Windows XP Firewall problem

[Guest]

I may or may not be having a problem with the firewall in XP. I just
completed a full reinstall of the software on my PC. I started with the XP
disks that shipped with my PC, installed my antivirus software and let it
update itself, installed the very newest version of Zone Alarm, then let XP
download service pack 2. That's where it gets funny. Even though the radio
button for turning the firewall is off, I got a couple of notices asking me
for permission for programs to access the internet that look like the XP
firewall was on. Zone Alarms have a different look for the same thing.

So what's happening? Is the XP firewall really off? Is there another way
to make sure it is?

 

[Alex Nichol]

Even though the radio
button for turning the firewall is off, I got a couple of notices asking me
for permission for programs to access the internet that look like the XP
firewall was on. Zone Alarms have a different look for the same thing.

The SP2 firewall does not take any action for programs trying to connect
out; only incoming probes. So in the absence of anything else it is Z
Alarm (whose dialog looks quite a bit different in the latest version
from the previous)