ZoneAlarm Firewall Problem

[Daz]

I am running XP Home with SP3.

I have just updated to the free version of ZoneAlarm firewall v 8.0.298.000.
When I log into the Guest account I get the error message "To protect
SoneAlarm security settings from unauthorized access, AoneAlarm is not
supported on guest accounts."

I have not had this problem with any previous versions of ZA.

Can anyone help, Daz

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I am running XP Home with SP3.

I have just updated to the free version of ZoneAlarm firewall v
8.0.298.000. When I log into the Guest account I get the error
message "To protect SoneAlarm security settings from unauthorized
access, AoneAlarm is not supported on guest accounts."

I have not had this problem with any previous versions of ZA.

Can anyone help

Daz,

Why would you choose to ask here?

I only ask because this is a support newsgroup for Microsoft Windows XP.
ZoneAlarm is not even a Microsoft product.

What help do you get from those whose product you are using and for which
your question is centered around?
http://www.zonealarm.com/security/en-us/support/zonealarm-service-support.htm

Perhaps a Google search would be enlightening...
http://www.google.com/search?q=To+p...+ZoneAlarm+is+not+supported+on+guest+accounts

Looks like you did ask in their forums:
http://forums.zonealarm.com/zonelabs/board/print?board.id=gen&message.id=56942&page=1&format=page
http://forums.zonealarm.org/zonelabs/board/message?board.id=gen&thread.id=56936

And pretty much got nothing - got what you paid for. ;-)

My suggestion: It is highly unlikely you *require* any extra (if any)
protection ZoneAlarm actually provides you. If you did - you would probably
invest in their product instead of using the free version. My suggestion is
simple:

- Uninstall ZoneAlarm and enable the built-in Windows XP SP3 firewall.
- If you have a high-speedd Internet connection, purchase and use a good
(updated) NAT router as a 'first line of defense' between you and the
Internet.
- Utilize a simple stand-alone AntiVirus application - I like NOD32 - but
opinions vary.
- Occassionally scan with something along the lines of MalwareBytes and/or
SuperAntiSpyware. Purchase one or the other for realtime protection *if*
you feel the need.
- Maintain consistent file/folder backups and - if desired - use an imaging
utility to less frequently back up the entire syste - so you can quickly
restore to a given date and then restore your files to a date less further
out with the combination backup scheme.
- Keep your system patched - that means your operating system and all
programs you run on it.
- Disk Cleanup; CHKDSK; Defragmentation - all your friends.

 

[SC Tom]

I am running XP Home with SP3.

I have just updated to the free version of ZoneAlarm firewall v
8.0.298.000. When I log into the Guest account I get the error message "To
protect SoneAlarm security settings from unauthorized access, AoneAlarm is
not supported on guest accounts."

I have not had this problem with any previous versions of ZA.

Can anyone help, Daz

Log in as an admin and uninstall it. Reboot, log in as admin again, and do a
clean install of ZA. Guest accounts won't be allowed to shut it down or make
changes to it, but it should run OK. If you have any further problems with
it, you might inquire here for a solution:
http://forum.zonelabs.org/zonelabs

SC Tom

 

[Peter Foldes]

Daz

Get rid of ZA and use the Windows Firewall. You will be so much better off

 

[Daz]

I asked here because I have tried the ZoneAlarm NGs with no success. ZA
themselves offer no support for their free product.

I think that it could be a Windows/General PC problem.

 

[Daz]

I have tried the ZA forums without success. I have also tried a reinstall
without success.

Thanks, Daz

 

[Daz]

Thanks Peter. The trouble with the Windows firewall is that it is only one
way and doesn't block stuff trying to get out of your PC like key loggers
etc.

Daz

 

[Jim]

I am running XP Home with SP3.

I have just updated to the free version of ZoneAlarm firewall v 8.0.298.000.
When I log into the Guest account I get the error message "To protect
SoneAlarm security settings from unauthorized access, AoneAlarm is not
supported on guest accounts."

I have not had this problem with any previous versions of ZA.

Can anyone help, Daz

Do not use the "built in guest account" , make another user account ;
it will then work .

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I am running XP Home with SP3.

I have just updated to the free version of ZoneAlarm firewall v
8.0.298.000. When I log into the Guest account I get the error
message "To protect SoneAlarm security settings from unauthorized
access, AoneAlarm is not supported on guest accounts."

I have not had this problem with any previous versions of ZA.

Can anyone help

Daz,

Why would you choose to ask here?

I only ask because this is a support newsgroup for Microsoft
Windows XP. ZoneAlarm is not even a Microsoft product.

What help do you get from those whose product you are using and for
which your question is centered around?
http://www.zonealarm.com/security/en-us/support/zonealarm-service-support.htm

Perhaps a Google search would be enlightening...
http://www.google.com/search?q=To+p...+ZoneAlarm+is+not+supported+on+guest+accounts

Looks like you did ask in their forums:
http://forums.zonealarm.com/zonelabs/board/print?board.id=gen&message.id=56942&page=1&format=page
http://forums.zonealarm.org/zonelabs/board/message?board.id=gen&thread.id=56936

And pretty much got nothing - got what you paid for. ;-)

My suggestion: It is highly unlikely you *require* any extra (if
any) protection ZoneAlarm actually provides you. If you did - you
would probably invest in their product instead of using the free
version. My suggestion is simple:

- Uninstall ZoneAlarm and enable the built-in Windows XP SP3
firewall. - If you have a high-speedd Internet connection, purchase and
use a
good (updated) NAT router as a 'first line of defense' between you
and the Internet.
- Utilize a simple stand-alone AntiVirus application - I like NOD32
- but opinions vary.
- Occassionally scan with something along the lines of MalwareBytes
and/or SuperAntiSpyware. Purchase one or the other for realtime
protection *if* you feel the need.
- Maintain consistent file/folder backups and - if desired - use an
imaging utility to less frequently back up the entire syste - so
you can quickly restore to a given date and then restore your files
to a date less further out with the combination backup scheme.
- Keep your system patched - that means your operating system and
all programs you run on it.
- Disk Cleanup; CHKDSK; Defragmentation - all your friends.

I asked here because I have tried the ZoneAlarm NGs with no
success. ZA themselves offer no support for their free product.

I think that it could be a Windows/General PC problem.

I disagree and gave you my suggestion. Please read past the point of the
first question.

As for the argument that the Windows Firewall does not block outgoing
traffic - such as keyloggers and such. Seems circular to me. If you had
maintained and protected your computer properly in the first place - you
wouldn't have things trying to get out that you didn't know about. ;-)

In other words - once you see something trying to 'get out' - you already
let the damage be done. Whose to say that while you were letting the damage
be done - the thing doing the damage also didn't go ahead and change your
ZoneAlarm settings *with* your permissions?

 

[Daz]

Thanks for that suggestion. I will give it a try.

Daz

 

[Daz]

Thanks to those who responded to my post. Regardless of the merrits or
otherwise of using a free third party firewall, I think that I now have the
answer to my own question and realise that I did not look quite far enough
into it on my PC.

When booted into the Guest account I have now looked under Control
Panel\Security Center and find that ZA is indeed running as the Firewall. I
think that all the error message is actually saying is that the Guest cannot
access the ZA settings, which is just the same as with previous verions of
ZA. But previously the System Tray icon appeared but did nothing when
clicked on and no error message was displayed. The wording "ZoneAlarm is not
supported on guest accounts." mislead me into believing that it doesn't work
while using the guest account.

vicdaz

 

[Jose]

Thanks to those who responded to my post. Regardless of the merrits or
otherwise of using a free third party firewall, I think that I now have the
answer to my own question and realise that I did not look quite far enough
into it on my PC.

When booted into the Guest account I have now looked under Control
Panel\Security Center and find that ZA is indeed running as the Firewall.I
think that all the error message is actually saying is that the Guest cannot
access the ZA settings, which is just the same as with previous verions of
ZA. But previously the System Tray icon appeared but did nothing when
clicked on and no error message was displayed. The wording "ZoneAlarm is not
supported on guest accounts." mislead me into believing that it doesn't work
while using the guest account.

vicdaz

All those messages, but it is right in the ZA documentation:

For security reasons, ZoneAlarm is not supported on system guest
accounts.

http://download.zonealarm.com/bin/media/docs/readme-v8_0/readme.html

Jose