Hello I have a laptop-Windows XP -ZOne alarm extreme Security-When I go to Open Deep sky stacker I click on the icon The Zone alarm Window opens asks me if I want to access the Internet with it.I Click yes then the DSS get shut down then I get an Error message .and DSS won't Load up ---Tony
Tony......Just try turning off your Firewall....I had issues with ZoneAlarm also in the past....don't use it anymore. Turn it back on when your done with DSS.
It's worth a try.......
You could also consider replacing ZoneAlarm with Comodo Internet Security Premium - which is free. I have had problems with ZA in years gone by and now won't use it.
Been using ZA since the beginning and still using it on XP. If it blocks a program then it's easy enough to unlock it in the program list and set it as trusted. If a program is enabled then crash that's a problem with the program not the firewall. ZA is THE firewall IMHO. I wouldn't disable it or use anything else.
DSS is only trying to see if there are updates - you can disable this and perhaps then the issue will go away.
As far as firewall is considered, I am using Sygate Personal (free) - no problems at all. It even blocks various attempts from Windows OS (to contact who knows what and whom - kernel for example - why on Earth would kernel need to connect to web directly? ) - I find those attempts very annoying and quite frankly, totally un-necessary.
