I think I could use some help troubleshooting a problem on my wife's Vista Home Premium Dell system.
Although I have used Zone Alarm Internet Suite happily on three XP systems, I note that when it runs on my wife's Vista system, with minimal software installed aside from the OS itself, after anywhere from one to three weeks, Windows Update freezes when opened.
Of course, I have been working with ZA, both via their forums as well as Tech Support (yes, it is definitely THEIR software's problem)...the last suggestion offered was to uncheck everything in msconfig aside from Microsoft services and ZA/True Vector scanning, but the problem persisted. It can only be resolved by uninstalling ZA completely and then reinstalling it, indicating that something happens within that software after it runs awhile.
To cut to the chase, here is the freeze log...I wonder if anyone thinks this might provide a clue as to the source of the conflict:

Description:
A problem caused this program to stop interacting with Windows.
Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: AppHangXProcB1
Application Name: Explorer.EXE
Application Version: 6.0.6001.18164
Application Timestamp: 4907e242
Hang Signature: 8514
Hang Type: 6208
Waiting on Application Name: svchost.exe
Waiting on Application Version: 0.0.0.0
OS Version: 6.0.6001.2.1.0.768.3
Locale ID: 1033
Additional Hang Signature 1: 5060026e21d7eea36909d7eb4e83e80f
Additional Hang Signature 2: 455d
Additional Hang Signature 3: e7142fbff622ae8768e5f08f9f26d21f
Additional Hang Signature 4: 8514
Additional Hang Signature 5: 5060026e21d7eea36909d7eb4e83e80f
Additional Hang Signature 6: 455d
Additional Hang Signature 7: e7142fbff622ae8768e5f08f9f26d21f
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Thanks in advance to anyone who can clarify what this might be indicating.
Peter

Hello petergoode~

Thank you for letting us know of issues with this.

I don't know the files that you have posted, but I certainly know those who do.

Thanks for your patience

Hello Peter.

May I have the link to the thread where you were working with the gurus or other members in the ZA forums?

Also, have you tried downgrading to an earlier, stable version?

Thanks for responding to my inquiry...

Hmmm...retreating to an earlier version of ZA is an intriguing option...

Most of the ZA suggestions for troubleshooting have come via their email tech system...here is the text of their most recent suggestion, which as I mentioned, still left me with a Windows Update freeze:

Something starting along with Windows and ZoneAlarm may be causing this.

Please clean your startup programs other than Zone Alarm and see if you still have the same issues.

- Click Start
- Type msconfig and press enter
- Click the Services Tab
- Check the "Hide all Microsoft Services" option
- Uncheck ALL items except for "TrueVector Internet Monitor"
- Click the Startup Tab
- Uncheck ALL items listed except "ZoneAlarm Client"
- Click Apply, click Close

Restart your computer and see if it works. If it works, go back into MSConfig and place checks back in five or so at a
time and restart, so you can narrow down what is causing the issue.

--------------------------------------------------------

There is one thread recounting another user having the same problem, and the myriad of steps he had taken, but his solution did not work for me:

Vista Home Premium/ZAS 8.0.258.035 Windows Update Freeze - General - ZoneAlarm User Forum

I still would be interested to know if the Vista description of the source of the freeze provides any clue.

Again, thanks for trying to help.

Peter

I have no idea on how to interpret that Freeze log, maybe someone else can help you with that.

Short of a clean reinstallation/reverting to an earlier version, have you tried resetting your database?

Reset the database this way; you will lose your customizations and will need to reconfigure Zone Alarm.

1. Boot your computer into the Safe Mode. {Instructions if needed}
2. Navigate to the c:\windows\internet logs folder.
3. Delete the backup.rdb and iamdb.rdb files in the folder.
4.Reboot into the normal mode.

Yes, indeed, that is one of the multiple suggestions I had received and tried...without resolution of the problem.

What I think is particularly odd is the fact that evidently this problem is rare, or otherwise there would have been multiple posts at the ZoneLabs forum, or a fix already made. Again, my wife's system has bare bones software installed, so hard to imagine from whence comes the conflict.

Thanks again.

Peter

Being out of touch with ZA issues (I used to help out regularly at the forums there), I'm afraid I can't help you much.

Only resolutions I see now:
1) Perform a clean uninstallation of ZA, and revert to the immediate older version. Older versions are not necessarily less secure, most of the times changes are just cosmetic in nature.

2) Perform a clean uninstallation, and install another firewall.


Let us know how it goes.