I am on Comodo Firewall v3.9, with settings: Configuration: Proactive Security; Defense+: Clean PC mode; Firewall Security: Safe Mode, and have had no problems installing or using the various versions of Adobe Reader. 9.0 installed and ran fine.
Now 9.1 had these problems: 1) couldn’t install it successfully. Comodo blocked Reader\plug_ins\search.api. Even when I added that file to My Safe Files, it still blocked it. The only way to complete the installation was to changed to Configuration: Firewall.
Then, after successful installation, Reader would not open and load a file; Comodo blocked Reader\CoolType.dll. Again I told Comodo it is a Safe File, but it still blocked it. I don’t understand this behavior. I had to switch to Configuration: Firewall for Reader to work successfully. Now I have to leave Configuration at this setting, which is looser than I would like.
I installed Comodo about 2 months ago. I don’t think it has been upgraded since then.
I don’t have AV installed. The alert is from D+. With Proactive Security, and both D+ and Firewall set to Safe Mode, I get D+ Event: Block File (screen shot below).
Another weird behavior of Comodo, is, with Proactive Security, and D+ Disabled, it blocks the same file, altho there are this time 3 Block messages, and just before, in Safe Mode, 6 Block messages (screen shot below).
Finally, the Blocked file, is in my D+ Safe file list (screen shot below).
Can you take a look at the D+ rules of Acrobat Reader and svchost. When they are set to custom policy open the rule and go to Access Rights → Run as executable and see if Cooltype.dll is under Blocked Applications and remove it when present. Then Ok and Apply your way out to the main screen.
I looked at:
D+ > Advanced > Computer Security Policy [is this the right place??]
found 3 programs relating to Adobe Reader 9, looked at them as you suggested, but none had any blocked files.
Svchost.exe > Edit said to use “my File Groups” to edit this item
– where can I find this?
Looked at Windows Update Applications as the File Group > Edit. The Use a Custom Policy button is grayed out., so I can’t check Access Rights. The Use a Prededined Policy is checked, and it specifies Installer or Updater.
D+ > Advanced > Computer Security Policy > Reader\AcroRd32.exe > Edit > Process Access Rights > Run an Executable > added CoolType.dll
No change – CIS still blocked CoolType.dll
Took out CoolType.dll from the list of OK apps. Then changed AcroRd32.exe to be a trusted application.
CIS still blocked CoolType.dll ???
I have run out of ideas on what is going on and how to fix it.
I have read more posts here and gotten ideas to try more things, but all have failed.
Here is a summary of all I have tried.
My probem is getting Adobe Reader 9.1.2 to run. CIS blocks CoolType.dll no matter what I do.
I am on XP SP3. I am on CIS 3.9.95478.509 in free mode; no AV.
With the following in place:
\Program Files\Adobe\Reader 9.0\Reader\AcroRd32.exe is a trusted application, and first on the list
and
CoolType.dll is a Safe File
then
CoolType.dll is blocked in each of these attempts:
Proactive Security is active and set at Safe Mode
Proactive Security is active but Disabled
Proactive Security is active and set at Learning Mode
The only way I can get Adobe Reader to run successfully is to switch to Firewall Security.
I am not sure whether this may be related to updating CIS (not all updates from 3.8 to 3.9 were successful). Doing a clean install is a lot of work so I want to try an in between form.
We are going to import a standard clean configuration and see if the same thing happens or not. In the procedure I will take the Internet Security profile as an example; it works the same way for other profiles of course.
Go to Miscellaneous → Manage My Configurations → Import → now navigate to the Comodo installation folder → import COMODO - Internet Security.cfg → when aksed what name to give name it COMODO - Internet Security New → Ok → now activate the new profile.
Please try as the method I describe may rule out user settings as possible cause of the problem. When user settings are not the cause it is more than likely a bug in CIS and I will then move the topic to the bug boards.
When you have loaded the new default config please don’t edit any D + rules and start Acrobat straight away.
Your configurations are stored in the registry (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Software\Comodo\Firewall Pro). You can export your configuration(s) using Manage My Configurations.
I always advice to export to a folder that is not part of the CIS installation folder; this is to be sure it doesn’t get erased when uninstalling. Notice the configuration file does not have an extension. You can give an extension if that works better for how you manage your system.
I am glad this fixed it for you. Not sure what may have caused it but who cares? May be your system has crashed in the past and caused the corruption… or writing to the registry failed…
I would say one or two days. The key is that the programs you used most were run at least once. You can also make it faster by starting up the programs you used most in a short period of time. It is all to your likings.
Personally, I would leave it in Clean PC mode permanently. I also leave my config as Internet security with Image execution turned on and all the monitor settings checked. This probably makes it very close to the proactive config. I want as few popups as possible so I have added the files from well known vendors to the trusted vendors list. Hopefully, that list will be a lot bigger in the next update.
May be your system has crashed in the past and caused the corruption… or writing to the registry failed…