question before getting avast

[abc]

the last time i tried avast (quite some time ago), it was incompatible with zonealarm
is the problem fixed, or is avast still incompatible with zonealarm, and if so,is it incompatible with zonealarm pro or zonealarm free or both?
what firewall is recommended with avast?

[YoKenny]

Welcome back abc

There are many topics and posts about ZoneAlarm and Search finds them.

A couple:
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=38927.0
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=40738.0

[alanrf]

I do not wish to be argumentative ... I was (also quite a while ago) a long term user of ZoneAlarm (although it is no longer a product I care to have on my system).  Even so, there was an issue - I would not go so far as to call it an incompatibility - with ZoneAlarm that was very easily managed. 

Basically, there is not an issue that needs to be managed with the free version of ZoneAlarm and avast will no longer disturb the user of this version of ZoneAlarm.  With ZoneAlarm Pro then the user will (as I understand it) be asked to make some decision about the use of the product features to ensure no conflict occurs.

[DavidR]

Alan for some reason it seems the latest ZA free version 8.x now trips the Compatibility check in avast!, so the work around that avast has in place to try to identify the ZA free from the ZA Pro would appear not to work in this latest ZA version.

Just to say those using ZA free should answer No to the Question.

Like you I don't feel that the later versions of ZA free or Pro are as good as they once were and nor do a number of firewall tests.
See A Forum discussion on free firewalls http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=30808.0
See http://www.matousec.com/projects/firewall-challenge/results.php.

[DavidR]

Not if it is the free version which doesn't come with an AV option.

The conflict that is mentioned relates to ZA Pros Privacy function and the web shield.

[alanrf]

Alan for some reason it seems the latest ZA free version 8.x now trips the Compatibility check in avast!, so the work around that avast has in place to try to identify the ZA free from the ZA Pro would appear not to work in this latest ZA version.

Well, the proof of the pudding ...

I just installed Zone Alarm free version 8.0.065 on this system and the system has been restarted several times.  It did not trip the compatibility check in avast.

A couple of thoughts come to mind:

1) the default recommended offering from ZA even when the "free version" is selected is to give you the Pro version with a 15 day trial.  You can say you just want the free version without the Pro trial.  So folks taking the default install are getting the Pro version.

2) as I said a few days ago:

As I recall anyone with an avast install predating 25 September 2006 is likely to get this ZA warning from avast for all eternity (or until avast is reprogrammed - whichever comes sooner).

avast installs after that date apparently make an automated decision on the "compatibility" issue with ZA.

I did a complete removal of avast and a completely fresh avast installation on this system in the middle of the most recent beta program - so my installation looks nice and new.   

Ok - now time to take my system back 30 minutes so the ZA install never happened.

[DavidR]

I think point 1. is a prime candidate with ZA blurring the edges with the bloated trial ware as the default option.

I can remember this point 2. from around the time period when avast introduced this ZA home/pro check before the pop-up (or not) and that also had a flaw in that if you had previously been asked the question it would be asked again even if you were reinstalling ZA free again.