Problems with Sygate

[cmfairbank]

Hello, I'm a newbie here who is having problems just after installing the Sygate (free) firewall. I'd be pestering the Sygate forum, but my recent activation there isn't letting me post yet.

I downloaded the latest, installed it (with everything, including AVG Free shut off) and all seemed to go well. Then it rebooted and no sooner does Sygate fire up, I get the dreaded "X needs to close ... Send Error Report/Don't Send" window (where X is Sygate Agent Firewall). While this message awaits my response the firewall software is actually running behind it (graphs and stuff clicking along...). Of course, as soon as I click Don't Send, it's gone.

Any attempt to fire up Sygate manually has the same result.

I'm running XP Home, SP2; AVG Free, Firefox, and Thunderbird (though the latter two may not have been installed the first time this happened) and recently gave my Windows Registry an enema ( ;) via Registry Healer), which fixed many many orphan entries that were slowing things down.

I appreciate whatever help I can get, including any alternative recommendations for a trustworthy, effective, low maintenance (and yes, free) firewall.
Thanks,
cmfairbank

[zcv]

Hello cmfairbank,

If this is v5.6 - it creates this sort of problem for some - once you have access to the forum, look for threads on problems with this version. v5.6 is recent, 2 months out I think.

You can download v5.5 build 2710 from here: http://207.33.111.31/spf/

Regards - Charles

[cmfairbank]

Thanks Charles,
I mosied around in there for a little while and found a clue. Caught a remark about disabled network devices, which Sygate might not like . . .

Turns out I had disabled my Local Area Connection port on this thing to get rid of the Xed-out icon on the taskbar. Re-enabled it and Sygate now runs fine. Hooh-rah!! I guess I can live with that little X for a working firewall. :P

Thanks for the advice. Hope this helps someone with similar problems.
Mike