Avast! Free blocked by Zone Alarm when XP boots

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Hello;

I’m running XP-PRO/sp3 with Avast! and Zone Alarm. When my machine boots all seems well, but when I hover the mouse over the Avast! sysem tray icon nothing happens. When I double-click the dekstop shortcut to Avast! nothing happens.

However, I discovered that if I stop/quit Zone Alarm, Avast! comes to life – the system tray icon spins and I can open the interface. At this point I can re-start Zone Alarm and all works well until… I reboot the box.

I have searched Google and this forum but have not found anything to resolve this.

Can anyone point me to a solution?

2

Delete ZA and use a hardware firewall.

3

Sadly, I am getting few problems with Zone Alarm Free lately, mainly not Avast related but ZA is been blocking a number of applications still even when resetting the software to default and after by trying to mark the applications as SuperUser (Safe).

I am currently still testing an alternative product like Comodo Firewall although I found this is a bit of a pain to configure to be honest.

Hardware Firewall is a must on your Gateway but I dont think this is never enough especially when running Windows machines I think is best using both really.

4

@ cecrume
Zone Alarm (ZA) firewall has for some years (going back a long way) has had instances of digital amnesia - with some programs being blocked that are allowed, not blocked in the ZA settings.

Check if there any avast processes listed in the ZA Program Control - I can’t remember what this is now called in ZA - now delete them.

Does it allow avastSvc.exe internet access ?

  • If it does delete the entry for it and reconnect to the internet, this should force the firewall to ask permission again.
5

Hi David;

Yes… ZA has lots of program listed – some, like Avast!, are always allowed internet access, a few are denied, and most I have set to prompt me so I can decide whether to grant or not.

I removed all of the entries and re-booted the box.

ZA prompted for various apps and I granted Avast! access. However, once the box was fully booted Avast! would not respond.

Once I stopped ZA, Avast! came to life. I was able to re-start ZA and my machine is happy – and all is well for now.

I am at a loss as to why ZA blocks Avast! and how to correct the issue.

6

I too am at a loss, but ZA for a very long time has suffered this digital amnesia - a search of the forums will see this has been a persistent problem and not only for avast.

I gave up on ZA many years ago and switched to Agnitum’s Firewall and I have only ever had this issue once in all of the time I have had avast, in over ten years.