Strange Sygate Pro Problem

Hi,

I have an odd problem with Sygate Pro I was hoping someone may be able to help me with. This is the situation:

1. I have an application, that everytime I run it, Sygate informs me that it has changed since I last used it, and asks if I want to allow it. Sygate asks me twice. Once I answer the first time, I get about 20 seconds of grace before Sygate asks me again. Now, the application has not changed (it's a game executable - it hasn't changed since I applied the last patch for the game some time back). So;

2. To try and fix this annoying problem, I did the following: I went into the Application list. I have the application blocked from accessing the Internet here. I click on the app and change it to 'ask'. I then remove the application from the list. My thinking is that the database that holds the CRC signatures (or whatever Sygate uses to keep track of when a application has changed) of the applications has become corrupted for this one application, so I would remove the application sig from the database, so that next time Sygate asks, I would be given the option of never being asking again (where you click in the check box), I would answer no, and this would re-add the signature back.

3. However, next time I ran the application, Sygate simply asked the same question. I am not given the 'Remember my answer and do not ask me again for this application' checkbox. I went back into the applications list, but of course, the application is no longer listed there, so I can't even change it to allow, ask or disallow (problematic, as in the future, I might want to play the game online, and if it is blocked and it's not in the application list so I can change it...)

4. So, now I am no further along. Sygate still asks me twice everytime I run this app, and as the application is no longer in the application listing, I cannot change its permissions in the future if I need to.

Can anyone help me with either problem? The first being why Sygate asks me when the application has not changed, the second being how do I get the application back into the application listing.

Thanks.

Romulous

 

Hello,
I use Sygate on several comps.
You get this question usually when you update an application. You don't have don't ask me again - because it is based on what you answered for the original version. I get these alerts once in a while, but only after changes to software, not because Sygate does not remember settings.
So, it is quite possible your game changes often, every reboot.
Or perhaps you played with options and rules and config files and deleted something?
Mrk

 

Hi Mrk,

Thanks for your reply. I've asked the same question on the Sygate support forums twice now, and never received an answer. Anyway, the game is F.E.A.R - but I don't see how it could change on every run. I certainly don't make any changes to it, and I haven't changed either the F.E.A.R. or Sygate options for a long time. The only thing I deleted was from Sygate when I was trying to fix the problem originally - as I mention in my post above, I deleted the game from the applications listing in Sygate, which is the second problem, as I had access blocked at the time, and now the only way I could play online would be to totally remove Sygate from my PC or switch it off when I play the game).

The really really annoying thing about this is that shortly after launching F.E.A.R, I am kicked back out to the Windows desktop (the Sygate dialog box notifying of a change takes focus). I answer No to that, alt+tab back to F.E.A.R. A few seconds later, I am kicked back out to Windows again, to answer the same Sygate question - 'the executable has changed...' - so I click No (it hasn't, stop asking me you stupid firewall!!!!) again, and then alt+tab back to F.E.A.R. Sygate leaves me alone then for the rest of the session, but if I exit F.E.A.R and restart it (even without any Windows reboot), Sygate will ask me twice again.

Anyway, I haven't had any luck on the Sygate forums, and if no one here can help me, I have nowhere else to ask.

Romulous

 

When you delete the game from the application list is that actually removing the rule(s) or is this done elsewhere?

If it is removing the application and rule(s) and still acting up you may need to consider removing Sygate and reinstalling it.

Regards,

CrazyM

 

Hi,
This sounds like a good idea.
Uninstall the firewall, delete all leftovers, reinstall and start again.
I think you might have:
-corrupted ruleset (maybe you deleted something you should not have)
-the game updates constantly to prevent cheats or copy (updates from server)
-you deny writing to registry preventing sygate from remembering changes, or there might be a direct conflict between the game's driver and sygate, causing conflicts...
Try like Crazy suggested.
Mrk

 

It's also possible that the game writes to the .exe file itself, probably at the end of file, all the time to store information. Programs have been known to do this in distant old days, so perhaps that's happening. However, if that's the case then almost any firewall would object with popups and not just Sygate. So you might test this by putting on another firewall briefly, one that does MD5 or some kind of checksum. This probably isn't the case since it would be bad programming practice, but one never knows...

 

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the reply's. I have thought about reinstalling Sygate, but the problem is that it is a pain to setup the application listing again. My Advanced Rules are easily exported and re-imported, but once I reinstalled Sygate, I would have to run every program that is currently in there, and try and remember what settings I set for each one in the app list. Not fun And there is no way to export this list, like there is with the Advanced Rules.

 

The easiest way to save all the Sygate settings is to just copy all the .DAT files in the Sygate folder. That will do it, rules, apps and all. Then copy them back after you reinstall.