change to "?".
If a legitimate program does not cause a ZA popup and also does not connect,
you might need to add the website to a small list of trusted sites. From
the main ZA interface, choose firewall and zones. Add to the trusted zones
the main web address of the company. For example for Norton Antivirus add
www.symantec.com .
