Zone Alarm issues

I am new to ZA and am having issues with it..
ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus + Firewall version: 12.0.121.000
Vsmon version: 12.0.121.000
Driver version: 12.0.102.000
Antivirus engine version: 8.3.2.4
Antivirus signature DAT file version: 1150028192

My computer is a Windows 7 64bit

My issues are that it really lags my internet searches BIG time. I use google Chrome and some days it won't even allow it to connect to the internet unless I snooze ZA firewall.
Even to access MG I had to snooze the Firewall.
I have iTunes downloaded and installed on my computer and have to snooze the Firewall in order to sign into it.
I know that some of the programs must be allowed and trusted etc.. and I really don't understand how to do that in ZA. I did find that iTunes is allowed across the board so I don't see why it is not allowing me to sign into that program..
Google there are various services listed that are beyond me as to what they all are for most are allowed across the board..

Any help or advice would be much appreciated as ZA is majorily slowing down my internet searches..

One more thing I had to have a new HD so it is a fresh HD without any other AV/FW programs installed..
Thanks.. SW

 

What's your hardware? If you have a core 2 duo or back further, A-V scanners I know will tie up the processor somewhat. When something like this happens, the first thing I do is open task manager and sort by CPU usage column to see how much of the processor is being used by the program (in this case Zone Alarm). This is just to make sure that it is the suspected process that is causing the problem and to see how big the problem actually is CPU usage-wise.

On an old P4 I have for experiments, I had to make exceptions of popular sites for the scanner for avast, or almost nothing would happen when I opened a web browser. You're having problems with files being scanned overtime or needlessly it sounds like to me. For this, I would look in ZA for settings and then try to find where you can exclude a program from the scanner.

Don't know if this is like your version of ZA or an older version, but maybe it will help:

http://www.zonealarm.com/security/en-us/optimization-tips-tune-zonealarm.htm

 

Hardware is Pentium CPU T4500 @2.30GHz
Ok I never get alerts about applications which I thought ZA was to do so I can allow or deny an app..
When I go to click on Google Chrome to do a web search sometimes I will get my homepage of google.com sometimes I will get an error web page not found.. I will look up things maybe banking maybe want to look up something just typical normal every day search in looking something up.. I get the web page not found or unable to connect to internet.
I am attaching screen shots so people can see what I see.. First was clicking the link AltBo provided.. Second was today when I was trying to go to MajorGeeks forums.. One says unable to connect to the internet if you look at bottom right my Internet Connection Bars are fully functional and there isn't any symbol over them for disconnection or limited connection..
I will try try plodr suggestion of removing toolbar but I am using google.com as I always have but since ZA installation it lags when I go to do anything on there and comes up with errors.. When it lags and does all this stuff there is no set time of day. It can be morning, noon, night, late night.. And I do get this message at the bottom while it is lagging that says resolving host.. I will try and Screen shot that incase it is needed to be seen to help me..
Sorry about delay in replying just busy with life.. Thanks to all that can assist me..
Edit : I looked in my chrome extensions for the ZA toolbar and it isn't even enabled.. but I did delete it from extensions..

 

Here is more.. I did all the clean up etc. after uninstalling the ZA toolbar via Add/Remove programs.. Ran CCleaner.. and when I went to try and go back here to the forums it wouldn't let me.. I couldn't even get into just majorgeeks.com I had to actually do a 5 minute ZA FW snooze in order to even get here to the forum..
Attachment 1 shows resolving host in bottom left it also shows what I typed in to try and get to MG forums..
Attachment 2 shows how it can't find MG forums
Attachment 3 shows redirect message which after that it went back to attachment 2.
I just want something that is going to protect my computer but without the headaches of all this error crap..
Thanks in advance for anyone that can help me I greatly appreciate it..
SW

 

I think I am going to uninstall ZA and try Comodo Internet Security..