Patch Tuesday - Argh!

[#1]

I've just finished installing the update to the Free (Basic) version. I chose the update (as opposed to the clean install) option and it all seems to have gone ok. I'm back on High security with no apparent issues.
I suppose we should give CheckPoint credit for getting a fix out so quickly.
@pawhe955, I don't have any additional enteries on my zones tab. I don't have a laptop so can't test your theory about moving between different LANs.
Bob

[#2]

I've just finished installing the Basic Zone Alarm update on both my laptops and then allowed the Microsoft Update that had caused the problem the night before.  Also downloaded Windows XP Service Pack 3 (KB936929) - no idea how long that had been released.
All seems to running well, with no loss of internet this time around.

[#3]

Quote from: coastergrotto

Also downloaded Windows XP Service Pack 3 (KB936929) - no idea how long that had been released.

From:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2325219,00.asp
"Microsoft on Thursday will release its automatic update for Windows XP service pack 3 (SP3).
The updates are expected to hit PCs by 10 a.m. Pacific time, July 10.
"Windows XP SP3 could be released to Automatic Updates as early as Thursday," according to a Microsoft spokesman. "As with all service pack releases, Microsoft will carefully monitor the release to ensure that all customers have a good experience."
Just a moment, quotation pauses for my comment:
Bwahahahahahahahahahaha..........
Quotation resumes:
The update will not have to be reinstalled, Microsoft said.
Microsoft released XP SP3 on May 7 after a compatibility issue delayed its original April 29 release date."
From "The Reg" 16th May 2008:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/05/16/hp_xp_sp3_amd/
"Hewlett-Packard has told customers not to install Windows XP service pack three (SP3) on AMD-based desktops until Microsoft and HP cough fixes to the endless reboot snafu that has wreaked havoc on PCs.
Microsoft confirmed yesterday that it was scurrying to patch the problem after hundreds of angry XP customers first grumbled about the sizeable cock-up last week."
I've had it running on an AMD PC for a few weeks now with no problems (other than the ZA problem which started this thread!). We'll probably find that it's incompatible with MS Office or something when we've been running it a bit longer. Keep your fingers crossed.
Regards,
Neil

[#4]

Mav,
I have tried it four times. Twice with both updates and once with each on its own. Still fails. It does initialise KB951748 and hesitates before it fails.
Back to the drawing board I'm afraid! I moved to Comoda  from Zone Alarm after earlier problems with Avast so may try that again.
Thanks anyway.
Wuz

[#5]

That fix has worked several times for me in the past when I have recieved errors stating one or more updates failed to install.
Sorry this has not worked for you 

[#6]

Quote from: Njal

We'll probably find that it's incompatible with MS Office or something when we've been running it a bit longer.

I've been running SP3 in an AMD machine for 2 months now. Haven't seen any blue screens or any major upheavals. Nero 6 (2004 vintage) gives me some warning messages but still works. The main problem was with the Bipac 5200G router, it definitely needs a firmware update with SP3. The new driver can be downloaded from the Bipac website.

[#7]

Is there an update on the best way to deal with this problem? I have now Automatic updates set to Off on both my computers. I would rather have them set to On, but can't afford the time to do a system restore everytime I need to connect to the internet. Is it simply a matter of updating Zone Alarm Basic? Or have Windows got their act together and released a patch that does not mess up people's connections?

[#8]

Zone Alarm has just issued an upgrade, worked OK for me, installed the Up grade then applied the MS upgrade, no problem
XP SP2

[#9]

Ok, thanks very much!
Clearly ticking "Check for updates automatically" on ZA is pretty useless, as I failed to be informed of the new ZA upgrade...
Computers... 

[#10]

Yes strange, two laptops, both on XP sp2, one got notified, the other didnt

[#11]

Very often software companies use methods to avoid 'telling' all their customers about an upgrade all at once.
Clearly to do so would create a huge surge in downloads, using a method to stagger the client downloads will enable them to provide a better service (theoretically).
Chances are, as well as a the program update, the same bandwidth would also be used by clients downloading the latest virus definition files. Clearly the definition files are more critical than a program update (notes sweeping generalisation ) hence the need to avoid peaks in demand.
MS use similar methods for their updates, as do many other software companies online.

Chances are then, that with time, the other machine would've detected the upgrade. Possible the second machine wasn't told, as it had the same IP as the first, so it could've been delayed to conserve *your* bandwidth as well possibly.

[#12]

I didn't read through to the last page of this issue, so I could be wrong, but it seems to me the problem with Zone Alarm and the security update only occurred with the free ZA. As I use the 'grown-up' and paid for version I had no problems whatsoever. Maybe it's just a case of 'you get what you pay for' and why the hell should ZA spend much time with their free versions if you guys won't spend time buying the proper version. Don't gripe about ZA, nor even about MS, they are all doing their best and you are all being cheapscates!
Thank ZA for giving you a free firewall and expect to do some jiggery pokery now and then in place of paying for the real job.
Thank MS for issuing a security update designed to protect you; to not install it would be foolish.

[#13]

no you havnt read it all, ZA have issued a free update to cure the problem caused by MS

[#14]

Quote from: realafrica

Maybe it's just a case of 'you get what you pay for' and why the hell should ZA spend much time with their free versions if you guys won't spend time buying the proper version. Don't gripe about ZA, nor even about MS, they are all doing their best and you are all being cheapscates!

I, for one, have already paid a fortune for soft/hardware and do not see any point of paying for the full version of ZA if the free version does all I need.
I have always had great suport from ZoneLabs with their free version and was please when a fix was quickly published then a new version soon followed. In this case I definitely feel 'free' does not mean lesser quality.

Quote from: realafrica

Thank MS for issuing a security update designed to protect you; to not install it would be foolish.

Perhaps if MS had done their job properly in the first place for software for which we pay an exhorbitant amount we wouldn't have had this ZA issue? Either way I find being called a cheapskate when you know nothing about me quite insulting.
Maybe I am alone in feeling insulted but It was an unnecessary comment.
Good luck!