Zone Alarm Suite 2009 causing Failed Security system dialogue

Ive had Zone Alarm Suite 2009 for a bout a month now and i think that it is the source of the message

" Logon process has failed to create the security options dialog. Failure- security options"



I have disabled Windows Defender (which was the biggest cause to this problem from what i've read).


Since the reformat of my computer, Zone Alarm was the only anti virus that i used and it still causes this problem..


is it possible that i have to buy another?

 

Zone Alarm has been bloatware since around version 4.x, I suggest switching entirely.

 

Yeah, Zone Alarm is terrible.
You don't have to buy another, just use Avira. They have an excellent free version available.
http://www.free-av.com/

 

Thanks for the requests guys but i think i will buy one entirely.

Since i have gotten Zone Alarm Suite 2009 it has scanned around 5 trojan viruses which has been slowing down my computer by a long shot than my free Virus Scanner has found beforehand.


Any good recommendations for worthwhile retail anti virus software?

 

Avira free is just as good as any commercial anti-virus. In fact, Avira Free is their commercial version with a few nags asking you to buy the retail version. If you'd been using AVG before... well... AVG sucks. So does Avast.
Anyway.
Retail I recommend BitDefender and NOD32.

 

I have not run a full security suite in awhile; however, I have been running ZoneAlarm AntiVirus for several years now and find it to be quite good; certainly not bloatware. In fact, if I could get the full ZoneAlarm firewall without the AV I would, and not run AV at all, but ZAAV is the best choice for me on Vista at this time.

You are not also running ThreatFire by any chance, are you?

 

I have no clue what that is so I guess not

 

i agree to disagree that ZA is a bloatware. i would say ZA is very effective as a firewall. the only downside is that ZA takes quite an amount of system resources.

 

Unless you are hooked directly to the internet, there is NO NEED for a software firewall. If you are hooked directly to the internet... buy a router... it's a hardware firewall. Even if you only have one computer, the $50 spent on the router is way better than the $50+ that would be spent on whatever security software you would buy.

 

This has been covered so many times already, but once more for clarity, OK?

My PC is a notebook, so when I am home it is connected to the internet through a router (two in fact); however, being a notebook is is also portable and therefore does not always stay at home. A software firewall is quite nice for those situations.

Also, unlike Windows Firewall, The ZA firewall (at least the paid versions) allows for easily configuring outgoing connections. I know, you will say that anything you let on your machine is your own choice. Still, some of those programs I do block from having internet access.

Myself? I find a software firewall to be more valuable and important than antivirus or antispyware software.