I have been a loyal ZoneAlarm user since it first came out many years ago. I have ZoneAlarm Pro on several systems, not because it is better than the free version, but to show my support of a fine product. But ever since CheckPoint took over ownership, there have been changes in marketing tactics that I can no longer tolerate.

ZoneAlarm Free is no longer available as a separate download. If you attempt to download the Free version, you WILL get the 15-day trial 33MB! Security Suite - whether you want it or not. I feel sorry for dial-up users! Included in that bloated suite is several side products that get installed on your system, whether you like it or not. One of those products is Mail Frontier - a 3rd party spam blocker - whether you want it or not.

If you let the 15day trial period expire, SUPPOSEDLY, all the bloat and extra stuff you did not ask for is removed from your computer - but it is not, and it seems some folks are having difficulty removing that extra stuff manually.

Initially, you could download the ZA Pro trial package (14Mb) without all the added bloat, let it expire, and it would revert to the free version. Checkpoint has "fixed" that loophole and now ZAP simply expires, leaving the user fully exposed.

To make matters worse, lately, those of us with ZoneAlarm Pro, and those with the Suite, have been getting false positives during the anti-spyware scans on a legitimate file; capicom.dll. We were encouraged when CheckPoint immediately released a new dat file that corrected the error, but today, with yet another new dat file (x.1425), the FP returns.

I am now looking hard at Comodo FW, which seems to be getting good reviews. And I am looking again at Windows Firewall. Even though Windows Firewall does not monitor outgoing traffic, there are many renown experts who insist if you practice safe computing, - that is, you keep your systems patched, updated, scanned and blocked, you never open downloads or attachments without first scanning for malware, and you stay away from sites that attract the bad guys (porn, P2P, gambling, etc) then the Windows Firewall is perfectly adequate. In my own tests with Internet Connection Firewall (ICF - renamed to Windows Firewall in SP2), I came to the same conclusion, but did not recommend its use because, sadly, most folks do not take a disciplined approached to safe computing as those of us in the industry might.

You can still get it free, if you go to downloads, and click I only want basic protection.

No, that does not work. Note where I said above if you try, you WILL get the the full version. Try it. You will find that it takes you to the download page, then when you select the free version, it will push the 38.8Mb (I said 33 earlier) full suite - not the free version. And that's the complaint.

It is 38.8M but it is the free version, I can assure you.

I have downloaded it to my laptop, and it works perfectly. It's been on since 9th April. replacing the previous version.



I can't put it on my desktop, because I run Vista on that.

??? Huh? Ummm, please go back again and actually read through my opening post because, you miss it! Completely.

I said,

ZoneAlarm Free is no longer available as a separate download...you WILL get the 15-day trial 38.8MB! (size corrected) Security Suite.

"...separate" being the operative word there.

Yes, it is an updated ZoneAlarm Free that "runs" (or in reality, is "activated") - I never said it wasn't!

But, it IS the full 38.8Mb Security Suite that is downloaded AND installed on your system. NOT YOUR CHOICE! And Mail Frontier may not show up in your Start menu, but it does eat up 13.8Mb of disk space as it has been installed in a Mail Frontier folder under the ZA directory.

Then you said,

I have downloaded it to my laptop, and it works perfectly.

Ok. So? I never said it didn't work!

I said,

"To make matters worse, lately, those of us with ZoneAlarm Pro, and those with the Suite, have been getting false positives during the anti-spyware scans on a legitimate file; capicom.dll. We were encouraged when Check Point immediately released a new dat file that corrected the error, but today, with yet another new dat file (x.1425), the FP returns."

Perhaps I should have said many, instead of implying "all" Pro and Suite users, but judging by the number of open threads on Check Point's ZoneAlarm Forum concerning capicom.dll/Win32.Application.Adware.WinAntiVirus false positives (such as this one), it certainly is not just a few people who pay attention to what software makers try to dump on our systems.

But do note I said, ZoneAlarm Pro and the Suite - I did not say ZoneAlarm Free - perhaps you missed that too or it would appear you are not all too familiar with the ZoneAlarm product line. Those familiar with ZoneAlarm Free know that the free version does not scan for spyware. Zone Alarm's Anti-Spyware is included only in the Pro and Suite versions, and in a "Pro Jr." (my term) package they call ZoneAlarm AntiSpyware, which includes ZoneAlarm Pro's firewall.

Those of us that have been around since before Windows 3.0 remember the term "bloatware" started with the then top rated AV; McAfee. Back then, RAM and disk space were very precious, so many of us switched to Norton AV because we were so impressed with Norton Utilities. Then Norton and Symantec became, and are still, synonymous with bloat, and many switched again to AVG, Nog32, Avast, and few other trim, quick, and just as effective scanners.

Now, sadly, ZoneLabs/Check Point is following suit with their firewall package. They have jammed so many extras into their product, in an apparent attempt to compete with Symantec NIS and McAfee Security, efficiency is no longer associated with the product at all!

So please, understand the point of this thread. ZL/CP is forcing users to download the entire 38.8 Mb suite, even when users select the Free version with Basic features - and, regardless of the options choosen (license) to be enabled, more than just the free version of ZoneAlarm is installed on the system - and it is done so without the user's consent.

The secondary message is that Check Point seems to have a quality control issue with their dat files for their anti-spyware program - which again, is NOT part of ZA Free. I fully understand and accept an occasional false positive, but to hit on a 3 year old legitimate Microsoft Windows file rather than a new, or modified file, is a little odd. It was great that they fixed it right away, but for the fix to break, hitting on the same legitimate file again a week later, is not good.