Zone Alarm Compability

[Mandy Panda]

I recently downloaded ZoneAlarm (nothing like free). I also downloaded Black Ice and bought Security 98. After installing ZA and Security 98 on the same day I noticed that Windows 98 would not shut down. I then re-formatted my hard drive and began reinstalling my software. When I got to ZA, my system would not shut down. Now that I know it is ZA, anyone have any advice on how to fix this? I read on another website that others had this problem as well, but no solutions were forthcoming. I love ZoneAlarm otherwise and I don't want to give it up if I don't have to. What I really want to do is use all three together. Anyone know if they are all compatible? Please help!

[shadow]

I've been following and using ZA for a few months now and been thru several versions.
ALL but one up to the current one have caused problems with my machine. My main problems were BSOD's but I did have the odd weird shutdown as you mention. The version I use and keep going back to is 2.026, of which I have the setup for if you want it. It's not perfect and sometimes does some strange things but it doesn't cause BSOD's and that I like. I use ZA on both Win95 & 98.

But why the total re-format? Isn't that a bit drastic? There's detailed instructions on how to remove every piece of ZA at their site and I also have a list of all related dll's from a posting at the grc.com newsgroup.
PW

[Chainsaw]

Hi Mandy Panda,
Welcome to Sysopt!
I see that you got my reply at Steve's forum.
It may really help if you let us know what versions of these programs you are having trouble with. Your version of Windows 98 could also be helpful, are you using Second Edition?

quote from Steve's Forum:
__________________________________________________ _
"Btw, I have a Pentium II with MMX Technology PC, 333 Mhz and an 8 gig hard drive and am currently running Win 98,"
__________________________________________________ _

I'll have to look around, but it seems that I recall the issue of "Windows not shuting down" is a Microsoft issue that has a work-around. My gut feeling is that this is not directly related to ZA, but to Windows.
I'll get back to ya as soon as I find the link that I am refering to. In the mean time, I'm sure that you will get some good info. here.
Later,
c:::CHNsaw
(aka Dave B)

~edit~ Try this for starters:

Go to start>run>type in MSCONFIG.EXE>hit enter>click advance and check Disable Fast Shutdown. Click ok twice and reboot.

Here are two links that have some info. that may or may not be helpful.
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q232/9/15.asp
http://www.jacksonville.net/~jaginc/hd_shutdown.htm

I'll keep lookin'
c:::CHNsaw

[This message has been edited by Chainsaw (edited 04-21-2000).]

[Mandy Panda]

Thanks guys. The version of Zone Alarm I'm using is 2.1.10. I am using Windows 98 Plus, not the Special Edition. I didn't have the shut down problem before installing Zone Alarm.
Why the re-format?
I guess I should have known about you guys before I did it. The people that sold me my PC, their tech support guys suggested the re-format. This was the second re-format. The first one was done last month in March. My system went bezerk. I was using Win 95 Plus, and I uninstalled some software with Norton Uninstall and it deleted some major components also, so when I shut down and came back the next day, my PC wouldn't let me in. It would get to the DOS area and then shut itself back off. I lost all my info, because at that time, I had over 5 gigs of info saved to my 8 gig hard drive. I had never even used my Iomega zip 100 that was alread installed into my tower when I bought my PC (OK so shoot me!) Needless to say, I was really pissed! Before that re-format I had refused to use 98 even though I had the upgrade CD. Then they told me that had I been using 98, it would have recreated those missing files for me, so after that first re-format, I've been a 98 person. At first I didn't like it, but it's growing on me. I had managed to reinstall 1.55 gigs of info. and now I get this problem. I guess you could say I panicked, since the last time it wouldn't start up and this time it wouldn't shut down (I also did some forting around with my program files, and since I don't consider myself a pro or anything, I might have goofed some things up. I wanted to erase that and start all over again and maybe do it right this time). Needless to say, I'll be coming here a lot as I try to get some decent web security onto my pc since I'm doing a lot more surfing. I have been fortunate so far. I've made purchases and everything online and nobodies gotten a hold of my credit info, but before this month I had nothing on my PC but Norton Anti Virus, a wing and a prayer. So all this "security" and "privacy" stuff is new to me.
BTW, have any of you heard of setting your cookies folder to "read only" in order to trick websites into thinking you have cookies enabled? I got the tip from Smart Computing's guide to PC Privacy magazine, but when I do it, the folder somehow keeps
unchecking itself. Can this be fixed? I have IE5 and it's set to prompt for cookies, so I don't know what else to do.
What I want is to not leave a trail on the web, and to also not be a unwilling participant in web Profiling. I'm already getting anywhere from 8-13 phone calls a day from solicitors. It's driving me up the wall.

[socalgal]

Hi Mandy,

Re the cookies: I've haven't heard of that read-only trick, but why not just disable all cookies? "Allow to be stored on your comp", and, "per-session".

That's what I do, and no cookies http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

[smokin1]

Re: the cookies...easiest way is to rename your cookies txt file and create a new folder, then name it cookies.txt...nothing can be stored in it...
http://www.sysopt.com/forum/wink.gif
oh...sorry, that's a Netscape trick...

[This message has been edited by smokin1 (edited 04-21-2000).]

[Mandy Panda]

Regarding Disabling cookies, when I do that, I can't get access to certain websites at all.
I can't even delete the cookies folder in windows explorer. I have Netscape Navigator and IE 5. Since my re-format I haven't redownloaded Netscape. I'll have to try that trick when I do.

To Chainsaw, thanks for the Msconfig.sys tip. It helped my system to shutdown more smoothly. I have also noticed that when I shutdown Zone Alarm first my system does not hang up. Small price to pay I guess.