I get the same problem with the newest version of ZA Pro or the Free version. Both of them start up fine on the initial install but will give a big X when they start automatically on the next boot-up.

someone is saying that winxp is loading too fast for the truevector..
so if you want to use zonealarm, either starts it manually or try to find an old dos program called wait.exe... then make a batch file to make it wait 10 sec before loading the zonealarm.

starting up too fast, that doesn't sound like a bad explanation. because ya initally there's a problem with the vector thing and my internet is down.. i sit around for like 3 mins then the net works and za comes back online too.

ZA Pro is the not the only one you can use. Sygate Personal Firewall is also free for personal use and works just as well - it actually has some more advanced features. If you're willing to plonk down the money, Norton PErsonal Firewall also does a pretty good job.
 
Though I haven't tried it, I'd be willing to guess that Tiny Personal Firewall is also gonna work.

Hey guys...maybe we can help each other out. The true vector service on an XP machine is listed as a "User" instead of SYSTEM. This seems to be the problem. On a 2000 machine it installs as a SYSTEM service. There is a method to my madness too...when installing MotherBoard Monitor you have to specify you are using XP so that programs service is installed as SYSTEM as well. It gives the choice of Win9x/2000=Software(?) or XP=SYSTEM.
 
So..now that we have a good possible answer...how do you change it to become a system service?

In my case the native XP firewall is not enabled. It appears to be just a problem of the Zonealarm software starting before the True Vector service is started. All of us should know that you can delay the za.exe just a little and all functions well. True vector, which is VSMON.exe and a few other associated services are just not loading fast enough as a user started service...it needs to come up with the other SYSTEM services. Like I stated in the previous post, vsmon.exe and the others were listed as SYSTEM services in Win2k, but are not in XP. If anyone knows how to change the designation I would be hugely appreciative.

I don't know if this helps anyone. I had the problem with ZoneAlarm not working correctly on bootup, where it just showed an X that it was not working. I converted my drive from Fat32 to NTFS and it now works correctly. Not sure exactly why. Maybe because it is a little slower booting, I don't know.
 
Any thoughts?
 
Ed