Zone Alarm prevents access to browsers

To avoid these kind of problems:

1.Uninstall/Remove ZA from your OS and DON'T re-install! Revo Uninstaller 2.For the average homeuser, the Windows Firewall in XP does a fantastic job at its core mission and is really all you need if you have an 'real-time' anti-virus program, [another firewall on your router or] other edge protection like SeconfigXP and practise Safe-Hex. The windows firewall deals with inbound protection and therefore does not give you a false sense of security. Best of all, it doesn't implement lots of nonsense like pretending that outbound traffic needs to be monitored. Activate and utilize the Win XP built-in Firewall; Uncheck *all* Programs and Services under the Exception tab.

Windows XP: How to turn on your firewall.

Read through: Understanding Windows Firewall. Using Windows Firewall. Configure Windows by using: Seconfig XP 1.1 Configuring NT-services much more secure. Routinely practice Safe-Hex. Good luck :)

But do you really then need the XP firewall if you have a NAT router? The only thing I use ZA (use an old version) is to "spy" at outgoing