Zone Alarm Problems

[Travis King]

Installed Zone Alarm and it would keep blocking the computers on the
network, so I added them to the list of IP addresses to except, but the next
time you'd restart the computer, it would block them again. I updated Zone
Alarm to get a message when you open Zone Alarm saying that said something
like system error - restart your computer in the corner. So, I did and it
still did it. Uninstalled Zone Alarm, and now I didn't have any access to
the Internet or our home network at all. Reinstalled the old version of
Zone Alarm, and configured it occordingly. I was able to get the Internet
back, but it still can't access the network. I again put the IP addresses
in, but it still blocked the network this time. No computers can connect to
this computer either. (Meaning another computer can't access the computer
with the problem's network folder.) On the computer with the problem, I get
this message: (Window Title: My Network Places) \\COMPUTER1\SharedDocs is
not accessible. You might not have permission to use this network resource.
Contact the administrator of this server to find out if you have access
permissions. The network was not found. If I just try to access the
computer with the problem from another computer, the explorer will just
freeze up. Thanks.

Oh by the way, everytime that I got to a certain spot installing ZoneAlarm
when I went to reinstall it, the computer would restart itself. I had to go
into Safe Mode to get it to install. If you can tell me how to fix the
problem without having Zone Alarm, that would work too because after all the
problems I've had with it, I'm ready to remove it if I can without causing
other problems.

 

[Travis King]

All three computers have XP.

 

[Travis King]

If it clears up any confusion - "ACCEPT" not "EXCEPT". lol

 

[Richard Urban]

Your best bet for assistance is here! http://forums.zonelabs.com/zonelabs

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Talahasee]

Installed Zone Alarm and it would keep blocking the computers on the
network, so I added them to the list of IP addresses to except, but the next
time you'd restart the computer, it would block them again.

I had a list of issues with Zone Alarm.

One was that I am a hard-core gamer, and a number of my
newer, higher-tech games wouldn't run with Zone Alarm.

I uninstalled it and installed AVAST4 .

Got it on
www.download.com

for free.

No more problems, and AVAST4 has saved my bacon COUNTLESS
times.


Good luck!

Tallahassee

I updated Zone

 

[Travis King]

I have Avast for A/V on that computer. Just not for firewall.

 

[Travis King]

And by the way, I like Avast. I think it's better than Norton or Mcaffee,
especially for free.

 

[Fred S]

Travis,

There is a network newsgroup and you should go there for better info
than you will get here. Folks are telling you to use something else for
a firewall when you really may have other issues.

Try this newsgroup in the Microsoft groups:
microsoft.public.windowsxp.network_web

I had the same problem with one PC on a home network with another
Desktop and a laptop. Couldn't get to one of the PC's and could not
share on one.

In my case, it was recommended that I completely remove ZA and my
antivirus software and then connect to the network. I did that and all
computers saw each other and file sharing worked.

AFTER that I reinstalled the antivirus software and then reinstalled ZA
and everything worked just fine - I've upgraded both AV and ZA a few
times since with no issues at all - just upgraded OVER the old versions
and all settings continue to be retained.

I was told that some AV software and firewall software installed before
a clean network connection can cause the problems you describe. After
complete removal of BOTH AV and FW, everything worked like a charm. This
advice continues to be given to folks with your problem at the network
group again and again with success.

I suggest you try it and also go to that group as you may have something
else going on with your setup.

Fred

 

[Travis King]

Completely uninstalling both? You mean even removing everything from the
registry? Thanks.

 

[Travis King]

I just went ahead for the heck of it and shut off Z/A and the A/V just to
see what happens. I was able to access one of the computers, but the other
one still was not cooperating.

 

[Mistoffolees]

Installed Zone Alarm and it would keep blocking the computers on the
network, so I added them to the list of IP addresses to except, but the next
time you'd restart the computer, it would block them again. I updated Zone
Alarm to get a message when you open Zone Alarm saying that said something
like system error - restart your computer in the corner. So, I did and it
still did it. Uninstalled Zone Alarm, and now I didn't have any access to
the Internet or our home network at all. Reinstalled the old version of
Zone Alarm, and configured it occordingly. I was able to get the Internet
back, but it still can't access the network. I again put the IP addresses
in, but it still blocked the network this time. No computers can connect to
this computer either. (Meaning another computer can't access the computer
with the problem's network folder.) On the computer with the problem, I get
this message: (Window Title: My Network Places) \\COMPUTER1\SharedDocs is
not accessible. You might not have permission to use this network resource.
Contact the administrator of this server to find out if you have access
permissions. The network was not found. If I just try to access the
computer with the problem from another computer, the explorer will just
freeze up. Thanks.

Oh by the way, everytime that I got to a certain spot installing ZoneAlarm
when I went to reinstall it, the computer would restart itself. I had to go
into Safe Mode to get it to install. If you can tell me how to fix the
problem without having Zone Alarm, that would work too because after all the
problems I've had with it, I'm ready to remove it if I can without causing
other problems.

Several questions to clarify things. First, is Windows XP
firewall disabled? Second, what type of IP addressing is being
used for the network connection --- static IP or dynamic IP?
Third, what type of network --- to a domain or a workgroup?

 

[Travis King]

XP Firewall is enabled on all three computers. For IP, I believe it's
dynamic. Cable Internet if that helps. And finally, workgroup, not domain.
Each computer is connected via the 4-port router.

 

[Travis King]

XP Firewall is enabled on all three computers. For IP, I believe it's
dynamic. Cable Internet if that helps. And finally, workgroup, not
domain. Each computer is connected via the 4-port router.

The computer that is having problems used to have Windows 98SE. We had the
network working fine then, but we didn't use Zone Alarm, although we used
Avast for A/V. That computer had a fresh install of XP, and we put Zone
Alarm and Avast on. It was working fine with the network other than Zone
Alarm would keep blocking the network until you added the computers to the
list, but as I said, the next time you restarted the computer, Z/A lost the
settings and you'd have to add them again. It got annoying, so I updated
Z/A to find out that Z/A itself was not working proplerly in the new
version. Reinstalled the old version (after uninstalling the new version),
but now I can't get one of the computers to cooperate. None of them will
until you turn off both Z/A and Avast, but that still leaves the other
computer that won't cooperate. By the way, Z/A is remembering the settings
now.

 

[DanS]

Completely uninstalling both? You mean even removing everything from
the registry? Thanks.
news:[email protected]...

Yes, completely remove all ZoneAlarm related files. there are instructions
in their website.

I had a similar problem, except it was that I could access the local
network and not the Internet.

 

[Fred S]

Hi again,

Just use the programs uninstall routine or use the ADD/Remove applet in
Control panel. The idea here is that merely disabling the programs does
NOT work.

Here's a URL for Chuck's website (he's an MVP on the network NG):

http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/your-personal-firewall-can-either-help.html

Read the article titled " Your Personal Firewall Can Either Help or
Hinder You" there.

Fred

 

[Fred S]

Travis,

I already posted before I saw this - you can't just disable, you have to
UNINSTALL them. See my other post.

Fred

 

[Charlie Tame]

Travis (if you are still here)....

To uninstall ZA you MUST uncheck or disable the option to start with windows
or run at startup (Whatever it says) and then REBOOT before uninstalling.

If you fail to do this you will leave an unkillable copy of the truvector
service running and only uninstall the controls for it - so it is "Orphaned"
and uncontrollable.

You MUST reinstall the ZA system and redo the uninstall to rectify this
problem, then uncheck that option, reboot and after uninstall delete all
files in the zonelabs folders. It is designed to be impossible to kill.

Charlie

 

[Talahasee]

I have Avast for A/V on that computer. Just not for firewall.

Hi!

I have XP's (Microsoft's) firewall turned on, and have
found it adequate. I've been using XP for several years now,
and have had no intrusion problems.

Tallahassee

 

[Talahasee]

And by the way, I like Avast. I think it's better than Norton or Mcaffee,
especially for free.

Yep. Me, too.

I don't use Norton for firewall or for AV. I use Norton
because in my 20 + years, I have YET to encounter a better
hard drive manager. If it's properly installed, for all the
comments I've seen, you can't beat Norton for finding and
fixing a HOST of hard drive issues.

And I didn't pay for mine. I found a copy of Norton
SystemWorks 2003.

And that's what I continue to use.

I've heard complaints about 2004 AND 2005.

My son was complaining about all the issues that he's heard
relating to 2004 and 2005.

I said, "That's why I gave you 200_3_."

It's one of the very few suggestions I've made that he's
used and liked. (he's a budding computer engineer).

Tallahassee

 

[Talahasee]

Travis,

There is a network newsgroup and you should go there for better info
than you will get here. Folks are telling you to use something else for
a firewall when you really may have other issues.

Try this newsgroup in the Microsoft groups:
microsoft.public.windowsxp.network_web

I had the same problem with one PC on a home network with another
Desktop and a laptop. Couldn't get to one of the PC's and could not
share on one.

In my case, it was recommended that I completely remove ZA and my
antivirus software and then connect to the network. I did that and all
computers saw each other and file sharing worked.

AFTER that I reinstalled the antivirus software and then reinstalled ZA
and everything worked just fine - I've upgraded both AV and ZA a few
times since with no issues at all - just upgraded OVER the old versions
and all settings continue to be retained.

I was told that some AV software and firewall software installed before
a clean network connection can cause the problems you describe. After
complete removal of BOTH AV and FW, everything worked like a charm. This
advice continues to be given to folks with your problem at the network
group again and again with success.

I suggest you try it and also go to that group as you may have something
else going on with your setup.

All the above comments are "ditto."

Other than I tried to get ZA to work for OVER a year, and
it kept corrupting my other apps. I finally found ZA on a
list of apps that are not compatible with SP2.

I now don't use ZA OR SP2, and I'm happy as a clam.


Tallahassee

Tallahassee