ZoneAlarm ver 5.0.590.015

  • Thread starter Thread starter Richard Urban
  • Start date Start date
Please explain the free version of Pro !


Bullwinkel J. Moose said:
From what I understand there are several versions now of ZA. The free
version is still small and quick and very useful. There is a suite with
everything and a version with anti virus. I expect these are the one with
bloat. I'm using the free version of "pro" and it works just fine.

--
Regards,
Werner
(e-mail address removed)
Remove "Nospam" when e-mailing
Click to expand...
 
What insider do you know at Zone Labs to get a free version of PRO...Please
send me his name.

Willie
 
Sorry. I'm used to call ZA "pro". From now on I'll call it "free". In any
case it is fairly simple and not bloated which was the point of the thread.
It's all you need for a good firewall, maybe the best for the individual
user.

As I said like all developers ZA labs is adding stuff to the firewall
program including an anti-virus module. I don't plan on using that as it is
not free.
 
I thought you were technically correct given it's a common download now and
you have to choose which to install during setup. One supposes that Free is
now a crippled version of Pro. I may be wrong.


Shane


Bullwinkel J. Moose said:
Sorry. I'm used to call ZA "pro". From now on I'll call it "free". In any
case it is fairly simple and not bloated which was the point of the thread.
It's all you need for a good firewall, maybe the best for the individual
user.

As I said like all developers ZA labs is adding stuff to the firewall
program including an anti-virus module. I don't plan on using that as it is
not free.
Click to expand...
 
Bullwinkel said:
As I said like all developers ZA labs is adding stuff to the firewall
program including an anti-virus module. I don't plan on using that as it is
not free.
Click to expand...

As I said in another post, I may be just a tad old-fashioned, but I've
never liked "all-in-one" apps or hardware. By hardware I mean combo
printer/fax/copy/etc. as when the appliance breaks, you lose ALL the
features.

Same applies to this type of "do everything/fix/everything/address
everything" software.

I suppose I compare it to having your auto water pump, alternator, power
steering pump etc. as a single unit. If that existed, if it broke, you'd
be stuck. But luckily, if
only your, lets say, power steering pump broke at least you could still
drive your car.

Often I also wish there was a "stripped down" version of XP. ie the OS
only. Would boot
nice and quick. Perhaps all I, and others only want an OS for the
Internet and some
basic word processing. Where is my Windows Lite? How about a $49 basic
OS MS?
 
Have been using Zonealarm -- free for about 4 -5 years. I quit updating it
because there were always fixes being made. The "Free" version, as has been
said before, is adequate for most users.
 
In
Plato said:
As I said in another post, I may be just a tad old-fashioned, but I've
never liked "all-in-one" apps or hardware. By hardware I mean combo
printer/fax/copy/etc. as when the appliance breaks, you lose ALL the
features.

Same applies to this type of "do everything/fix/everything/address
everything" software.
Click to expand...


I completely agree with you when it comes to hardware. If one
component of a printer/scanner/fax combo breaks, you have to
replace the entire unit.

But I think it's an entirely different matter when it comes to
software. First of all, software doesn't "break" and need to be
replaced the way hardware does. If something in the software
fails to work properly, the manufacturer will often patch and
repair it. And if some feature doesn't work properly, that
doesn't mean that other components of the software are therefore
useless.

To me, the major disadvantage of multi-purpose software is that
the component applications are often (but not always)
light-weight and not as robust as separate alternatives. Moreover
if you buy a multi-purpose package, you lose the ability to pick
and choose features in applications you like in one vendor's
product line and others in another vendors'. For example, I
prefer Corel WordPerfect to Microsoft Word, but Excel to Quattro
Pro. Unfortunately, my preferences here make for an expensive mix
of products if I have to buy both Office suites.
 
I do agree about the added features, I much prefer to pick my own AV to
use. I do run ZA Pro the paid version but don't intend using the bundled
with AV ones.
Joan
 
I prefer Kerio 2.1.5, but due to Sygate crashing in ME I tried ZA again
(which for a long time caused problems in ME). Now I use ZA (free) in 98se
and on one ME box (still Kerio 2.1.5 on XP - though there may be issues with
SP2).

The problems with *fixes* is knowing whether they're critical or bloat. Of
course, one places significant trust in one's firewall and *should*
(ideally) assume that all updates *are* critical.

But, yes, I use ZA Free. But recent versions are a common download and you
select either Pro or Free during installation. Never having installed Pro I
don't know if it then downloads extra files, but doubt it.

I'll grant that *crippled* was probably a little strong. *Disabled*.


Shane
 
About a week ago, I checked to see if there was a new release of ZoneAlarm Pro
v5. There was then available v50.590.043, which is newer than the previous
v50.590.015. However, I also noticed that the version being offered kept switching
back and forth between the new v50.590.043 and the previous v50.590.015.

I was able to download and test ZoneAlarm Pro v50.590.043. It was not much
better than the previous v50,590.015. v50.590.043 locked up my computer when I
attempted to go out on the Internet in the same odd manner that v50.590.015 did, i.e.,
my computer did not freeze, but it would not accept any commands. I had to cut off
the power to shut down my computer. I subsequently found the following strange
message from ZoneAlarm Pro "TrueVector Service" 3 times in the Windows XP Pro
Application Event Viewer:

"Event Type: Error
Event Source: TrueVector Service
Event Category: None
Event ID: 5003
Date: 7/3/2004
Time: 1:00:35 AM
User: N/A
Computer: MYCOMPUTER
Description:
TrueVector driver: Driver install or load failure: MarkNTDeviceDriver. Win32 error:
Access is denied."

I have no idea what MarkNTDeviceDriver is. I got no hits when I tried searching
for anything with this name as having ever been installed on my computer.

ZoneAlarm Pro v5 tries to interface with the virus scanners of other vendors. I am
running McAfee VirusScan v8.0, which is a stand alone virus scanner. Unlike some
versions of McAfee VirusScan, it does not come bundled with an optional firewall
of its own. I tried turning off the interface with McAfee VirusScan in ZoneAlarm
Pro v50.590.043, but I still got the same bad results.

Bottom line: I had to uninstall ZoneAlarm Pro v50.590.043, and reinstall my old
ZoneAlarm Pro v4.5.594.000, and then reload all of my previous settings. All this
appeared to work OK, but I still hung trying to get out on the Internet. So I then
used the Windows XP System Restore function to get back to the System Restore
checkpoint that I took immediately before I embarked on my venture to install and
test the "new" ZoneAlarm Pro v50.590.043. I again restored my previous settings
for ZoneAlarm Pro v4.5.594 that I also backed up before embarking on this venture.
Finally, I was back to normal after wasting about 2 hours on this ZoneAlarm Pro v5
beta testing venture.

ZoneAlarm Pro used to be a reliable stable product. But the first two v50 releases
have been failed beta test versions as far as I am concerned. What really irks me
is that this is not being marketed as a best test version. Apparently, it works for
some prople but not others.

Richard A. Landkamer
 
Addition.

Errors can be classified is several ways such as Critical, Major or Minor.
Most utilities such as chkdsk or Norton Disk Doctor will find the Critical
and Major errors. A utilities ability to find minor errors is a function of
the program criteria and the programmer.
I would expect a program like Norton Disk Doctor to find more minor errors
than a Windows utility like chkdsk. Minor errors are those that do not
effect system performance.

Don
 
A thousand pardons (or a kiloapology, ie 1024 apologies).

Dash it all! I've been caught red-handed!



Shane
 
About a week ago I was updating an ex-pat's machine in France. I first
looked at her machine last year - shortly before Blaster - when she had no
firewall, no AV, no SP1 patches. Her French Wanadoo software doesn't allow
ICF. I installed ZA then for the simple interface. After removing a number
of viruses offline (so much for NTFS).

So this year I took a cd of updates with me - including ZA 50.590.015. I
installed 15 SP2 patches and updated ZA - which promptly informed me an
update was available - 50.590.043 - so I installed that too. Then she
couldn't send e-mails so I restored to before 50.590.015. Then I checked for
updates again and it offered 50.590.015. Installed that and checked again
and got the *your security is up-to-date* message. Checked the installed
version - definately 50.590.015.

The e-mail problem was solved by removing all from the ZA *Programs* list.

Since coming back she's e-mailed me asking if she should install the update
it's offering her - 50.590.043.

Shane
 
I suggest you go onto their website and report what you have found. They run
an active newsgroup with company supervision. They should be told of your
situation and problems with their new version.
 
Your apology accepted (to make you happy.) I still don't know what "sussed"
means.
 
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