Latest Microsoft Hotfix Breaks ZoneAlarm for XP Users

[tk102]

Happened to me this morning.

 

 

http://download.zonealarm.com/bin/free/pressReleases/2008/LossOfInternetAccessIssue.html

 

Workaround to Sudden Loss of Internet Access Problem

 

Date Published : 8 July 2008

 

Date Last Revised : 9 July 2008

 

Overview : Microsoft Update KB951748 is known to cause loss of internet access for ZoneAlarm users on Windows XP/2000. Windows Vista users are not affected.

 

Impact : Sudden loss of internet access

 

Platforms Affected : ZoneAlarm Free, ZoneAlarm Pro, ZoneAlarm AntiVirus, ZoneAlarm Anti-Spyware, and ZoneAlarm Security Suite

 

Recommended Actions -

 

Download and install the latest versions which solve the loss of internet access problem here (English only):

# ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite

# ZoneAlarm Pro

# ZoneAlarm Antivirus

# ZoneAlarm Anti-Spyware

# ZoneAlarm Basic Firewall

 

- or follow the directions below.

 

Option 1: Move Internet Zone slider to Medium

 

1. Navigate to the "ZoneAlarm Firewall" panel

2. Click on the "Firewall" tab

3. Move the "Internet Zone" slider to medium

 

Option 2: Uninstall the hotfix

 

1. Click the "Start Menu"

2. Click "Control Panel", or click "Settings" then "Control Panel"

3. Click on "Add or Remove Programs"

4. On the top of the add/remove programs dialog box, you should see a checkbox that says "show updates". Select this checkbox

5. Scroll down until you see "Security update for Windows (KB951748)"

6. Click "Remove" to uninstall the hotfix

[Char Ell]

Ugh! Now how did that happen?!

[tk102]

I suppose this note doesn't really help much since it's more than two days since the hotfix was released and those affected can't read this.

[Astrotoy7]

my question is:

wow! people still use ZoneAlarm?

 

It hates all the dodgy sites I love

 

mtfbwya

[tk102]

You know you can make ZoneAlarm to behave exactly as you like. Of course people still use it, it's free and a far cry better than Windows Firewall.

[tk102]

Zonelabs released a fix today. In ZA, go to Overview->Preferences->Check for Update.

[Astrotoy7]

You know you can make ZoneAlarm to behave exactly as you like. Of course people still use it, it's free and a far cry better than Windows Firewall.

 

This has bought up an intresting query...Ive always wondered. Many of our routers have built in firewalls.... is it really necessary that we have a firewall going in windows or in a 3rd party app like ZA.

 

I used to be nuts about net security, but between Avast and adblock in FF, I havent had any more issues than when I ran ad-aware, spybot, AV etc. I just cant be buggered anymore, especally since there has been no difference from the downscaling.

 

mtfbwya

[tk102]

This has bought up an intresting query...Ive always wondered. Many of our routers have built in firewalls.... is it really necessary that we have a firewall going in windows or in a 3rd party app like ZA.

 

I used to be nuts about net security, but between Avast and adblock in FF, I havent had any more issues than when I ran ad-aware, spybot, AV etc. I just cant be buggered anymore, especally since there has been no difference from the downscaling.

 

mtfbwya

 

The way I see it, it's not so much for stopping inbound traffic (though you do need that too if you're connected directly to a cable or DSL modem), but to alert you about questionable outbound traffic. It's true your router has a built-in firewall, but you're probably not watching its activity when you're online and it probably doesn't have a dynamic interface anyway. It's also not application-level specific like a personal firewall. I like ZA especially because of its component-level monitoring capabilities that let you know when a program has changed since it last attempted to access the internet.