Problems with Zone Alarm Free licensing

My Zone Alarm is now saying my license has expired on the anti-virus portion of the software. It is the same on either the current version off or Major Geeks or the current version off the Zone Alarm web site. This didn't happen until 15 days after I had upgraded to 10.1.056 and it is doing the same for 10.1.079. Seems to be some kind of hidden counter.

I have inquired at Zone Alarm on their tech support chat as it suggests when you are uninstalling but they disconnect the second I say free, I have gone on to their forums and I am getting stonewalled on this issue, nothing is being said, nothing is being done. I have used this software for over 5 years and the one time I have an issue, NOTHING!!

Any suggestions out there? I know on the page when you chose it to download in Major Geeks it says "Editors Note: Be sure to check the box for the free firewall from the installer or you will download the 15 day trial version." but it isn't in any software I have downloaded from Major Geeks or Zone Alarm and I believe that is where the issue lies ultimately.

I am at wits end because I also install this for consumer customers of mine and now I can't keep mine running which means they will have the same issues. Any ideas or help would be appreciated from Major Geeks or Zone Alarm.

 

Only the basic firewall is free. ZA firewall+antivirus is not a free program nor do you get live chat assistance with it. That is why live chat drops you when you tell them you have the free version and the forum can't help because there is no legal way for you to get ZA antivirus protection beyond the trial period without purchasing it.

http://www.zonealarm.com/security/en-us/zonealarm-pc-security-free-firewall.htm

 

I would dump ZoneAlarm and install COMODO;
http://personalfirewall.comodo.com/...88f7c46c326160a0ab6738b94&key7sk1=0&key7sk2=0

 

I understand that the basic firewall is the only free part. But if that is
they case, then why is it that (a) it says FREE in the name for the Zone
Alarm FREE firewall and (b) within the FREE firewall it even says no license
key is required because it is FREE. Yet when I download the FREE firewall
from your site or theirs it shows the firewall is not working and the reason
is because the license has expired. Seems they have some kind of marker so even when I go into my registry and delete all the remnants of it, it still does this.

I DON'T have the system with the Firewall and Anti-Virus, I never have had that system and I have worked in IT for over 20 years so I DO know the difference.

Add to that, I have an older laptop running the same version and it is running under XP, SP III. No problems with it whatsoever. I just feel like since it is a free product, they don't give a crap if I have been using their products for at least 5 to 7 years and have even helped them out a time or two in the past when there were issues.

 

No offense meant. I ditched ZA for Comodo quite a while ago. I don't know about Comodo's customer service as I had no real problems with it. Since ZA got bought out, their quality has went downhill and they've squandered their once stellar reputation