Startup problem after installing Zone Alarm

Just got a new Acer laptop Aspire5002WLMI ( Windows XP Home, AMD Turion 64, 512 Mb RAM, 80 Gb HD and, I presume, FAT32 ) Installed Quicken and copied AVG and Zone Alarm exe installation files from my PC (Windows XP, NTFS file system) so I could install them before setting up my broadband connection. AVG installed OK. I then set up my broadband, Bell Sympatico, and after one false start it ran OK. I shut it down and installed Zone Alarm. When I clicked Zone Alarm to reboot after installation, a blue screen appeared with a message about a file problem and suggesting I let Windows fix it; the whole thing went by so fast I had no time to decide what to do or to read what was happening. Windows then restarted and proceeded to the point where the Desktop appeared. Within a few seconds the desktop icons disappeared, the graduated blue screen remained with the Acer symbol still visible, and nothing more happened. I shut down and rebooted, this time getting a screen similar to a Safe Mode boot, and I chose to return to the last good configuration. Again Windows loaded, the Desktop appeared, etc. I shut down again and booted into Safe Mode. That proceeded to the first screen, which offered a choice between Administrator or My Name to enter. Clicking either of these produced no result, as did clicking the shutdown choice.
I am guessing that Zone Alarm is causing the error, Widows corrects it, but when Windows re-opens, Zone Alarm then restarts and creates the error again, though Windows now doesn't fix it. I had hoped to get into Windows in Safe Mode and remove Zone Alarm.

Could ther be some roblem with the Zone Alarm exe file having been downloaded to a NTFS file system and then installed on a FAT 32?

The Acer came with System and Recovery CDs, but I would like some advice before proceedong down that path. How can I get this computer started so I can remove Zone Alarm, or is there some other explanation and, I hope, solution for my problem.

 

No. Most likely your new system is NTFS, which it would come from the factory. If you did not clean out the "Trial" ware, and remove Norton or McAfee whichever was installed on the system before, that can cause problems.

Also copying over program files, not the actually executable zip files, can cause problems also.

 

I didn't copy any program files, but yes, Norton is on the computer. Still cannot start Windows.

 

You will probably have to do a Repair. If you have not installed anything else, reload the image, and go in and delete all the Trial ware, and make sure that Norton is gone, before you load AVG and ZA. Most likely you ended up with a conflict and that crashed it.

 

Have you tried rebooting into safemode with COMMAND prompt only?

IF this works and the command prompt appears, you should be able to type in (from the command prompt).

start appwiz.cpl (press enter).

This will open add/remove programs. From here, remove ZA and see if this helps.

 

Hey, Major Geek, thanks. I used your suggested process, but removed all the programs I had installed. Booted with no problems. Now I will have to re-install my broadband-provider's program and download Zalarm first.

 

Who is your Broadband provider? Most programs that they have you install are just "watcher" type programs, and are not needed to connect to the net. Remember K.I.S.S. and just put on what you need. Remove Norton, and any other programs like I stated that are Trialware, due to 1) they eat up space, and 2) they are not needed, but can cause problems with using other security programs.

As for removing programs, also go into Services.msc, and disable UPnP, and SSDP, which are also not needed to use WinXP. Both have been known to cause toolbar issues.