Installing Zonealarm - Clean install or upgrade?

wazza
wazza Posts: 2,595
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Currently have an older version of Zonealarm. Downloaded new version of Zonealarm and when installing it i was given the option of either upgrade or clean install. Which is the best option to use? What did you select?
Problem with having access to internet is that i get asked by many to solve their problems :( Well at least i learn something on the way :D

Comments

  • fwor
    fwor Posts: 6,806
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    Upgrade. If you do a clean install you have to do more to set it up.

    With an upgrade it "remembers" the settings from the last install.
  • isofa
    isofa Posts: 6,091 Forumite
    Upgrade is simpler, unless you are having specific problems with ZA, then maybe a clean install can help.

    As fwor says, upgrading remembers all of your settings (which applications to allow internet access etc), whereas a clean install has to be "taught" all these things again.
  • d900
    d900 Posts: 295 Forumite
    if you have a router and windows xp/cista (regardless of what some may think of windows) then you really have no need of another firewall

    the brutal truth is they only stop the kids, if anyone was really interested in hacking into your pc they would.
    The orginal post in this thread has a very very slim chance of being about money saving. The post is more than likely to ask a question that google could answer better than any of us.
  • isofa
    isofa Posts: 6,091 Forumite
    d900 wrote: »
    if you have a router and windows xp/cista (regardless of what some may think of windows) then you really have no need of another firewall

    the brutal truth is they only stop the kids, if anyone was really interested in hacking into your pc they would.

    What about stopping outbound traffic, suspicious programs (or programs that just seen keen on connecting out) from doing this? A secondary software firewall definitely improves security here. And most third party ones are better than the built-in ones in Windows.
  • espresso
    espresso Posts: 16,446
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    d900 wrote: »
    if you have a router and windows xp/cista (regardless of what some may think of windows) then you really have no need of another firewall

    the brutal truth is they only stop the kids, if anyone was really interested in hacking into your pc they would.

    Another post that illustrates that a Bo!!ocks button would be far more useful than the current Thanks button on this forum.
    :doh: Blue text on this forum usually signifies hyperlinks, so click on them!..:wall:
  • d900
    d900 Posts: 295 Forumite
    traffic going outbound is not a bad thing is it.

    i am unaware of anyone in my circle of friends and customers who use another firewall apart from windows and a hardware firewall.

    zone alarm and the like mearly scare people by showing them exactly whats going on and then people panic as they dont know what some random MS exe is doing.

    I never said the MS firewall is the best in the world that all comes in the hardware firewall.

    Suspicious programs connecting to the web? every program you load these days will want to wonder off and have a look for updates or something this is not a bad thing and once again just worries people.

    If its some form of virus or trojan that you are worried about that could be spamming everyone then your virus software should be picking that up via a real time scan.

    The worst thing about zonealarm is all the false positives after a while people start ignoring the alerts or even turn off the alerts feature completely.

    The only reason i can see to use zonealarm (and others like it) is if you frequently visit many dodgey sites (god knows why) or you are a complete novice at computers and want to learn whats safe and whats not.

    i dont mind anyone using what ever they like its ur pc but im happy with a nat router windows firewall and common sense.

    some people argue that outbound traffic monitoring firewalls are more or less useless, since once the malware is on your computer you are already vulnerable and that the malicious code could in turn turn-off your firewalls and disable the Windows "Security Center" and do all sorts of nasty stuff

    you can prevent anythig nasty going on by taking care making sure you are secure and maybe changing your browser.
    if your that worried dont do any banking/buying

    These lads have mixed opinions:)
    http://www.castlecops.com/postitle165221-0-0-.html
    The orginal post in this thread has a very very slim chance of being about money saving. The post is more than likely to ask a question that google could answer better than any of us.
  • isofa
    isofa Posts: 6,091 Forumite
    Outbound traffic from a computer can be a huge problem. But I'm not going to get into a debate on this, it's a personal opinion.

    In contrast to your experience, I don't know any one of my colleagues (many in professional IT roles) nor customers who use the windows firewall at all. All use a third party software firewall, plus a hardware router. Those in a corporate environment have much more stringent measures in place including dedicated hardware firewalls costings thousands of pounds - not to be confused with a similar NAT router, which offers basic protection at best.

    I don't visit dodgy sites at all, and that isn't reason to use, or not to use, a firewall. But I wouldn't be without a good software firewall, and as an IT professional, I'd be foolish to suggest otherwise. IMO suggesting people use the mere excuse for a firewall in Windows (especially the dreadful one in XP Pro) is bad advice IMO.
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