Zone Alarm Security Alert/AVG

Hello All,

I've just started to use Zone Alarm on my computer as suggested by Major Geeks and I had question regarding a Zone Alarm Security Alert.

The Zone Alarm window comes up as: Zone Alarm Security Alert, suspicious behavior. AVG 7.1 Launcher is trying to change your network settings by modifying the file: WINDRVDIR\etc\hosts Allow? Deny?

I know AVG is my virus software, but does this sound ok? Should I allow it?
If it is ok, how do I adjust my Zone Alarm settings so it doesn't keep happening?

Thank you all in advance for your help.
Global

 

Sounds Okay and if you check "Allow" the message should not appear again, if it does there will be a box say don't show this message again check it and you should be home free. You will get a fair number of these notices from ZA during the first week of usage, that is normal as it is configuring itself. Hope that helps

 

Zonealarm Pro comes with a feature called OS Firewall. It will monitor your system and warn you when a program is trying to modify certain settings, edit system files or all kinds of suspicious behavior. It's up to you when to allow it. Antivirus should be allowed everything. Keep in mind that some programs will crash if you deny an action.

 

Thanks for the suggestions, although the Alert came up again this morning after I had accepted it earlier. After I accept Allow, I've noticed my AVG continues with its scheduled scans.

I'm on day 6 of the ZoneAlarm Pro trial.

Did not see a box to check that says, "Do not show again"

Any other suggestions?

Thanks again,
Global

 

You will also receive 'Changed Program' alerts when a program is updated, besides that you should hardly ever see one until you load a new program that needs internet or it's a nasty or a little used option like MS help&support.

 

>> the Alert came up again this morning after I had accepted it earlier. After I accept Allow, I've noticed my AVG continues with its scheduled scans. I'm on day 6 of the ZoneAlarm Pro trial. Did not see a box to check that says, "Do not show again" Any other suggestions? Thanks again, Global <<

ZoneLabs has for many years now; maintained an outstanding and well moderated onsite forum support they take all-comers (for Pro questions and even for the ZoneAlarm free version). If I were you I'd try their forum as well as Major Geeks for qualified answers to your current dilemma.

I actually used the Zone Alarm "free" version for many years and was happy with it until recently, when the latest free version started crashing all over the place and seemed to "forget" previous permissions that I'd given; as you mentioned in your previous post re: the "pro version" that you're testing.

Since the free version was more recently crapping out on me; based on my many years of previous positive experiences with Zone Alarm FREE and their excellent forum, I recently decided to test and perhaps (heaven forbid - lol) even "pay money" for the "shareware" Zone Alarm Pro firewall.

I have to tell you, I have a lot of patience testing shareware/freeware products, but the Zone Alarm Pro testing experience was far worse than any multiple "popup attacks" that I’d ever previously experienced in any firewall that I've ever tested! Every few minutes or so; yet another popup "warning" with little information given for these onslaughts (regarding why it was bothering me yet again) would appear!

These "overkill" popup warnings were especially prevalent whenever installing other new applications that I was testing; which required access to the Windows Registry. One install; I stopped counting after about 16 or so obscure "unknown program" pop-up warnings that the new program installation files were accessing my registry. And there is no way to regulate this behavior. Either I had to allow ZAP to monitor program installations or not!

I spent seemingly endless hours combing their online forum (during the measly 15-day trial period) trying to figure out (1) why ZA Pro kept crashing my system. And there was no "mystery" about this because the error messages invariably pointed to Zone Alarm as the cause (2) why my broadband connection speed went from incredibly fast to crawling at a snail’s space (3) why the ZoneAlarm Pro popups kept repeating themselves over and over even though I clicked "allow" in the future.

I also noticed that ZoneAlarm Pro apparently stores whatever "Yes or No" access permissions you give it forever; or at least until you manually reset, alter or remove them - or you uninstall ZAP completely. Since installing, testing, and then uninstalling applications is sort of my hobby; the fact that I had to open ZoneAlarm Pro each time I uninstalled another program that I’d tested; and then manually remove the application access permissions every single time, made this program unsuitable for my needs.

Additionally, uninstalling the ZAP application (entirely, that is) was nowhere near "problem free" either! In order to do so; I actually had to manually alter the properties of the default ZoneAlarm Pro uninstaller .exe as described in this ZoneLabs forum thread, and then manually delete many other extra leftover files and folders that the program littered my computer with afterwards.

To be fair, the ZoneLabs forum was receptive and polite in their responses, but these problems remained; even after numerous inquiries. Aside from all that, firewalls are supposed to make your computer-usage experience easier and safer, but in this case with my testing of ZoneAlarm Pro, the "cure" seemed almost worse than the disease! <g>

Side Note: Perhaps it is just a coincidence (or maybe it's "karma" - lol); but I have also recently noticed an apparent "upsurge" of many more "complaints" being posted in various forums recently, regarding the foibles of the latest freeware and pro version releases of ZoneAlarm - since the announcement that all "newer" versions of the firewall would no longer support earlier versions of Windows.

Good Luck!

 

After trying ZoneAlarm Free, I bought a licensed version of ZoneAlarm Pro 3.7.143. Yeah ... that was a while ago. There have been zero problems. That version has been used on my Win98SE, then it migrated to Windows 2000, and now it's alive and well under Windows XP( windows fw and mobo fw turned off). But after I registered the product I set Check for Updates from Automatic to Manual and ignored the temptation to update for "free". So your old version of ZoneAlarm is probably worth it's weight in gold. It's smaller, faster and it most likely works as a firewall, just as well as the new stuff. I'm just sad that ZoneAlarm seems to be going down hill at the moment. I've recommended it to so many of my friends that I'm slightly embarassed that the "new" ZoneAlarm is causing all this bother.

 

The box actualy says "Remember this action."

If you allow AVG the access and then check the Rember box it should stop asking.

 

I personally prefer to use a hardware firewall, and it's never a good idea to use multiple antivirus programs at the same time.

 

An alternative is to go to Program Control, select the programs tab and search for AVG. Set it's trust level to super and the alerts should go away.