Hi Tech.
I hope you didn't loose any important data. This is one of the reasons I don't really like to tweak around with my computer and "try" different security programs. Think twice and act once. Then again if no one tries then no one knows... this is a conundrum.
Oh well I do hope that there is a firewall out there that won't crash Vista.
On a different note: I have a question concerning the Network Shield. I have DSL internet and I'm connected to the external Modem/Rooter via a network cable. There aren't any other computers connected to the modem/rooter. When I open the computer, the connection is already up and everything is working great. I didn't have to install or setup anything. Vista Auto-detected the connection via it's network. My issue is that when I look at the Network Scanner (by double clicking on the blue A icon in the taskbar) I see the scan count as 0. I use the internet and everything and still, nothing. The Web Scanner is working but only when I'm browsing. If I shut down the browser I still get some minuscule activity on the network (I use view connection status and look at the upload and download values... fast way of making sure I don't exceed my bandwidth) in the order of 5-10 Kb once in a while (like every minute). I did countless scans so I know it's not a virus. But I am not sure what this could mean. That is why I started this thread concerning Firewalls in the first place. Can any one help me out here?
Any info is much appreciated.
Cheers
P.S.
Thank you all for posting solutions and suggestions.