I recently updated my Zone Alarm Security Suite, immediately after that shutdown takes sometimes 15 minutes or more so I have shutdown to by turning power off. Please advise if this is a Zone Alram issue or other XP problem and if there is a way to correct this. Thanks

I don't run it but these folks do and seem to have problems with latest update.

Zone Alarm Pro - Latest update is a DISASTER! - CNET Spyware, viruses, & security Forums

Installation, Uninstall and Upgrade - ZoneAlarm User Forum

PERSONAL OPINION:
Zone Alarm was good in it's initial days. I tried it, and went back to Kerio(?) because of it's complexity etc. I later retried it again and did indeed run it for a while, but eventually went back to Kerio again, for the same reasons. Once Kerio was bought out by Sunbelt(?), I started searching around and found Comodo Firewall.

I recommend Comodo. It's a "full blown" firewall, very good in it's protection.

In it's initial install state, it learns/warns about everything. (Similar to most good firewalls.) Once it learns, it runs quite smoothly. I leave it in the "warn about everything" state, as it's only a click or two to get past the warnings. There is an option to run in a "don't bother me" type state, but I want to see what's going on with my "intrusions" (for lack of a better word here).

Most software updates now (more and more) are geared towards Vista, which is possibly where you're encountering problems with ZA. I haven't had any operational problems what_so_ever with "my" security programs. (Comodo and Avast! and Comodo BO Clean (Anti-Malware), also available from the Comodo site. No nags, these programs just run/update with no problems.

Many thanks to all for the support, if the problems consists I will revert version 7 as per your suggestion