# ZoneAlarm Firewall question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 12, 2003, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zonealarm-firewall-question/194758 "2003-08-12T22:34:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![moejuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@moejuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moejuck)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zonealarm-firewall-question/194758/1 "2003-08-12T22:34:42Z")
Just so I can show off my ignorance of how computers work… I have now ridded myself of the msblast worm, but since I installed ZoneAlarm I can’t get any internet page to load unless I shut the thing off! I have the security settings on medium. I am connected to the internet, but I get the old “this page cannot be displayed” message for every website I try. Please fight my ignorance once again. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Survey1215](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@Survey1215](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Survey1215)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zonealarm-firewall-question/194758/2 "2003-08-12T22:56:49Z")
I installed ZoneAlarm Sunday afternoon and uninstalled it that night when I tried to crank up my computer again and again and again w/o success. I finally got it going after about 60 minutes, was unable to get online or do much of anything else. Figuring ZoneAlarm to be the culprit, I uninstalled and Presto! Everything is coming up Milhouse. I’d try an uninstall. I’ve since been told that ZoneAlarm and Windows 98 (my OS) don’t play together too well, fwiw. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zonealarm-firewall-question/194758/3 "2003-08-12T23:07:58Z")
ZoneAlarm liked to crash a lot on my computer and often sucked up 99% of the CPU time for no apparent reason, so I ditched it. I now use the free version of [Agnitum Outpost Firewall](http://www.agnitum.com/download/) and I’m quite happy with it. The layout is much more sane and organized than ZoneAlarm, it never crashes, and it leaves a very small footprint on system resources. Also, like ZoneAlarm, it makes programs ask to use the Internet. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zonealarm-firewall-question/194758/4 "2003-08-13T00:00:36Z")
**moejuck** , what browser are you using? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zonealarm-firewall-question/194758/5 "2003-08-13T00:20:18Z")
Just for the contrarian view: I’ve used Zone Alarm for years. Recently upgraded it. No hassle installing it, no crashes that I can attribute to it. FWIW, I use IE 6.0 ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zonealarm-firewall-question/194758/6 "2003-08-13T00:47:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Survey1215 \* > \*\*I’ve since been told that ZoneAlarm and Windows 98 (my OS) don’t play together too well, fwiw. \*\* You were told wrong. When I had Windows 98 I was using ZoneAlarm, and kept it when I migrated to Win 98SE and then to XP. No problems on any of those platforms. Of course, YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zonealarm-firewall-question/194758/7 "2003-08-13T01:18:18Z")
I’ve used Zone Alarm for two years with Windows2K. I’ve had no problems at all. ---
**Author:** ![moejuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@moejuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moejuck)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zonealarm-firewall-question/194758/8 "2003-08-13T01:33:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Revtim \* > \*\ ***moejuck** , what browser are you using? \*\* My OS is XP, my browser is IE, my ISP is MSN. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zonealarm-firewall-question/194758/9 "2003-08-13T01:38:07Z")
When you open IE, do you get a popup from ZoneAlarm asking you to grant it access to the internet? Do you get popups from ZoneAlarm in any circumstances? ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zonealarm-firewall-question/194758/10 "2003-08-13T01:44:36Z")
Look in the Program Control tab of ZoneAlarm and make sure that it is allowing Internet Explorer to access the internet. ---
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zonealarm-firewall-question/194758/11 "2003-08-13T03:04:45Z")
I had the same problem as you. However, it only took 2 seconds to fix. Do what **Manduck** says. Ultimately, I still removed ZA. I too found it used far too much CPU time and frankly, didn’t even _appear_ to do anything. ---
**Author:** ![cletus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@cletus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cletus)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zonealarm-firewall-question/194758/12 "2003-08-13T03:08:53Z")
Also, make sure MSN has access through ZoneAlarm. ---
**Author:** ![jtull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e47774/32.png) [@jtull](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtull)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zonealarm-firewall-question/194758/13 "2003-08-13T07:09:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Trigonal Planar \* > Ultimately, I still removed ZA. I too found it used far too much CPU time and frankly, didn’t even _appear_ to do anything. Well, it \* does\* block up all the ports, and then if a program tries to access the internet, ZA asks you for permission first. In other words, you get a full monitor of your internet connection, what programs are using it, what programs tried to use it, and what outside threats tried to have a look at your computer. It can be a lifesaver, and for those people who had it on when the Blaster worm came around, it \* was \* a lifesaver. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zonealarm-firewall-question/194758/14 "2003-08-13T08:25:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Survey1215 \* > I’ve since been told that ZoneAlarm and Windows 98 (my OS) don’t play together too well, fwiw. I am running ZA on many WIN98SE computers and it works just fine. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Trigonal Planar \* > Ultimately, I still removed ZA. I too found it used far too much CPU time and frankly, didn’t even _appear_ to do anything. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![moejuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@moejuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moejuck)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zonealarm-firewall-question/194758/15 "2003-08-13T13:25:29Z")
I do get the popups. I will check to make sure that IE is granted access in the Program Control Tab. Thanks again. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zonealarm-firewall-question/194758/16 "2003-08-13T15:21:35Z")
You have to “tell” it every program you want it to grant access. Internet, mail, MIRC, any online games, etc. You’ll get a pop up asking you this every time for a while, then it will quit giving pop ups and just do it’s job. Then if something that doesn’t have access tries to get on, it’ll tell you. It blocks everything coming in without any messages, but you can look at the log and it will tell you how many attempts have been made to access your system. Some are not real dangerous, some are…but it blocks them all just the same. I’m running 98SE. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zonealarm-firewall-question/194758/17 "2003-08-13T15:55:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Duke of Rat \* > \*\*You have to “tell” it every program you want it to grant access. Internet, mail, MIRC, any online games, etc. You’ll get a pop up asking you this every time for a while, then it will quit giving pop ups and just do it’s job. \*\* Close, but not quite. The first time you use, say, Outlook, ZoneAlarm will pop up telling you that a program called “outlook” is trying to access the Internet, and asking you if that’s OK. If you just click Yes, it will continue to pop up every time. But there’s a little check-box on that screen that tells ZA to “remember” that Outlook has permission to access the Internet. If you check that box, _then_ click Yes, that’s the last time ZA will bother you about letting Outlook have access to the Internet. ---
**Author:** ![stick\_monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@stick\_monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stick_monkey)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zonealarm-firewall-question/194758/18 "2003-08-13T16:53:37Z")
> [@](#): > > every time. But there’s a little check-box on that screen that tells ZA to “remember” that Outlook has permission to access the Internet. If you check that box, then click Yes, that’s the last time ZA will bother you about letting Outlook have access to the Internet. And the opposite of that is true too, so be careful when you tell it no. I once accidentally couldn’t do any filesharing for a week because of that dumb mistake (and not realizing what I had done).