Thursday, July 10, 2008

Ready, Aim, Firewall . . .

This morning, the internet was not accessible from this infernal machine. I spoke with our ISP and discovered that if we turned off our firewall, we could see the 'net. Not a good solution, but a tiny hint, almost a clue.

Trial and error led me to discover several things: The newest security download from MS Windows causes problems for ZoneAlarm users. Accepting automatic downloads from MS Windows: bad idea. Formerly, they had to ask me for permission and I used to evaluate each download. I got lazy. No more lazy for me.

The ZoneAlarm site has a couple of easy fixes displayed on their home page. I had already found one of these fixes for myself. Otherwise? I would still be trying the toll free number and grinding my molars.

The automated voice at the toll free number for ZA said that there were no free lines, so call later. I would guess they have an overloaded system. This is a definite Catch 22. You have to find a fix before you can get to the site with fixes displayed.

Hello? Microsoft? You out there making friends, again?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

If you read all the problems MS causes, you'd sell all their stock and buy Apple. Remember the good old days when the command you typed was the one executed - before anything else happened! Now one says to exit a program and the pop-up demands to know if you really REALLY mean it? (Of course I meant it. Would I be sitting at this giant paperweight telling it what to do if I had something else in mind?) Sympathies on losing the I'net - even temporarily. Wonder why Microsoft "hates" Zone Alarm so much.....

RANGER said...

I would guess that any disagreement or envy arises because ZA has long been so stable. The only thing that ever caused me to see the Blue Screen of Death was Windows plus Norton AV long ago.