Microsoft just caused me a BIG headache. I have the XP automatic update set to ask me before it goes tinkering around with my computer (although that hasn't stopped it before). I rarely have a problem with it, and I only OK security updates. Today, I OK'd the one security update, un-OK'd the malicious software update, let it run, then restarted my computer.
All of a sudden, I couldn't connect to the Internet. I could not figure out what Microsoft had done to my computer, and I was mad. Finally, I called my ISP, thinking they may have some idea. Turns out they've been flooded with calls with people's Internet suddenly not working. Microsoft has buggered up ZoneAlarm. So in order to connect to the Internet, I had to turn ZoneAlarm off, and now I'm open to any malicious, little human rodent to screw around with my computer. Can you imagine a big software company like Microsoft being so dumb? Oh sorry, dumb question with an obvious answer: yes!
All of a sudden, I couldn't connect to the Internet. I could not figure out what Microsoft had done to my computer, and I was mad. Finally, I called my ISP, thinking they may have some idea. Turns out they've been flooded with calls with people's Internet suddenly not working. Microsoft has buggered up ZoneAlarm. So in order to connect to the Internet, I had to turn ZoneAlarm off, and now I'm open to any malicious, little human rodent to screw around with my computer. Can you imagine a big software company like Microsoft being so dumb? Oh sorry, dumb question with an obvious answer: yes!
"ZoneLabs advises users of ZoneAlarm to remove the Microsoft update as aUh, how? Apparently resetting the firewall security from High to Medium fixes the problem. Not a great solution but until ZoneAlarm rebuilds the dyke that Microsoft smashed, it'll have to do.
workaround until it has created a more satisfactory solution to the problem. The company has set up a forum to help keep users informed." (Robert Jaques, vnunet.com, 9 July 2008)
Comments
I would go with option 3
http://download.zonealarm.com/bin/free/pressReleases/2008/LossOfInternetAccessIssue.html
as well as moving my DNS to openDNS. (See openDNS.com)
Hey, I looked on ZA's home page for some sort of alert about this issue and saw nada. Thanks for alerting me to option 3!
So much for not needing to be a geek to be able to surf the Net safely. I've never heard of openDNS. Guess that's about to change!
openDNS is nice because it gives some phishing support as well as being arguably more efficient in how it provides DNS resolutions.