This is what happens when you regularly update Windows
I’m not, [UPDATE: Oops … I meant to say ‘unlike’ and not ‘like’. Silly me.] like unlike many people I know, some kind of anti-Microsoft person (in general). But stuff like this (almost) makes me flip over to the Other Side.
So for six days - six whole flaming days, I was cut off from the internet. Millions of tantrums and endless tries at MTNL’s 1504 service (which, let me tell you, does not work) later; after being given all kinds of (untrue) reasons why the net wasn’t working, finally managing to get through to an SDO (who was of no use whatsoever), buggering Dad to no end, tearing my hair out and generally feeling totally ticked off, I finally managed to hit the problem on its abominable head.
Yesterday, while wallowing in despair (this was after my talk with the aforementioned SDO) I, on a whim, decided to turn my firewall off. And guess what? Oh joy, the net worked! [That moment in time, by the way, now ranks at the top of my Most Irritating Moments That Make Me Feel Like Frying My Brain list. The fact that that’s partly because nothing else comes to mind right now is, of course, another story.]
Anyway, this was - from one point of view - an extremely relieving thing, but on the other hand (for those who know what a firewall is) it was way off the wall. I mean, what the heck, a firewall is supposed to protect your computer from being attacked - it’s not supposed to get over-excited and prevent you from accessing the net at all! Doubtfully wondering if my firewall had indeed gone bonkers (I’ve had ZoneAlarm Firewall for quite some time now and it’s not like I’d changed any settings recently) I did a quick Google search. I found out (from ZoneAlarm’s website) that those eejits who designed my OS were Behind It All. Apparently, Microsoft recently released an update for Windows XP (I naturally update my Windows regularly) which prevented people using ZoneAlarm from accessing the net … ! Flaming weirdos.
The miscreant in question is Microsoft Update KB951748. If you’re facing the same problem, you’ll need to disable your firewall and download the latest version of ZoneAlarm. On the other hand, if your net really isn’t working, I’m not sure you’ll be reading this at all :).
More soon. Right now I have to go and read the “1000+” unread items sitting in my feed reader. Ciao for now (wow, that rhymes).
UPDATE: Just to clarify, I was not using the built-in Windows firewall - I was using ZoneAlarm Firewall. The Windows Firewall is a miserable excuse for a software program.
Comments
Hahaha
I have Windows Vistas
Nothing to gloat about, sure, but still, my net's been working fine. All six days.
Just rubbing it in.
Btw, if I lived in a house with an exun member and the net went bonkers because of some stupid firewall...
Well, I'm not the gentle angel, star of my eyes, Holy Ghost, whatever. Bah.
Ah, that sucks. I can understand how you feel. I don't have the Windows firewall on but there's this Windows Defender thingy in Windows Vista. That gets updates every now and then. So I installed one of these Defender updates and started getting rather creative errors from the next day on. The most common being - "Firefox cannot open this website because it uses an invalid form of compression". The past part was that these errors would come at random. Like, Gmail would be working one minute, and next minute it starts with this error. Then you refresh it some 20 times and it starts working again. Ultimately I had to use System Restore and now it's working just fine.
I thought this move was lame. I mean, really, why do shit like this to "force" people into using their software? And thank God I didn't install Vista SP1. I'm sure it would've conked things out.
@Nids: It's Windows Vista dude, Vista. Not Vistas. :/
Vistas is the name of one of those class 12th english textbooks, I believe. Last year it was, Flamingo and Vistas. Is it still, Sahil?
Haha, my bad.
What english book?
no english book.
Haha I had the same problem but with Windows Firewall. For some friggin reason it used to cut off my net.
@ishmeet
Yeah those are still our English Books. We had bloody "hornbill" last year
@Nids: Yes english book. Class 12 english book. I was asking Sahil, that.
@Arjun: Haha, we had Hornbill too. That chapter about Tutankhamen was the end of the world. :-j
@nidhi: It didn't really have anything to do with not having Vista anyway. It's just something stupid that Microsoft did which is just not supposed to happen :P
@ish: Yup, we do. Nidhi and Kriti won't know coz they had functional english instead of english core
Yeah, the Tutankhamun chapter! Eww.
@everyone: just to make it clear, i was not using Windows Firewall (which by the way, totally sucks) ... I was using ZoneAlarm firewall ...
@nids: Oh, I was pretty mad alright. But he fell ill that day, so I had to forego my chance and by the time he got better, well, I forgot. :S
@Sahil: This is ALL YOUR FAULT. I'm letting you off easy this time, but beware.
Ah, they had functional english. Right. They've been missing out on a lot then. The Tutankhamun's and Elementary School classrooms in a Slum are just adorable, aren't they? :-/
I've never even tried using Windows Firewell. Disabling that and uninstalling McAfee were the first two things I did when I bought this computer. I've used Zone Alarm but I realized that it was ruining my previous laptop for some reason. Haven't taken to installing it on this yet.
@ishmeet: You forgot that ancient 1994 essay on the environment by Nani Palkhiwala :)
@kriti and nidhi: Hello?? Excuse me? Did you guys even read the post at all? This was NOT my fault! It was the fault of the fuzzbrained Windows people ... i don't exactly use windows by choice you know :P :P :P :P :P :P
LOL
:P
:P
Nidhi and Kriti won't know coz they had functional english instead of english core
We didn't have a choice either. But I don't think we missed out on much, the language geniuses that we are.
Oh, yes, that chapter. It was so illogical that I actually thought it had been deleted. Nobody ever discussed it in class. Only realized it was in the syllabus when they had a ten mark question coming from it in one of the exams.
"...i don't exactly use windows by choice you know."
Huh???
At any rate, when the Windows guys actually get around to *doing* something they seem to make a pretty thorough job of it. Or maybe they just thought it was the easiest way and nobody would notice.
We're doing Hornbill now. I've read through all the chapters except the Tut one :)
Go the sensible way... Linux or Hackintosh for the win!
Have you ever heard the song Decadence by Disturbed? It's easy to make it Microsoft's theme song.
All you have to do is replace the line:
"Slowly recall all your mind"
to:
"Slowly restore all your files"
Just listen to it, you'll see what I mean.
1i know none of you have any reason to kno me, but I still comment, even ZoneAlarm, pretty much s**ks. With all those noisy interruptions it wastes a lotof extra time without providing any extra protection. U shud actually Comodo personal Firewall. It also blocks internal actions of trojans [not that your antivirus cant do that...] and it also, _non-noisily_ stops many miscreant actions, definitely not Internet browsing. Also, even if your win XP _is_ original, you'd be much better off keeping any sort of your automatic updates off since they are only made keeping in mind, The American environments...
hi
are you using licence copy of windows ?
yes one has to be very carefull using firewalls.
see you later
mitesh
http://realityviews.blogspo...
@karmanya: Hmm ... well the Hackintosh doesn't appeal to me - we had one in school for some time, but it was unstable. Plus, half the fun of working on OS X is the Mac around it :D
@vishesh: Um yes, i know you, duh?
As for ZoneAlarm, i find it pretty good - the interruptions aren't "noisy" they're actually quite useful - i don't want rogue programs using my net, thank you very much ...
As for Automatic Updates being made only for American environments, I think you're totally wrong - they are usually security and software updates and it's actually quite essential to have them ... would you say that SP3 is for the American environment?
@sm: Yes, I'm using a licensed copy :)
u kept bugger-ing ur dad! thats not good; i suppose u should check the meaning of bugger and then correct that on ur blog
Uh ... there are several meanings of the word, and it depends on the context. Here's the one I (obviously) meant:
Chiefly British Slang. to trick, deceive, or take advantage of.Not what you're trying to say, perv :P
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