[bamagirl]

Sometimes when I first turn on the pc and/or logon to the Internet, my Firewall "Tiny Personal Firewall" asks permission to allow access to different things: It is often something like tcp and arrows up, down, left, etc. Sometimes I hit deny and it reboots. I have also hit accept and it has rebooted. I have ran scans with all the suggested programs in the Hijack this section (Combo, Cleanup, Spybot, Dr. Web. AVG, AVG Anti-Spyware, Ewido, Ad-aware, etc.) They found nothing wrong. I was told by Reid that it was a Windows issue. It didn't happen with the old firewall. I was using Spygate, but it would frequently not go to certain sites. It just didn't work well. I used to use Zonealarm Firewall, but it started messing up. Itried to remove it and reinstall it, but it will not work. Somewhere there is a "True Vector" file from Zonealarm on my pc that will not remove and therefor I get an error when I try to reinstall it.

I get the following error message I first turn on my pc - wheter it rebots or not:
"Windows - fatal Application Exit
PersFwDrv: msgDigestCalculate: Unable to open file"

What could that be? Any suggestions for this issue

thanks

Lynette

 

[swaffml]

do a google on PersFwDrv: msgDigestCalculate: Unable to open file
You will find a ton of people with the same problem, I did not find a way to fix it other than to use a different firewall. Should be a workaround or fix but I did not see one. I have not used or for that matter even heard of your firewall I use zonealarm.

 

[bamagirl]

I found the following

info at tech support after doing a search.
Looks like my issues are tied to my firewall. Since I can't get zonealarm to work on this pc and spygate stinks, do you know of any other free firewalls I can use?

http://forums.windrivers.com/showthread.php?t=74109&goto=nextnewest


Also, I have a second question/issue: I can't open links in many emails - such as Moviegallery, which has a free rental coupon. Bt I can't open it. It doesn't matter if I have a firewall or not or disable it. It doesn't open on my pc nor my husband's pc. It has to be a Windows XP issue. I was told on a previous help log request to go to start, run and try a list of dll files, but they didn't help. Most of them siad unable to open, please select the program to open. or something of the effect. Any ideas on that?

 

[Kalim]

There's a chance you have a dialer too. I only suggest you post in the HijackThis if you find something. Run this online scan which usually finds/deletes this particular dialer: http://www.bitdefender.com/scan8/ie.html

Yes. You can use Sunbelt Kerio personal firewall: http://www.sunbelt-software.com/Kerio.cfm
Don't worry about the $$

Just like the original, the Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall will keep working after the first 30 days, but in basic mode.

Thats all you need. :smile:

I can't open links in many emails

Thats a mail software related issue. Which software do you use to manage/view your emails?

 

[hwm54112]

Check task manager>processes> for "vsmon.exe". if it's there, try ending the process (it is the executable for the true vector service)

Rather than try other firewalls, it would probably be more beneficial to spend the time getting rid of ZA completely and re-installing it - my guess is the chances are fair to middlin that the old ZA install will interfere with many firewalls.

Your email issue sounds like your email program, email scanner (part of av program) or browser settings are set not to display html or not allow pop-ups.

The idea of "running a list of .dlls" sounds completely bogus to me. It's more likely one of the above - could even have to do with settings for flash or .gif animations depending on the coupon

 

[Girderman]

I wouldn't accept the idea that ZoneAlarm "just won't work" on "your computer".

Zome Alarm is a reputable program, well-documented, etc...

If IT won't work on your computer, either something is wrong with it, or your computer.

The second point concerns me. What ELSE might be wrong with it.


Zone Alarm (properly configured) is also a good firewall. (However, ZoneAlarm allowed to do whatever it wants is a big, fat PIG of a bloatware.) Cutting it down to size is critical to balance function with features.

I think some effort at making sure you are not infected is first, given previously posted suspicions. But then I would want to try to make Zone Alarm work properly on your computer.

 

[bamagirl]

well

I looked for some files resembling vsmon.exe . I did a search for that and found nothing. I found some dll files that were for truevector and zonealarm and deleted them. I then planned to try to reinstall zonealarm . I dowmloaded the exe file and tried to install. However, it failed. It said Error ZoneAlarm - 1001 - English. When I clicked under details I noticed ModName:kernel32.dll

I have noticed on AVG scans that it never says there are problems or viruses, but it will say kernel32 is changed, instead of the okay it is spposed to.


So my plan to install the Zonealarm and see if that was the source of my errors and rebooting failed. Now I have no firewall. I will run A BUNCH OF SCANS and let you know if they find anything.

lynette

 

[bamagirl]

how do I check task manager > processes?

not sure what you mean

 

[Kalim]

how do I check task manager > processes?

Press Ctrl+Alt+Del and a window will appear up.
Go to the processes tab and view what is running there.
They are all processes.

Did you run the online scan?

 

[Girderman]

Do the anti-malware stuff Kalim and others suggest before worrying about Zone Alarm. We can get that running next...

 

[hwm54112]

right click on the taskbar, select task manager from the pop up. in taskmanager choose the processes tab. look through the processes for zlclient.exe (ZA executable) and vsmon.exe (specifically the executable that runs true vector). Processes are mini programs running inside windows. If either of these are running, end them as indicated earlier. They should not be there since you un-installed ZA but experience has shown that ZA can cause some strange things to happen with totally unrelated programs as well as cause conflicts even after un-installing. If either were running, they would prevent a re-install.

I've been using ZA for six months and am happy with it. But, every AV and firewall program I've ever installed always required more than just a simple "remove program" from control panel. I suspect your problem is probably in leftover registry settings if the processes aren't actually starting or trying to start as a result of those leftovers.

when you start windows many things try to access the net these days and it's your firewall's job to prevent it unless you want it to. In many cases, until you "always allow" or "always deny" these access attempts, you'll continue to get the popups asking permission.

 

[bamagirl]

results

I did as you said and looked at the task manager and found nothing on zlclient or vsmon.exe. The bitdefender scan and a Pandaware scan came back clean. I will run a list of scans: Adaware, AVG, AVG ani-spy, Ewido, Spybot, cwsshredder. I'll let you know if I find anything. Would you like me to post a Drweb cure it, combofix, or hijack this log? anything you want to see?

thanks

 

[hwm54112]

I have ran scans with all the suggested programs in the Hijack this section (Combo, Cleanup, Spybot, Dr. Web. AVG, AVG Anti-Spyware, Ewido, Ad-aware, etc.) They found nothing wrong. I was told by Reid that it was a Windows issue.

Rather than rehash what our security experts have already done, how about we start reading the original posts. This is becoming a habit. We can only help our members if we take the time to read their posts.

Lynette,

Your issue seems to be the inability to get a firewall up and running, not a rehash of what Reid has already cleared you on. If you decide on a firewall, we can work on that issue for you. girderman seems to have some knowledge of ZA I use it as well and it does have an excellent reputation. That given, you may want to lean toward ZA, but the choice is yours.


Bill

 

[bamagirl]

that's just it.

I can't install Zonealarm. I came here to post because I was told it was a windows issue. then when I get here some of the posts if you read them in my thread say they think I need to do further malware scans, which I did. I have had numerous and different suggestions. Bottom line, I can't install ZoneAlarm. Now I get flagged for supposedly starting multiple threads. I had moved on from that issue. If you read my orignal question is was about why I keep getting error messages. I know one of them isn't a firewall issue:

I did a AVG virus scan after uninstalling tiny personal firewall. It found no errors or viruses, but under virus threats it said:
C:\\windows\system32\kernel32.dll
C:\\windows\system32\shell32.dll

Could that be a source of my prpblems?

 

[Girderman]

C:\\windows\system32\kernel32.dll
C:\\windows\system32\shell32.dll

My guess is no. I use AVG, and it includes in it's end-of-scan report Windows system files that have "changed". Not all change is bad, some change is necessary and regular. Please verify that these files have only changed, and are not explicitly flagged as being "infected".

Onward.

First confirm uninstallation of "Tiny Firewall"
Find out if error message goes away as a result
Determine which firewall TO install, and assist OP with that
Troublehsoot e-mail issue (which Kalim thinks & I agree is separate from firewall issue).

Problems happen, let's move onward.

Kalim asked some questions in an earlier post and they need to be answered, as well as any others that I might have missed.

You need to make a decision on which firewall to have (if any). No firewall is NOT recommended, however.

If you have not uninstalled Tiny Firewall, please do so at Control Panel>Add/Remove Programs and report results. Also, reboot after uninstallation and see if that fixes your error message.

Please list any other problems I have missed here.

Girderman

 

[Kalim]

Lynette, I agree fully with Girderman here.

As he advised, can you please list your problems and what your after. Its become confusing now and if I suggest a specific action to one matter, another helper assists in another and so on, it'll get no where but become garbled..

Thanks. :smile:

 

[bamagirl]

latest news

I did uninstall Tiny Personal Firewall and installed Sunbelt Kerio. So far it is much better. In fact, for now the main thing I'd like assistance with is my email not opening certain things. I use tds.net - it's a phone service provider and my emails is at at ths site. So it's not by Outlook or some program. I go to a web page and log in. odd thing is that I can log in at my work and open emails and their links. What do I need to do to check this rather stupid snag?

thanks

 

[Kalim]

I don't use Outlook but Thunderbird instead so I can't advise you there.

 

[bamagirl]

do what?

I didn't say I use Outlook. I use tds.net - it's knd of like using yahoo for an email. But even when I forward these emails to my yahoo address I still can't open them. Wih or without a firewall, no use. But at school I can. Why??

 

[Girderman]

So it's not by Outlook or some program. I go to a web page and log in. odd thing is that I can log in at my work and open emails and their links. What do I need to do to check this rather stupid snag?

Outlook Express (which I use) is a standalone program that "downloads" e-mail from the web and stores it on your local machine. It needs to be configured to the specfic e-mail account you want access to, and not all accounts are capable of working with Outlook Express.

If your "tds.net" is a standalone program like OE, then configuration instructions will have to come from Customer Support of your ISP, because only they know where their POP & SMTP servers are, and other specific setting information like that.

However, I suspect that you do not have a standalone program like OE, because, well there's no point. OE comes with XP, and so why would an ISP go to the trouble of having to mess with something that functions just like an application that comes with XP standard ?

I suspect that you have a simple web-based e-mail service that you browse to and access like you would any other, like yahoo, hotmail, etc...

Since you can access THAT from work, that would imply to me that the probem is with your browser, probably some security settings.

To test, download & install Firefox, which is really a better browser anyways, and you may learn to prefer it. It's good to have a back-up anyways, as sometimes IE goes bad and it's sometimes difficult to repair.

Also, search through the IE security settings and see if you can't identify a setting that might be directly connected to the problem.

My opinion is you either have a problem setting with IE, or a corrupt install with IE.

Does your ISP give you a custom-modified version of Internet Explorer ? If so, they assume a certain level of responsibility for making sure the settings are correct. A call to your ISP's Customer Service might be helpful, once you can say for certain the problem is with your browser.