Frequent requests to connect to internet

I am having alot of trouble keeping my sanity lately as iI cannot figure out my problem. I am using Zone Alarm and keep getting alerts stating that different programs wan't permission to access the networ then internet. Sounds alright but I would not be using those programs at the time. There are also hundreds of incoming connections being blocked Daily, most of them Say the source DNS is ns6.attbi.com. Also, every time am viewing files using windows explorer and right click on a file to copy, paste or delete it, I get a zone alarm alert that says "Component Loading"
App: EXPLORER.EXE
vERSION: 5.50.4134.100
Components: Click For Details (This instance it was "WinZip CAB Detection and Extractor")
"A new or changed component is attempting to use this program to access the Internet.Unless you have recently upgraded or installed, you may want to check the authenticity of this component by clicking the details button. "

It was winzip this time but other times it will be "icons for adobe" or some othe stuff tring to use explorer to access the internet. Can anyone help me?? I have thought of reinstalling windows but dont know if that will even do it, plus i dont wanna reinstall all my non factory soft ware and drivers for hardware. Any help will be greatly appreciated

The best bit of advice I or anyone can give you: Get rid of Zone Alarm, for the sake of god. It's a bad firewall and it's extremely annoying as you can attest to. Now, as part of Zone Alarm's installation it alert's you whenever a program want's to connect to the internet (hence the annoying part of it). I suggest you get another firewall (Tiny Personal I think might suit you, or maybe Sygate) and get rid of Zone Alarm as many of your problems will be solved.

You have confirmed my suspicions about zonealarm lameness, but I am still worried that there is something on my pc trying to communicate with one or more people on the internet. I don't understand why programs are asking other programs to access the internet for them. Especially when the programs asking have no need to in some cases.....frustrating, but I will survive.

Umm..Sygate alerts me whenever a progam wants to connect to the internet..that's how I want it. I was under the mistaken impression that firewalls were supposed to alert you to traffic, both incoming and outgoing :p. I want to know when something is connecting.

Racudis, disable alerts for incoming stuff, just check the logs from time to time. Most of what you are seeing is normal noise.

As far as the outgoing stuff, that needs to be investigated. What, specifically, is trying to connect to the internet? Often times malware will try to connect, sometimes it is also legitimate....you may need to run
* Adaware
* Spybot
to clean some of it up.

Also, try one of these:
*PandaSoft
*TrendMicro

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groovicus

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At first it was "Unkown Process:-15069 (Find Error)"
When i blocked all internet access to that it tried again with "Unkown Process:-(xxx) (Find Error)" I cant remember the numbers thats why the xxxx are there.
After that it started changing other programs, then trying to connect through them. The last time i tried to play warcraft (game) when i attempted to connect to the server a warning came up and said that the program had changed since it ran last. I had not updated it or changed any thing.

Oh yeah
I also have been using spybot for a while and keep it updated as well as NAV. Neither detects anything unusual

Run those programs listed above, and see what happens.

EDIT: Nav, it seems, is the current favorite target of malware authors. I see more malware missed by users that swear they have it up to date, when in fact, it had long been corrupted, and was no longer effective.

Also, Spybot and Adware work in different ways, so it is often recommended that they both be run, with the latest definitions.

You really should be running IE 6.0 Sp1, also make sure that your version of Windows is fully patched/updated.

I would turn off the incoming warnings, and look at the logs from time to time as Groovicus suggests. A lot of them are just network aware worms on your subnet, or background noise.

The outgoing connections are a cause for concern, If I had a worry about any firewall it would be NOT telling me about them...............

Make sure that your Zone Alarm is the latest.

I would follow the links that Groov~ has suggested and run an online scan............also run the latest SpyBot S&D and AdAware in safe mode. Also update your AV and run it in safe mode.

Programs that don't need the internet shouldn't be trying to contact it............sounds like you have an infection of some sort?

If you have a legitimate program to contact the internet (windows update, your AV etc) then tell your firewall about it, and it will not "complain" again.

Good luck

EDIT: Zone Alarm may not be the sharpest tool in the box, but if it IS warning you about OUTGOING connections then you DO have a problem, probably trojans, which Norton is notoriously bad at finding..............Use the Trend and Panda online scanners as suggested.

I noticed when I got a firewall, Explorer wanted to connect to the net. What for I don't know.

If there's something trying to connect that seems suspicious, just block it. You can always change it later if a program doesn't work correctly.

Workin On It........Be Back Soon....Thanx 4 all help

tried the panda scanner. It took my e mail adress then the next screen askes for my location and it would not let me type in the box. no cursor. when i hit enter it did nothing

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Originally posted here by groovicus
Umm..Sygate alerts me whenever a progam wants to connect to the internet..that's how I want it. I was under the mistaken impression that firewalls were supposed to alert you to traffic, both incoming and outgoing :p. I want to know when something is connecting.

Racudis, disable alerts for incoming stuff, just check the logs from time to time. Most of what you are seeing is normal noise.

As far as the outgoing stuff, that needs to be investigated. What, specifically, is trying to connect to the internet? Often times malware will try to connect, sometimes it is also legitimate....you may need to run
* Adaware
* Spybot
to clean some of it up.

Also, try one of these:
*PandaSoft
*TrendMicro

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Your right groovicus, in some way's I do. But in the manner Zone Alarm does? No. The reason I said that was because I assumed like you said: it's probably just noise. But if it could possibly be a trojan, a virus, worm, etc then definitely take the required step's to fix thing's (scan for infections, remove, etc).

I knew what you meant, but I was afraid a new user wouldn't, so I was just poking a little fun at you. :D
Incoming traffic, I pretty much ignore. Outgoing traffic, I always want to know, because if something is trying to phone home without my knowledge, then something is on my system that isn't supposed to be.

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I noticed when I got a firewall, Explorer wanted to connect to the net. What for I don't know.

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This is a good example. The only time my explorer wants to connect the internet is when I am using the on-board help system. However, some malware will use explorer, or corrupt explorer for their own purposes. It would drive me nuts not knowing why something was trying to connect that shouldn't be.

A good reason for not using Zone Alarm would actually be found in Pooh's thread found here:
http://www.antionline.com/showthread...hreadid=258937

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I was just poking a little fun at you.

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Ahh, si. :D Nothing like a little harmless fun, eh?

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However, some malware will use explorer, or corrupt explorer for their own purposes.

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That is very true as will some trojan's, worm's, or any malicious software. Manipulation is the key to their success (and a user's stupidity).