Getting really fed up with Zone Alarm 6......

Hello there

I have run ZA Security Suite V.5 now for 18 months with a few problems but nothing too onerous.My licence expires in 28 days so I decided for the third time to try and update to Version 6 after two previously aborted attempts.Thought I may as well try and get full value for money.

Did a clean install over Version 5 and lo and behold I now cannot connect to the internet. I am on dial-up and now get the errors 619 and 718 every time I try and connect. So.......went through all the instructions on

http://nh2.nohold.net/noHoldCust25/Prod_1/Articles55646/CompleteUninstallNonNT.html

and reinstalled but to no avail I'm afraid.

Knowing what I know now, in hindsight I would probably not have gone with a suite such as this but I can say I've been very happy with the firewall in ZA and just lived with the other elements backed up by other on-demand programmes.However, having paid for the latest upgrades I thought I'd give it one more chance but with this latest experience and stuff like immediate high rated warnings that my touch pad is displaying dangerous behaviour ! - I'm tempted to ditch ZA 6 altogether -I'm finding it a nightmare.

In the first instance then, has anybody else experienced similar dial-up problems just so I can get back on the net.

Secondly, is the free ZA firewall as a stand alone product going to give me the same level of firewall protection as the one in the Version 5 Security Suite i.e are they one and the same ? If so I'm going to get that and NOD 32 which I've trialled and leave this suite business well alone for the time being.

Hope you can help.

Cheers

Jon

 

I gave up on ZA for a while when I had issues with my VPN connection into my workplace. I switched to Outpost Pro and haven't regretted it. Initially I thought I'd eventually go back to ZA, once they fixed the bug with VPN(it may have been fixed with the new update but it's not listed in the release notes), but I'm liking Outpost enough that I haven't even thought about going back to ZA.

I'm anxious to see what Outpost 3 has in store.

 

Chuck, which version did you have VPN issues with? My Norton subscription runs out soon and I was thinking of switching to ZA SS 5.5 which I have sitting in the box (and not upgrading to 6). ZA seems to be having a lot of problems since 4.5.

 

Hi,

Problems with different application are not the same for everyone... you to take into account, the hardware and software running. Give you a short example...

Jazzie has ZAP Pro 6 running on his Win2k box and it runs better then any previous version and uses almost no mem. His computer is more then likely not the same as you and not configured in the sameway.

Now take a look at me I'm on Win XP Pro SP2 Zap Pro 6 runs like a bird but takes about 40mb of memory, why? I have no clue. Where as kerio uses les then 4mb of ram and that would be for the latest version of kerio...

This is just for people to consider the pro's and con's it's different from system to system.

Regards,
fluxgfx.com

 

Now look Flux, allow me to retort! I am on XP and only use 16 megs! SO let's get it right! No really I agree with you 100 percent... On older versions of ZAP, I used 20 megs all together with zlclient. Of course I have everything, but the programam/component control OFF ... It depends on your system and set-up...

Regards
Jazzie

 

It was 6.0.631.003 It would hang my VPN client and prevent me from connecting, although "sometimes" I could halt it and restart it and get a connection. ZA has just released(yesterday) a new version(6.0.667.000) of 6 that may have fixed this, but I don't know.

Your best bet is to give it a trial run. It has a 30 day trial so give it a shot. I know not everyone had the VPN issue(I didn't at first but when they went to version .003 it started hanging)

ZA is an excellent firewall, but IMO version 6 was just released a bit too soon.

 

Thanks,

I may install the version 5.5 I have and just stay on that for a while untill the posts look a little more favorable for V6.

 

I know all of us on here *could* just start firing off suggestions of other firewalls to try. I've tried a ton of them in the past 2 weeks. Sticking with Kaspersky Anti-Hacker at the moment, it's super light - never seen it using more than 9mb, mostly < 1mb. It's just light and easy to use, okay it doesn't pass all the leaktests as good as some of the others but it handles my outbound stuff just fine behind my NAT router and I don't even notice it's there, my machine is flying along

Fedorov.

 

Thanks to all for responding thus far.

Tried to do a bit of research on my connection problems and so far come up with this

SYMPTOMS
After you install Windows XP, you can use your modem to connect to your Internet Service Provider (ISP) without problems. However, after you disconnect, you may experience the following symptoms: • When you try to connect to your ISP a second time, you may receive an "error 619" error message.
• You may not be able to connect to your ISP a second time until you restart your computer.

CAUSE
This issue may occur if you are using a third-party program that is not releasing the Winsock stack after any type of Internet activity. For example, this issue might occur if you are running Download Accelerator Plus or Zone Alarm.

Also this-

WinSock XP Fix offers a last resort if your Internet connectivity has been corrupted due to invalid or removed registry entries. It can often cure the problem of lost connections after the removal of Adware components or improper uninstall of firewall applications or other tools that modify the XP network and Winsock settings. If you encounter connection problems after removing network related software, Adware or after registry clean-up; and all other ways fail, then give WinSock XP Fix a try. It can create a registry backup of your current settings, so it is fairly safe to use. We actually tested it on a test machine that was having a Winsock problem due to some Adware removal, and after running the utility and rebooting, the connectivity was restored.

Is it possible that I have corrupted the registry with all this ZA mess ? If so is there a way round this without having to reformat ? I can't get on the net so I can't download any fixes.

Also all System Restore points have been cleared for no good reason so that road is also enclosed.

Help !

Cheers

Jon

 

http://www.cexx.org/lspfix.htm
Maybe help? then theres xp winsock
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Tweak/Network-Tweak/WinSockFix.shtml
another one.
http://www.snapfiles.com/get/winsockxpfix.html

 

Well, I would start by uninstalling ZASS, rebooting, then doing another clean install of the latest version.

 

Zone Alarm imho just continues to slip slid away....

Early version 5 and early version 6

Why bother any more.

 

There is an exception with ZA6 in that it is strongly suggested not to upgrade an existing version of ZA but that it should be a clean install after the earlier version has been removed. One of the symptoms of installing over another version is loss of internet connection or a slow internet connection.. I have used ZA6 and I personally think it is the best version that they have come out with

 

Strange, I find ZAP 6 among the best paid offerings in the software firewall world with no issues whatsoever.

 

ZA is a love it or Leave it Security application/program
If you NEVER had trouble is good BUT if you ever had a horror initiative with it then its a no use or caution, dubious-+?.
The way these new security suites(many brands) seem to require/do more and more Can make them sometimes with some systems perhaps a little bit finicky.
Just a plain firewall MAY be less prone to issues-+?
Ask one person he/she likes "x" brand ask another he/she likes "p" brand ask another no not that one this one "m" brand.
To whomever you ask the one they use can be sometimes described as the greatest thing since hot running water.
I have used much earlier versions of ZA.All free versions.
And 2 of the newest free versions(latest 2)
I have found they do work, the latest free the best but sometimes the uninstall flawless other time and I do any way look all over for any remainders.
I have also used several other makers free soft 'walls.
I still prefer only a good half decent router.(for me)
With a couple apps for outbound possibilies.Is that correct? So far its been okay.
Is it right-=? Dunno but a lot less work I enjoy as opposed to always see what mb used by or setting up trusted zones-+
But to each his own no doubt 'bout it!

 

I tried to be brief earlier and I may have been misunderstood.

Except for all the junk that is left behind and one time just before a new version came out an older version some how got damaged and I did not need to figure out what was wrong because I just uninstalled and loaded up the newer version. I really have not had a "disabling" bad experience with ZA. I have used both PRO and Free and held back using 4.5 Pro until 5 got right.

However, I have always gone to extaordinary extremes to avoid that too. Never updating always turning off truevector rebooting with the "automatic come up after reboot" block unchecked of course. Then proceeding to uninstall (sometimes using the "Hoove method" but not always) Carefully following any prompts like reboot to finish uninstall. Then go about cleaning up left overs.

I feel that should not be the case the average user should not have to go through all what I do. Some steps but not all.

Second ZA PRO over the years has gone from a good simple to use software Firewall to bloat ware and in the process specifically version 5 a real disaster in the early days. I have not used 6 but I still hear the same horror storys.

BigC I think uses ZA 6 free. Please correct me if I am wrong. If you note my post BigC. Pro is loaded up with all of these extra things. Again correct me if I am wrong, but that is the whole reason for a PRO marketing the extras right?

So when I compare ZA to the current field of competition it just comes up short. And I did love the product in the old days.

 

Currently running the last 5.5 Pro version, very smooth, however didn't enable the AV monitoring part, think I'm capable of figuring out whether the AV is up to date or not

Now comes v6. This seems a different kettle of fish.

A number of concerns:

The Smart Defense - I run SSM and ZAP has aquired some of the functions of this kind of software, so Im not exited by this feature - especially if to quiet it down, I have to "share" what's running on my system with ZL in order to populate ZL's data base of "safe" executes. BTW, in the latest update, that featrue can be turned off - "will look just like v5" in the words of one of the ZL Mods.

I've read knowlegable users of ZAP write that the Ad blocking in v6 isn't as good as in v5.5 - that's one of my reasons for using it, that and the ability to toggle blocking Java & javascript and the rule making.

Resource use - this seems to vary from system to system, some scream at the increase, some say no change or even a decrease

I've used ZAP since v2.x and have gone thru ups and downs with it - the early 5.x version were realy dogs to say the least, although never had the trouble with them that others had, they just didn't run very smoothly.

So what I'm going to do is wait a few months and then try it - and oh yes, create a drive image just for the occasion.

Regards - Charles

 

There is no doubt that ZAP 6 is quite bloated with "features" now. Can't deny that. However, I would still choose and use it over some of the others because for me, it appears to have less bugs. ZA Free is another matter. I use it on a 2nd Win98 machine here and have never had any problems with it, including the latest version 6.

To each his own, that's for sure...

 

Hello everybody ! Been off line all weekend so thanks for all your replies.

Had a nightmare with this problem. My error log suggested an awful lot had gone quite seriously wrong (including System Restore completely defunct !) so reformatted Restablished my connection through my ISP and grabbed ZA firewall free. Disconnected, installed ZA and guess what - exactly same connection errors as before - no way past it - simply couldn't get connected. System crashed twice with serious errors

So reformatted again - tried a new connection with another ISP - got Outpost trial and Firefox and hey this time this new ISP wouldn't let me use Firefox as my default browser under any circumstances.

Originally posted by BigC

Shouldn't ZA make this expressly clear at the install stage ?


Originally posted by Mercurie

I completely agree - it shouldn't be this difficult - funnily enough popped into one of the UK's main computer retailers at the weekend who normally stock Norton and McAfee solutions to find shedloads of ZA Security Suite for sale - be interesting to see how your Average Joe -(like myself) gets on !

Anyway I'm afraid ZA is now reluctantly off my list.

Now I have reformatted I'll start another thread on where I go from here.

Thanks to all for your responses

Cheers

Jon

 

No not really, you can't say that ZA has probs with all users, sorry, there are millions out there who use ZA Pro (like myself) and have been extremely happy with it, I've used the Free version, 5.5 and now the latest being 6.

Yes people do bother, because if it's has worked wonders in the past and will work wonders in the future.

 

Glad to hear this. However, we will just have to disagree Albinoni.

 

And may I ask whose we ? Those people out there who use it and are very happy with it, plus those on this forum who use it and are very happy with it or perhaps people like you who probably for a start hasnt got a clue or faintest idea about FW's or PC's as a matter of fact and just simply install this and that and when finally something doesnt work for you its crap or rubbish. So if Outpost, Kerio or Sygate did the same thing than those can also be classified as crap or rubbish.

Perhaps a little homework such as running a scan on your PC for Spyware or Viruses might help, perhaps dis-engaging the XP SP2 FW might help, perhaps try and un-install and re-install ZA again and see how you go.

Why not joint the ZA Forum and get help there, see I've even posted the link for you out of kindness:

http://forum.zonelabs.org/zonelabs

If ZA has kept millions around the world happy if should keep you happy, simple as that