Spybot / Vista (maybe ZoneAlarm ?) issue

Weird...

I can't get Spybot to run in "Administrator" mode on my Vista computer.

It USED to run...

I just recently let ZoneAlarm upgrade. It was a nightmare on each of my computers (all the other computers run XP):

1 - Upgrade (to save settings), then nothing works....
2 - Delete ZoneAlarm (XP's had no problem with this... but Vista I had to get into Safe Mode to remove ZoneAlarm... )
3 - Install ZoneAlarm

Other interesting tid-bits:

Spybot runs Ok normaly
Spybot is NOT listed in ZoneAlarm
ZoneAlarm used to be constantly "listening" to my network (no printers connected directly to it, they're on other computers or Wi-Fi connected to my router) but now the little Z icon it just sits there quietly down by my clock (until I (or another program) access the internet), next to the little monitors icon which blink back and forth every few seconds.

So... where do I start to fix this?

 

Quite honestly, ZA seemed like it was way too much effort, I'm surprised you bothered.

Have you tried uninstalling ZA? Seeing as that appears to be the latest addition to the machine, makes sense to uninstall to see if problem goes away.

 

It's a computer. I simply expect things to not go as planned.

Only if I have to. I've had nothing but trouble with my Vista computer. It has been nothing but a PITA since day one, plain and simple. At first, I thought it was just going to take some time to get used to how it worked (similar to my migration from 95/98 to XP). Well, I got used to it, and it still doesn't work right!

I've tried other firewalls... most recently Comodo (it drove me nuts!) earlier this year when ZA got messed up by a Microsoft security update. I've always liked ZA...

... BUT ... Are others having issues with the new ZA on Vista, or is it just me?

I am having no issues with my XP computers.....

 

I've just reinstalled Vista w\SP1 over an year-and-half old install. Not that I had problems before, but alot of my apps didn't work. So I stuck with XP.

But now, I'm not finding any problems at all with Vista. Everything works and has installed fine. Pretty much everything I had on XP has Vista capable versions now.

FWIW, I'm using avast! for av and Online Armour Free for fw. Both free. Tho I may have to invest in something more robust for fw. I'm used to running Norton stand alone fw, which is no longer made. It has more robust features and a smokin' ad blocker.

 

I'm using avast! also. It was kind of creepy the first time it announced that "Virus database has been updated! ", but now I look forward to hearing it on one computer, followed moments later on a second one. At least I know WHEN it's updated itself.

Hey, I just checked and there is a security update ready to install! I guess I'd better get to it....

Maybe it will "fix" my problem.

Yeah... like THAT will happen!

 

UPDATE -

Very interesting.....

Just tried to launch Spybot from the startup pop-up, instead of from the shortcut I normaly use.

It ran, no problem.

So... time to immunize, then see what we can find...

And, of course, make a new shortcut...

 

I know.... I know....

I'm willing to put up with SOME "weird" stuff. In a perfect world, computer software would always work properly and we also wouldn't need firewalls and anti-virus programs.

I just haven't found anything (yet) to replace it with that I like.