Zone Alarm in registry interfering with installation

[Alocasia]

Trying to install Win 7, and all is well until it checks compatability, and it says I have to remove Zone Alarm.

I don't remember ever installing Zone Alarm on this computer. I couldn't find any signs of it anywhere on the hard drive. I searched all over the web for different file names I should search for, but there are none on this computer....except when I run regedit, and under Legacy Dsvatant, there are two instances of Zone Alarm but I can't delete them. It won't allow me to remove them.

Any ideas what I should do? Should I install Zone Alarm and then remove it? I've cleaned everything else out. Can't wait to get rid of Vista, and this is so frustrating.

Thanks. I appreciate any help. I've been trying all day.

 

[sup3rsprt]

google for zone alarm removal tool

 

[Jonathan_King]

Try backing up all your data, and doing a clean install.

 

[Alocasia]

google for zone alarm removal tool

Tried. It won't work because the program doesn't exist on my computer.

Any idea if Registry Mechanic might be what's causing the problem? I think that's put out now by the ZA people.

 

[Alocasia]

Try backing up all your data, and doing a clean install.

No clean install for me. I don't want to go that way. I backed up with NovaStor, but the Windows 7 Advisor tells me I have to buy the new update in order for it to work with 7. There's got to be a way to get rid of these two files.

I just removed all of Registry Mechanic. I'll see if that maybe makes a difference.

 

[Jonathan_King]

Try backing up all your data, and doing a clean install.

No clean install for me. I don't want to go that way. I backed up with NovaStor, but the Windows 7 Advisor tells me I have to buy the new update in order for it to work with 7. There's got to be a way to get rid of these two files.

I just removed all of Registry Mechanic. I'll see if that maybe makes a difference.

Have you tried using Easy Transfer?

 

[Alocasia]

Try backing up all your data, and doing a clean install.

No clean install for me. I don't want to go that way. I backed up with NovaStor, but the Windows 7 Advisor tells me I have to buy the new update in order for it to work with 7. There's got to be a way to get rid of these two files.

I just removed all of Registry Mechanic. I'll see if that maybe makes a difference.

Have you tried using Easy Transfer?

Where would I transfer to?

 

[Jonathan_King]

another hard drive, if you have one. Anywhere with sufficient storage will work.

 

[sup3rsprt]

Tried. It won't work because the program doesn't exist on my computer

Maybe try installing it and then uninstalling to clean things up.

 

[Jonathan_King]

I do not know if this will work, so others please confirm/deny this. Is it possible that he could save his Easy Transfer file to his desktop, do a clean install over the current installation, and then retrieve his file from Windows.old? It sounds possible, but is it advisable?

 

[Alocasia]

another hard drive, if you have one. Anywhere with sufficient storage will work.

That's the problem. I don't have enough room. Plenty of room on the hard drive that I want to be 7 on, but the 320GB external has tons of crap including that last backup which took 4 hours for some reason.

I deleted Registry Mechanic, cleaned everything from it out, and rebooted, and those two files are still in the registry. They are both Zone Alarm Firewall Driver. I don't recall ever not being able to delete something from the registry. Maybe I'll try installing the ZA Firewall, and then removing it. Maybe that will get rid of it.

 

[sup3rsprt]

Yes King that would work. but he must not format the partition Windows is on.

 

[Jonathan_King]

Okay, Alocasia, if you are interested in doing a clean install, you can save your Easy Transfer file to your desktop. Then do a clean install over your current OS, but do not format your partition in the process. If you have any trouble, ask for help, bacause you do not want to risk losing your data.
After you install, restore your files from the file you created. It will be located in C:\Windows.old\Users\[Username]\Desktop.

 

[sup3rsprt]

Plenty of room on the hard drive that I want to be 7 on

Then you could store the backup there. It only means you need to preformat it, do the backup, then install Windows 7 (but DO NOT FORMAT during the install process).

I don't recall ever not being able to delete something from the registry.

ZA has drivers that protect itself from being deleted.

 

[Alocasia]

Tried. It won't work because the program doesn't exist on my computer

Maybe try installing it and then uninstalling to clean things up.

I just tried that, and the first thing that pops up is it's not compatible with my AVG Internet Security Suite, and I have to remove that first. I can't freakin win.

 

[sup3rsprt]

uninstall AVG too. You can reinstall it later.

 

[Alocasia]

Yes King that would work. but he must not format the partition Windows is on.

She, and I'm not fully sure what you mean. The little Drive D that has all the Dell files on it?

 

[Alocasia]

Okay, Alocasia, if you are interested in doing a clean install, you can save your Easy Transfer file to your desktop. Then do a clean install over your current OS, but do not format your partition in the process. If you have any trouble, ask for help, bacause you do not want to risk losing your data.
After you install, restore your files from the file you created. It will be located in C:\Windows.old\Users\[Username]\Desktop.

I don't think I'll have enough room, will I? I'm not even totally sure what you mean. If I start with a clean install, that means a clean new registry, and I'll have to reinstall all my programs, right?

 

[sup3rsprt]

She

Sorry, my lady

All we mean is DO NOT format the drive you store the backup to.

If I start with a clean install, that means a clean new registry, and I'll have to reinstall all my programs, right?

yes that is correct.

 

[Alocasia]

uninstall AVG too. You can reinstall it later.

So uninstall my AVG and then install the ZA, now Checkpoint, Internet Suite? Then I remove that and start again?