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Today morning when I turned on my computer, I was just searching for a specific research paper (using Internet Explorer) when I found a PDF file I wanted to download.
I right-clicked on it, and went to "Save Target As". I soon found that it was disabled (visible, but in a greyish deactivated colour which wasn't clickable).
I tried this for other files as well (.exe, .zip etc.) and it still didn't work - so I ended up using FireFox to download it.
I was wondering what the reason of this could be? Is there any way to fix it? (I couldn't find anything.)
Sid
I even reset my "Web Setttings" but no luck :(
Any other ideas?
Sid
Sid
Shall I switch to Opera? ;)
Might not be what your problem is, but it's worth checking out.
Shall I switch to Opera?
yes.
Also you might want to try rebooting once you have cleared you cache - similar thing happened to me and did not take affect till I restarted.
Thanks everyone for helping.
Sid
(PS) Now I'm not switching to Opera! :)
Until a couple of weeks ago I was using a firewall with DSL. It's a long story, but I was forced to use a dialup account until the line could be free of the old DSL provider and the new one could set up the equipment.
In the interim the free version of Zone Alarm was installed on the machine. I am not kidding when I tell you that a ping was received every few minutes. Out of curiosity I looked up the pinger's IP address and found that the sources were from all around the globe.
I'm not sure exactly the purpose of the pinging other than it is one way mean and nasty people get into your computer.
You are living life on the edge if you are not using some sort of firewall.
Nah, I've tried ZoneAlarm (Paid version) but it bothers me too much. Every site I visit, or a service I open (ie. Yahoo! Messenger), it gives me that warning thing.
And also, once it even disabled my Internet for some reason. I'll just stick to the default Windows XP Firewall thanks :)
Sid
Nah, I've tried ZoneAlarm (Paid version) but it bothers me too much. Every site I visit, or a service I open (ie. Yahoo! Messenger), it gives me that warning thing.
*laughing* You really need to read the help docs etc. And do some tweaks. The only time I get anything from ZA is if it's NOT covered in my own personal version of the "defaults". Which is maybe once or twice a YEAR.... and believe me, I'm not just an "occasional" surfer....
As to the WinXP firewall: yes, good that you use it. So do I. But it's a simple version of a simple-minded "fix". Do NOT pretend to believe that it will protect you, please; because if it's the only piece of intervention you use, you are in BIG TROUBLE. Don't come crying to me when you see the hinges of the gates of hell opening before your very eyes....
[Edit: caveat.... if you use dreck like the messenger proggies, you deserve WHATEVER happens to you....]
I think it's better than ZoneAlarm, hasn't blocked my Internet Access yet and hopefully it never does.
Will spend some time tonight "customizing" it.
Sid
Ok, I installed Norton SystemWorks and Firewall 2004.
In which case your machine will look protected and feel protected and tell you it is protected. And in fact any 9 yr old with a bent bobby pin and note pad can own you anytime they want. The other names of the "product" you mention include trojan pathway and open door. Sells well though and comes pre installed on most machines.
I worked with the Redmond sec people in Europe during the mydoom scare when they really want to try harder to get it right they outsource. Zone alarm isn't 100% fail proof 'cos if you can find it out there in "cracked" freebie version ( which you can although it needs a pretty good cracker to do it ) then obviously the code can be "compromised. The phrase/word I found elswhere here, like it used with acknowlegement to dcrombie ).
However its a whole lot better than the one you just installed. It didn't block you from the net. You didn't read it right and it tried to protect your machine because of what you told it to do.
If you can't understand the gearshift on a Ferrari and you back it into the wall of your garage instead of out into the street Whose fault is it? Get a firewall! What you have isn't it's "product" and before all the posts about "well I've been using it since ..and never had a problem "
How do you know that your machine aren't running as semi zombies and worm farms? You think that its gonna tell you "hey I'm not ruining your register or slowing your machine but I sure as hell am talking to every other machine that I can send a bunch a crap to every time we connect this here box"!
BTW did I mention that "N" talks to the mothership about your surfing habits and the contents of your hard drive every time it updates and identifies itself and your machine more precisely than Redmond does?
Oh yeah and 90% of all current worms and virii come with it's "certified clean" tag and a hyperlink to it's maker ...
It's machines that think they are protected that are responsible for all the crap thats out there and the ...HHHHHMMM ...let me see ..Today I got 360 incomings of a netsky variant ( thanks dc ) and wazzup all via my national ISP
Get a real firewall / AV ..learn how to use it ...
"this has been a public service rant on behalf of net users everywhere whose dialup bills are huge due to time taken downloading contaminated "passed" mail "
[edited by: BlobFisk at 11:40 am (utc) on June 5, 2004]
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As for the instructions, yes, I did read them while I had it installed, and also Googled the web on why it was doing that. I fixed it, but after a couple of days, the same thing happened for some reason (maybe because I had Windows ME at that time?).
However, as many are saying it works well and all, I may give it a re-try with the latest version - because the time I had ZoneAlarm installed was more than a year ago. And because of that, the new version maybe much better and I now have XP.
And as for Norton, it won't hurt having that alongside AVG :)
Sid
I'm not sure why everyone wants me to use ZoneAlarm,
the reviews that said "Zonealarm" can be tricky to use?
If you leave it on default ..ie maximum protection and filtering of content etc ..and then one day you try to go somewhere where it thinks you didn't mean to ..cos thats what you said in your choices ..
Then it will block you. It's doing it's job.
Also sometimes it may block because you have recently installed other software which is accessing or trying to access at the start up. So it will ask you. Or it will block you and ask for your password and to repeat your allowed prog decisions. Nothing is 100% perfect!
This one is better than most and the one that all serious security pro's do recommend to install. Personally I suggest you also use a registry monitor and a trojan blocker and a real AV ..which again "N" is not. Or go to penguin or Mac.
[edited by: BlobFisk at 11:42 am (utc) on June 5, 2004]
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