Hi, I’m new to this forum and not very techie, so bear with me.
I have a PC which oporates on Windows XP.
After having problems with ZA following the MS updates last Tuesday I decided to switch from ZA to Comodo. I’m not sure which version I have installed but might be 3.0? I downloaded Comodo and started to install. It prompted me to shutdown any existing Firewalls. So I switched off ZA (but did not uninstall). Then continued with the Comodo installation. I think I accepted all the free extra that come with Comodo (like Safesurf, etc). During (after?) the installation Comodo started checking my PC for viruses, adware, malware, etc. After searching my system for about 15 mins it came up with 3 suspect files. I think they were all Adware? It prompted me to delete these files so I did. Then it told me the installation was complete and I need to restart my computer.
So far, so normal.
However that’s where the problems started. My PC started continuously rebooting. It would just about get to the initial blue windows screen and then go back to the restart sequence all over again. After about 20 mins of this I switched the PC off. Unplugged it. Then switched it back on and tried the various Safe Mode strart ups. Non of these will work!!
Is there anything I can do? Did Comodo prompt me to delete a crucial operating file??!
Any help would be much appreciated otherwise I’m in for a major boll*cking from my housemates!!
Hey Danboove, Welcome to the forums!
Very very Un-Likely that comodo deleted crucial operating system files.
Very very Likely that it’s a conflict with ZoneAlarm.
Are you sure the safe boot ups aren’t working? only drivers are loaded… Just incase…
When booting up the pc press F8 continuously until a black screen pops up, click Safe Mode.
If you get in there, Un-install ZoneAlarm -
If you can’t uninstall zonealarm in safe mode, try this →
start-> Run → msconfig ->start up → And now disable the entries for zonealarm.
Then try booting up normally. Hope this helps!
Thanks for that Kyle.
To be honest, I’m not sure if we used F8 to get to the Safe Mode options - my girlfriend was doing that bit!
But she did get the screen up that gives you the various Safe Mode options. There’s about 5 or 6 options right? You can start in Safe Mode, Start on normal mode, and then various options where you can start from the last working configuration?
I don’t don’t think she managed to try all the options, because the PC just kept freezing on the black screen with all this computer language on it.
So we switched it off overnight. This morning when I switched it on, I didn’t need to hit F8, it just went straight to the Safe Mode options. I tried one of them again (can’t remember which one) and the computer froze again. I left it about 10 mins. Nothing happened, so I switched it off, unplugged it, and came to work. I’ll try again when I get home tonight, and go through all the Safe Mode options, but I’m not hopeful…
Put on your bollocking-proof armour, then. LOL
The error was in not uninstalling Zone Alarm, as opposed to just disabling it. It MUST be removed totally.
As suggested, can you boot into safe mode and uninstall BOTH firewalls?
If I were you, I’d uninstall both, reboot and test your system. If all appears OK, reinstall CFP and only CFP.
If all is well, remove bollocking-proof armour.
Good luck!
Ewen 
Thanks guys.
I now feel reassured that I haven’t completely ■■■■■■■ up the computer.
If the problem if just that I’ve got 2 Firewalls comflicting with each other, then all I need to do is figure how to get into the ■■■■ PC and delete them both. (:LGH)
Anyone got any suggestions for getting into the PC if the Safe Mode doesn’t work…?
Leave the armour on for starters.
You could try a REPAIR of the Windows installation CD.
Ewen
I thought you might say that.
Alas, I don’t think we have the Windows CD. We inherited the PC from a friend.
I think I’m started to see where this is going. I’ve read on other forums that in this situation you prob need to use the Windows XP installation CD to get back into your PC.
I think we’ll have to do some asking around and maybe borrow someone elses CD. Would this work?
It will work, providing it was the same operating system (XP or Vista), same level (Home, Pro, Basic, Business, Ultimate) and same revision (SP1, SP2 etc.) as the one used to set the system up.
Ewen
I think that will end up being the way forward.
I’ll let you know how it goes.
Thanks for all the help!
NP. I’ll mark this as resolved and lock it.