Zone Alarm

Just installed Zone Alarm and it asked for permission to install XA Update. I don't know what that is? Can anyone help? Confused as usual.

 

WHat is the actual wording for the message you received

xa or za

Just want to clarify before going on

 

It was XA. I don't have any programs that it applies to, that I know of, unless it is hidden in one of them.

 

I think endio's question is exactly the right one, nomad, and that you probably just mis-read it. I could be wrong, of course, but I installed several copies of the latest ZA Free recently, and this is what I recall of the process:

If you were installing ZA Free, then first you were given a comparative list of features and asked to choose the FREE Zone Alarm Pro trial UPGRADE first, and you had to ignore the list and check the little tiny Zone Alarm option, and then there was another choice when the installation had progressed, and they said "click here to try Zone Alarm Pro FREE, and a single click will let you opt for Zone Alarm at the end of the trial period," or words to that effect.

It's just marketing.

Periodically, they will send you a notice that an upGRADE is available for Zone Alarm, and if you accept it, you'll get a new copy of the 30-day trial. But if instead you set the option to Manually Check for Updates on the Preferences tab of the Overview section in the control panels for ZA, and you use the button to check for updates periodically (or when you see a notice here that there's an upDATE), you'll be just fine.

BTW: When there IS another significant update, when the installation program for the update asks you whether you want to do a plain update of your old files, saving your settings, or a clean install, which will require that you re-set your choices, choose the clean install, and you won't regret it. You'll get none of the conflicts, crashes, or errors that can arise from a mixture of versions in your folder.

 

I also installed the free zone alarm on some friends computers and you are right za follows the procedure you have just described.

Just

open zone alarm
click on over view
click on preferences and
then make sure you have the check for updates manually tab checked

If you do not know what a program does or why is trying to get out deny it access. you can always allow it to gain access if you find out later that it does need access.

I hope you denied access to the mysterious XA. if it is an unknown program it will try to do so again. if the solution wizewiz worked then
it was Za trying to get out.

 

Thanks to both of you. I have checked the manual box now. I still think it was XA and I did refuse it. As you say, it will show its head again. Thanks a bunch. I am not a newbie but, sometimes I sure do feel like it.

 

here is what Zone Alarm says about XAUpdate.exe on the repeat request.
XAUpdate Application is trying to connect to the Internet or your local network

ZoneAlarm is asking you whether to allow the connection. No breach in your security has occurred. Your computer is safe.
Inside the program alert



Alert property Alert property value Technical explanation
Program Name XAUpdate Application A program running on your computer, which either attempted to send an IP packet over the Internet or is waiting for an incoming packet.
Filename XAUpdate.exe The filename of the program that ZoneAlarm found on your computer.
Program Version 1, 0, 0, 1008 The version of XAUpdate Application running on your computer.
Program Size 77824 The size of the program executable file in bytes.
Program MD5 4c1f042c05b7c52e994b1dc8236de057 The MD5 hash, or number, that uniquely identifies the executable.
Date Modified Feb-03-2003 01:00:22 PM The date when XAUpdate.exe was most recently modified.
Connect Type Access This value can be either Access, which is an Internet connection attempt by XAUpdate Application or Server, which indicates that XAUpdate Application is waiting for connections coming in from the Internet.
Remote Port 53 The port XAUpdate Application is using on the remote computer.
Remote IP Address 209.244.0.3 The IP address of the remote computer that caused the alert.
Alert Date Jan-21-2004 08:35:32 PM PST The time when ZoneAlarm detected the alert on your computer.



ZoneAlarm security enforcement at time of alert



Program Status Repeat Program XAUpdate Application has requested Internet or local network access before and is currently requesting access again.
Zone Internet Zone This ZoneAlarm zone contains all the computers and networks in the world that are connected to the Internet, until you explicitly define them as members of another zone.

 

Thanks a heap Major Attitude.

 

Hello,

I use Zone Alram pro. It does a excellent job in blocking pop-ups. The lists can be rather extenive of programs and components. I look them up at the site below. It can be a long and tedious task;however, I'd rather know what is on my system. It might be here: Regards,

http://file-extension.info/index.php?searchValue=vbe&Submit2=Search

 

Good work, nomad. I'm glad you followed up and found out that it WASN'T part of the installation drill (as I thought) and that it WAS a case of a program trying to phone home.

When you're setting the permissions for programs in the control panels for ZA (Program Control section; Programs tab), if you set that Panicware app to have two green checks in the left two columns and two red X's in the two right-hand columns, that'll take care of it so that when YOU check for updates for the program, it'll be able to communicate with home base, but when IT wants to try to phone home, ZA will quietly give it a good slap and tell it to sit down and shut up. (Remember first to open the Panicware program and turn off Automatic Update Checking, then adjust the settings in ZA.)

It will probably turn out that most of the programs in your Programs settings will have that pattern: 2 checks and 2 X's. Some will have 4 X's. If you need help configuring the permissions for your Programs, first read the ZA Help, and then ask questions here if you need to.

 

Thanks Wisewiz.