Zone Alarm Nag Screen free v8.0.298.0 on Vista

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Poppa Bear

Poppa Bear

Posts: 228   +9
Is there any way of stopping the nag screen for Zone Alarm free v8.0.298.0 on Vista?

Every time Vista opens, a "ZoneAlarm Security Options" window comes up offering to tell me more about ZoneAlarm Security Suite. I have clicked both options: "Tell me more" & "No Thank you", but I still receive the message next time ZA starts.

I've tried various solutions offered including a clean instal of the latest ZA after deleting all Zone Labs files in Program Files and Internet Logs in Win system32 in safe mode. Then rebooting, using a registry cleaner and reloading.

I've also un-ticked auto updates, but all to no avail.

Any suggestions such as a registry edit would be muchas gratias senor/senorina!
 
You and your "nag screens" Poppa Bear :D You are just totally irritated by these things aren't you? :)

What happened on a Google search on this one? Did you find any info?
Cause that's all I'd probably do, as I'm not sure either :confused: (Mind you my preference is Comodo not horrible ZA :D
 
ZA Nag

Hi Kimsland,

Wow you've got an incredible memory! Nice to be back and be remembered! Thanks for taking the time to respond to my query. Sorry my problems are repetitive. You're right, nag screens do seem to irritate me. Maybe I need to de-sensitise and just learn to live with them, eh? On reflection, it may be more the challenge to get rid of them. I like to be able to control what happens on my PC.

Yes, I tried all the options I could find on Google and they're the ones listed in my post, like clean uninstall and reinstall; choose manual updates not auto... but none of them worked.

Right now I've un-installed ZA and I'm using the Vista Firewall which got a 100% pass when I tested it using the GRC Firewall test web page at http://www.grc.com/intro.htm . In stealth mode It was totally invisible on the net and did not respond to any probe pings, not even with counter-probes.

After reading your reply though, I think I'll switch to Comodo. I never knew this existed until you mentioned it, so thank you. I've found all the other programs you have recommended to be excellent, including CCleaner, Malwarebytes and Avira anti-virus.

Kind regards, Bernie :wave:
 
Ahhhhh Poppa Bear I can totally relate, popup screens annoy the hell out of me too. And why shouldn't you have total control, after all it IS YOUR PC!! :)
 
ZoneAlarm "Tell Me More" popup

I see that I am not the only one that has been terribly annoyed by the "Tell Me More" popup of the free version of ZoneAlarm running on Vista.

For personal use I wrote a small application which suppresses that popup automatically each time it comes up after starting Vista.

Today I made it available for downloading from my site www dot jvandael.nl (which you may find by Googling on 'jvandael')

Have a look and give it a try.

Hope it will knock down a lot of frustrations.

Good luck!
 
I got 386,000 hits for 'jeroen van dael' and many (most) asking for translations
You may need to narrow those keywords down a bit (hopefully in a reply) ;)
 
ZA Nag

Kimsland's reguest:
I got 386,000 hits for 'jeroen van dael' and many (most) asking for translations
Click to expand...

Checked out his site on the net and the home page has a new address: www.jvandael.nl After opening the home page, the article telling how to get rid of the ZA Nag to is now translated.

I tried it and it does work. However, if this is too complicated, another solution is to "nuke" it.

To do this: Open Internet Explorer ==> Tools ==> Internet Options ==> Privacy Tab ==> Tick "Turn on pop up blocker" ==> Click "Settings" ==> In the "Blocking Level" drop down menu choose: "Block all pop-ups (Ctrl + Alt to over-ride)"

It's a bit drastic, but does work. Trouble is it also blocks desired pop-ups. Another solution is to run the paid program "Banner Killer"... but then you have to pay, which kind of defeats the purpose of freeware.

As an experiment I reloaded my last Acronis Back-up Image of Vista, which had an older version of Zone Alarm. I got all the latest updates for Vista etc, then uninstalled the old version of ZA and re-loaded the latest ZA. Since doing this, without altering the default IE pop-up blocking level, the Nag Screen has not shown up. So maybe it originally came about as the result of a Windows up-date; and in the normal course of events would be blocked by the default middle level pop-up block of Internet Explorer.
 
Welcome to the Welfare State...........

Poppa Bear said:
You're right, we are "mooching" freeware as you say. But as the name implies, it is freeware, and I would suspect the prime motive of the suppliers for giving freeware is the hope you will buy the retail product. They have to supply it to stay competitive in the market place. They don't do it for altruistic reasons.

So let me ask the question: What is the probability you will buy the retail product if the freeware product annoys the hell out of you to the point where you've started using another product as I have. You won't even then know how good the freeware was!
Click to expand...

Yeah right, and every gamer downloads the cracked version of a game so they can "test" it before they buy the game itself. Um, >>>SPARE ME<<<!! See footnote)

Well, I'm going to take a wild guess and say, "slim to none" regardless of whether you get the "adware" or not. The issue here is, the freeware versions of these apps are quite good. In the case of a security company trying to sell you a whole internet security package, they know you can, (and probably will), go someplace else to get the rest of the components as freeware.

Don't get me wrong, I use freeware copiously, I just don't think I'm entitled to it. At the end of the day, freeware is just "welfare for computer geeks".

So, if you'll just substitue "computer" for "kids" in the following statement, "I'm entitled to welfare benefits, cause I got me these kids", nobody ever need ask the question, "well whose fault is that". Of one thing I'm absolutely certain, it's not the caseworkers.

Another pet peeve of mine is that freeware isn't like foodstamps, in that you can't sell it to buy drugs. <<<(You don't have to guess, that's sarcasm, so there's absolutely no ambiguity, or question of intent)!


Footnote; Sorry about the caps, just my reflexive response to posts with all kinds of color changes. That always strikes me as a technique engineered to assure us that the OP knows he's right.
 
The day we start arguing about freeware (ie today ;)) is the beginning of the no freeware available
I do not believe everything will be "free" forever, it's just not tradition for the rest of the planet
ie get money first, save the planet later. Freeware is not forever, especially when it becomes a debate on my freeware doesn't do what I want it to do.
 
kimsland said:
The day we start arguing about freeware (ie today ;)) is the beginning of the no freeware available
I do not believe everything will be "free" forever, it's just not tradition for the rest of the planet
ie get money first, save the planet later. Freeware is not forever, especially when it becomes a debate on my freeware doesn't do what I want it to do.
Click to expand...

Which is exactly my point, try not to look a gift horse in the mouth. We're not entitled to freeware, and we should accept that it's a gracious gift, from people more talented than many of us. As I said, I am grateful for whatever helps me. If it's a question of a nag screen once in a while, so be it. Avira puts them up, ZA sends Email, and I don't click on the "spam" button or start a whine thread when they do.

----------------

fiery_wa said:
i dunno about anyone else but i love freeware!! :p
Click to expand...
me too...!

BTW, did you know you can get a whole gosh durn operatin' system fer nuttin?:rolleyes:
 
Techspot....; Now Available in Latin...........!

Caveat emptor, or is that an oxymoron when you apply the axiom to something free?

I always feel like a such a parasite when I install freeware in my machine. When you're dealing with AV software, it's such a generous gift. It protects you from other people trying to install malware on your machine. You know, the kind of stuff you can "acquire" from downloading free software. Then they have the hubris to put those obnoxious "donate" buttons on the download page. None of those software guys really need the money, I figure they're just trying to make you feel guilty.

Free software is such a vicious circle I tell you. Ya look for free stuff, ya puts in in, it breaks yer 'puter, 'n then ya needs more free stuff to get it out.

Point being, while I mind the advertising splash screens, tolerating them at least gives me a sense of perspective about how valuable the program I'm mooching really is. So, at least I can say that I gave the software company a bit of a shot, in steering me toward the paid versions. I really don't get indignant, if it's too bad, it's time to uninstall it.

If you really want something to gripe about, I suggest downloading the trial version of Adobe's "Photoshop Album". Wow wee, now there's something to b**** about. It doesn't do anymore than any one of a number of free photo organization/editing software. But, it does give off constant threats about how all your "fun" is going to end, and counts down the days. A little nag screen once in a while pales in comparison to that garbage. How wants to listen to that? I have 4 legitimate (paid) copies of Photoshop Elements, so I didn't have to. And in case you're wondering, PSE is a way better editor than GIMP.

Poppa Bear said:
Captaincranky last word:
Click to expand...
Sadly, I have a slightly different take on this.
Poppa Bear said:
Not bad for someone who posts 4 replies to a query asking for technical info, which offer nothing but criticism! Et tu Brute? Arriverdeci my friend... PB :D
Click to expand...
I always really enjoy time travel stories, So, sometimes I muse about how history would be written if Julius Caesar had have ramped his attitude down a bunch. Brutus would probably have not even been a blip on the radar. (How was that last sentence as an example of the subjunctive past imperfect)? Er, "via con queso", or maybe "ciao".
 
A Tick Never Knows it's a Parasite......

Someone once said, "that's like sticking your head in a 55 gallon drum, and having someone hit it with a hammer, because it feels good when you stop. Dunno what that meant, it just struck me funny.

I actually don't know if buying the full version of ZA would stop the nags. Who knows, maybe they always have one version still better to hold back for such occasions. Just when you think the coast is clear and all that.....!

Anyway, I have a Samsung pivoting monitor. It came with software called, "Magic Rotating". It rotates the display with only a right click on the desktop. The trouble is every time you boot the computer, it blasts up a splash screen saying, "Magic Rotation". So I'm thinking, "hey wait a minute, I paid for this ca-ca, why do I have to put up with this"?

Sarcasm alert! The following sentence may be disturbing to some, please feel free to avert your glance away from the screen if you feel it necessary.

Oh well, I should probably start a thread about that, I love being patronized!
 
Zone Alarm nag

Back to the beginning. Wonder of wonders, Zone Alarm nag screen has suddenly disappeared on both operating systems of XP Pro and Vista Ultimate!

I decided to go back to square one. Reloaded both XP and Vista from Acronis Back-up images. Uninstalled old versions of Zone Alarm and re-loaded the latest version in both OSs but the nag screen kept coming up.

Then set the default updates option from "auto" to "manual". And for reasons unknown, it now works without the nag screen coming up. Go figure, eh!
 
Empty Promises..........

Poppa Bear said:
That's my last input, so you can have the honour of firing the last shot. I'm outa here.
Click to expand...
You said that, but you didn't mean it, I'm sooo hurt.

I thought I'd contribute a little technical knowledge to this thread, so's I can't be accused of bein' here just for the sport, although there is that in abundance.

You know, I thought that Avira only blew up the nag screen when I was connected to the update server. Me's a bein old an all that, I guess I didn't make the connection fast enough to appease you. Waddya know, ZA works the same way. Anyway, I always turn off all automatic updates. If anything is going to be updated, I say where and when, not the software.

Anyway, I'm elated to hear about your "epiphany". I say, you should spread the word, and tell the world, "no longer does anyone have to suffer needlessly at the hands of evil software giants! Throw down your automatic updates, they're the work of the Devil".

So then, you maybe also should write a sticky, for posteriority's sake.

BTW, where did you dredge up all that Latin garbage, not to mention the Sheila nonsense, and the Hari Krishna BS. Don't tell me. I prefer to take comfort in my little explanation of the whole sordid affair. You either escaped from Botany Bay, were captured in the wild and raised in a convent, or possibly spent an idyllic summer swaddled in a sheet, collecting coins and harassing passers by in an airport, "splash screens are Satan's doing"! Oh, now don't be mad, I'm just funnin' witcha. Besides, you've given me a new screen name to live up to, "Captaincrazy"! I'm actually flattered. You're not still >>> :mad: <<< are ya?

Poppa Bear said:
"Shut up Sheila, (Capn), we don't want to hear ya;
Click to expand...
It would seem that you think you're speaking for the masses, or perhaps you've suffered a psychotic break. Always a bad sign when you start referring to yourself as a we. And you call me "sanctimonius", hmmm.
 
This started as a "nag" post and has turned into grumpy old men :D Which is probably what happens from being nagged in the fist place!

Nag nag nag. Grrrr.
 
Nag nag nag

Good call Kimsland! Great play on words. You got a genuine laugh out of me with the "nag nag nag".

Must admit I was surprised I got away with so much in this forum, and wondered when the Damocles sword would fall. Time to put it to bed.

Cheers Poppa B. :grinthumb
 
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