Thanks Charlie...I'll give it a try. It's not Windows Firewall, as
I've disabled that at the service level

On Tue, 3 Jan 2006 23:32:03 -0600, "Charlie Tame" <charlie@tames.net>
wrote:

>Well at risk of wasting your time and assuming you have the archive or
>install media for Zone Alarm I still think it's a recent update because
>that's what I just fixed twice.
>
>Unfortunately I can't promise.
>
>In ZA control panel disable the "Start when windows starts" or whatever the
>option says nowadays.
>
>Reboot.
>
>Make 100% sure that no part of ZA has started up again.
>
>Remove the ZA directory including the settings files (Save copies somewhere
>else if you want to keep them although that may be where the problem lies)
>
>Reboot, try again. If it still doesn't work, well, sorry, but not too much
>damage done because you can restore ZA and settings... although I would
>start over with ZA periodically anyways. I don't have an attitude toward ZA,
>it's just that this problem was common some versions back after some update
>or other, the control panel lost contact with the firewall somehow and no
>other remedy came close to working because the firewall is darned near
>indestructible
>
>And of course without the disable at startup + reboot folks were thinking
>they had uninstalled it but it's designed to be hard to kill deliberately so
>all they had done was break the control linkage and the firewall was then
>running with no means of adjustment.
>
>By all means see if anyone else can come up with an alternative, but unless
>you can think of some other program that opens ports for XP home that you
>can test this with I don't know what else to suggest .
>
>Charlie
>
>
>"Mark" <markxyz59@cox.net> wrote in message
>news:43ba9ef7.15730250@news.east.cox.net...
>> Hi Charlie,
>>
>> The computer is about one-year old, and we did upgrade Zone Alarm, but
>> I only see the normal: zlclient and vsmon programs in the tasklist.
>> Nothing else is suspicious.
>>
>> Nothing show up on netstat -ano (or Fport) as using the port.
>>
>> When I remove the program from Zone Alarm, it properly comes up and
>> asks if I want to let it use the internet...I say yes (and remember)).
>> The program is very happy...it shows that it's connected to the port,
>> even though it isn't. ARGH>>>>
>>
>> This app works on all 3 of my other computers.
>>
>> What windows files control the ports? Maybe I can check the sizes with
>> my other XP HOME SP2 computers...
>>
>> M.
>>
>> On Mon, 2 Jan 2006 21:58:27 -0600, "Charlie Tame" <charlie@tames.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>>>Stab in the dark here but because I recently came across this exact
>>>problem.
>>>
>>>Have you ever had Zone Alarm installed on that machine and uninstalled it?
>>>
>>>I guess any other uninstalled firewalls "Might" do it but ZA can leave the
>>>firewall service behind and running when uninstalled improperly, and this
>>>is
>>>exactly what it does.
>>>
>>>Right now I can't think of another answer, sorry, will think about it
>>>later.
>>>
>>>Charlie
>>>
>>>"Mark" <markxyz59@cox.net> wrote in message
>>>news:43b9604e.16896875@news.east.cox.net...
>>>> Hi Charlie,
>>>>
>>>> I don't really want to mention the program, or the port, as it might
>>>> give away info on how to compromise my system. Suffice it to say that
>>>> on computer PC#1 (XP Home SP2) I run the sever and then do netstat
>>>> -ano and I see the server listening to the port. When I run it on PC#2
>>>> (Also XP Home SP2), it starts normally, but does not show up as
>>>> listening to the port.
>>>>
>>>> Note that this server uses localhost, so there's no external network
>>>> connection involved. It basically looks at 127.0.0.1:<port X>.
>>>>
>>>> What windows XP system files control the ports? Does Winsock do more
>>>> than just dial-up? I'm thinking I can copy a few system files from
>>>> PC#1 to PC#2 if something's corrupted.
>>>>
>>>> M.
>>>>
>>>> On Sun, 1 Jan 2006 12:30:34 -0600, "Charlie Tame" <charlie@tames.net>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>It's unlikely that any sort of virus would stop a port opening unless it
>>>>>happened to be trying to use the same port (in which case it really
>>>>>isn't
>>>>>a
>>>>>virus but a Trojan). What security software is running and are you 100%
>>>>>sure
>>>>>all firewalls are behaving as they should?
>>>>>
>>>>>Can you mention specifically what you are trying to run and what network
>>>>>layout you have, presumably there's a router is there? Are you seeing
>>>>>any
>>>>>kind of error messages?
>>>>>
>>>>>Charlie
>>>>>
>>>>>"Mark" <markxyz59@cox.net> wrote in message
>>>>>news:43b6fb91.26750109@news.east.cox.net...
>>>>>> Hi,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I have a Game Server that opens port X and allows a localhost client
>>>>>> to connect. This Server works on a machine with XP Media Center SP2,
>>>>>> and my wife's XP Home Edition SP2, but not on my kid's XP Home Edition
>>>>>> SP2.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I've confirmed (using netstat -ano) that the Server successfully opens
>>>>>> port X (TCP) on the machines it works on. But, on the kid's PC, it
>>>>>> fails to open a port.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I'm guessing the kid's PC had some kind of virus on it, but now it's
>>>>>> clean. What can I do to get port X working again.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Note: the kid's PC connects to the internet and all else works well.
>>>>>> Also, I have the firewalls and antivirus stuff OFF when I test, though
>>>>>> on the other machines, the firewalls and antivirus don't affect the
>>>>>> Server and it works fine.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Any ideas, besides upgrading to XP Pro?
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>
>