Computer protection cont

[Bazile]

My Zone alarm firewall ( a freebie ) , says ' all systems are active '

It is also saying an update is available , but to receive the latest product update , I need to renew my subscription

Given that Zone Alarm can be downloaded free , I want to uninstall it and download another copy .

Is there a program to uninstall it , and where can I get it from ?

Thanks

[Buenchico]

Ignore the update notices from Zone Alarm.

Unlike anti-virus software (which needs to updated daily to keep it up to date), basic firewalls (such as Zone Alarm Free Edition) are a 'once and for all' security solution. The update notices are simply a way to let you know that there's a new commercial edition available. This will have 'bells and whistles' which you don't need (and might even conflict with other software, such as anti-virus programs, which you're running). You can safely ignore these update messages.

If you ever do decide that you want to uninstall Zone Alarm Free Edition, you should already have the necessary program. It should be at Start > Programs >
Zone Labs > Uninstall Zone Labs Security.

Chris

[Bazile]

Thanks Chris

I forgot to say it was Zone Alarm pro ( given to me by a relative ) . Does the ' PRO ' makes any difference ?

[Buenchico]

You can see what you'll (theoretically) be losing, by switching from 'Pro' to 'Free', by looking at the table here:
http://www.zonealarm.com/store/content/company /products/znalm/comparison.jsp?dc=12bms&ctry=U S&lang=en&lid=zapskulist2_comparison

In practice, most of the things which Zone Alarm Pro claims to do can either be achieved by simply using the latest version of a decent browser and using a decent free anti-spyware program.

Ensure that you're using Firefox (which is far better than Internet Explorer and more secure):
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/

Uninstall Zone Alarm Pro. (The relevant program should be located in the same place I indicated above). Download and install the free version.

Get hold of Ad-Aware SE Personal and/or SpyBot Search & Destroy:
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/products/ad-aware_s e_personal.php
http://www.spybot.info/

Chris