[Ham-Computers] Zone-Alarm Security Suite, a REAL CPU hog (a long read)

Thu Aug 10 14:47:47 EDT 2006

Loren,

Yes, practical is good here. There is no reason to run anti virus checks on 
incoming e-mail  with the firewall and then do it again with the anti virus 
software package too. Once is adequate.

Phil has a need to run three or four programs in the background and this 
always slows his machine down. However, rather than load on demand, as I do, 
he prefers to boot up with all of them running in the environment 
background. This is his preference. It is also a source of trouble, but he 
knows it.

Loren, it is great that you have figured yourself out and set the primary 
computer up to address your particular needs. A lot of problems are avoided 
by doing what you have done. Yes it takes time, and some software tinkering, 
but well worth it!

Duane W8DBF

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Loren Moline WA7SKT" <lmoline at hotmail.com>
To: <ham-computers at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, August 09, 2006 7:46 PM
Subject: Re: [Ham-Computers] Zone-Alarm Security Suite,a REAL CPU hog (a 
long read)

> Phil and Duane,
>
> I run Zone Alarm here but the fre version and have for some time. It may 
> be slowing some things down but any firewall program integrated with 
> anti-virus programs will slow you down to the degree you configure it to 
> run certain parts.
>
> The version I have will warn of intrusion and warn when something tries to 
> change home page or if favorites are changed but I don't have it looking 
> at any e-mails or running the antivirus program in the background loking 
> at every move I make to slow me down.
>
> I just do a virus scan of boot sector on startup but only scan files for 
> viruses once a day.
>
> I have never been one to want any unnecessary programs running in 
> background so make most programs start manually if I need them.
>
> Thanks to both of you for the info,.
>
> Loren
>
>
>>From: "Duane Fischer, W8DBF" <dfischer at usol.com>
>>Reply-To: "Computers (or other) used for amateur radio, communications, 
>>or experimenting" <ham-computers at mailman.qth.net>
>>To: "Computers (or other) used for amateur radio, communications,  or 
>>experimenting" <ham-computers at mailman.qth.net>
>>Subject: Re: [Ham-Computers] Zone-Alarm Security Suite,a REAL CPU hog (a 
>>long read)
>>Date: Wed, 9 Aug 2006 15:57:10 -0400
>>
>>Thank you for the 'heads up' alert Phil. User observations are always 
>>helpful. Sometimes to the manufacturer, provided they listen and act upon 
>>correct reports or use correct improvement suggestions. Always to users 
>>who generally appreciate others using the same software that they are 
>>reporting unusual experiences.
>>
>>I wonder on Zone Alarm, might it be doing some operations by default that 
>>replicate the same function being done by other software programs; such as 
>>the firewall, anti-virus software etc.? If so, turning those operations 
>>off should cause the computer to run faster since it has less to do.
>>
>>Frankly, from what the guys who know tell me, with the external router and 
>>anti-virus software, you really do not need an internal software firewall, 
>>Zone Alarm etc. You cause yourself issues by doing the same thing twice 
>>and at the same time. That is, the router eliminates the need for a 
>>software firewall. You do not need two programs, or devices, checking mail 
>>for viruses, one is adequate. No offense, but I think you were in an 
>>overkill condition.
>>
>>The router and the anti-virus software should be adequate. Seems like you 
>>could, perhaps should, shutdown the internal firewall too. Maybe those 
>>with real wisdom on such things can advise if they are necessary when an 
>>external router is operating?
>>
>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Philip, KO6BB" 
>><Beaconeer at SBCGlobal.net>
>>To: "Computers Ham" <ham-computers at mailman.qth.net>
>>Sent: Wednesday, August 09, 2006 12:05 PM
>>Subject: [Ham-Computers] Zone-Alarm Security Suite,a REAL CPU hog (a long 
>>read)
>>
>>
>>>Hi All,
>>>
>>>To refresh, LATE last fall I got this new whiz bang machine (3.4GHz P4) 
>>>with "oodles" of RAM etc.  Shortly after buying it I also bought the 
>>>Zone-Alarm Security Suite (full blown with Anti-Virus, Anti-Pop-Ups, 
>>>Firewall, Anti-Everything) and used it in place of the "eTrust 71" Virus 
>>>Scanner that came with the machine.  After installing Zone Alarm I 
>>>noticed that things like Email, opening web pages etc. slowed down a 
>>>"little", but since I expected that I didn't think much about it.  While 
>>>it's the fastest thing I've ever used, the machine just didn't seem to be 
>>>anywhere as fast as I'd have expected, like it REALLY had a heavier 
>>>workload than I was giving it.
>>>
>>>THEN, last month I tried to set the machine up for RAID operation, during 
>>>the process I LOST my restoration Partition and had to do a complete 
>>>Windows XP-Pro and software  load directly from the OEM XP disks, 
>>>Creative Sound drivers disk etc., losing whatever exact configuration 
>>>"SystemMax" (the computers manufacturer) had on the machine. 
>>>Surprisingly enough, the machine ran significantly faster and smoother 
>>>after this reload.  This indicated to me that "something" in the 
>>>SystemMax software load was slowing things down.  Of course, at that time 
>>>I also reloaded my Zone-Alarm Security Suite.
>>>
>>>Well, last week I totally removed the Zone Alarm Suite and reverted to 
>>>the eTrust AntiVirus and the "regular" Windows firewall (I also have a 
>>>router with a "real Firewall" installed).  In my case at least the 
>>>Windows Firewall along with eTrust seems to be sufficient as Zone Alarm 
>>>never saw any attacks that got through the router anyway!
>>>
>>>I do a LOT of audio work with this machine, Downloading "OTR" (Old Time 
>>>Radio Broadcasts) from the Internet, cleaning them up or editing the 
>>>"serials" into complete shows etc. Most of these actions would be 
>>>"Blasphemous" to a hard-core OTR collector, but I prefer listening to 
>>>merely "collecting".  I use "Audacity", a VERY GOOD Open Source Audio 
>>>program for the actual audio work, then save ALL the files in the MP3 
>>>format at a 64K rate so that there is minimal degradation of what is 
>>>often already a poor sounding program.  IT ALWAYS TOOK 12-15 MINUTES FOR 
>>>"AUDACITY" TO CONVERT AND SAVE a 1 Hour long Audacity project into the 
>>>MP3 Format, WITH ALL THE COMPUTER FANS RUNNING AT FULL SPEED. This 
>>>indicates to me that the machine had a very heavy workload.  The 
>>>processes window showed that the Dual Threading Processor was running 
>>>about 50% load during these conversions!
>>>
>>>NATURALLY,  everything else runs faster on the machine too (Email, Web 
>>>Browsing, Open Office etc.), but on those programs the difference is MUCH 
>>>less graphic!
>>>
>>>NOW, Audacity consistently takes 1 minute and 15 seconds to do the SAME 
>>>MP3 conversion of a one hour long program (about a 28.8MB MP3 file), with 
>>>NO fans grinding way!  THAT IS A 9.6 TO 12 TIMES INCREASE IN THROUGH-PUT, 
>>>SIMPLY BY REMOVING ZONE-ALARM!   Just to be absolutely certain that Zone 
>>>Alarm was the culprit, I reloaded it for a "trial run", and sure enough 
>>>the machine was back to it's old slow self in doing the Audio Conversion. 
>>>I quickly removed it again and cleaned the registry!
>>>
>>>Now this machine is everything I expected it to be, AND MORE!  Call me a 
>>>"Happy Camper" 8^)
>>>
>>>73 de Phil,  KO6BB
>>>DX begins at the noise floor!
>>>
>
>
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