Windows Update breaks Zone Alarm; Check Point issues a fix So I’ve been hearing from a few Cringesters that an automatic Windows Update earlier this week broke Zone Alarm on their clients’ systems. To quote reader J. M.: The July 8 Windows Update (KB951748) to fix a DNS hijack issue breaks Zone Alarm (most versions) so that the affected (or infected) computer cannot access the Internet. Zone Labs says they’re working on it. In the meantime the only solution is to either manually program in your DNS server entries into Zone Alarm, or to uninstall the Microsoft hotfix…..This has made a real fun day for those of us doing remote support for irregular customers who have updates set to automatic. The good news: This is one problem that doesn’t affect Vista users. Check Point Software did post some fixes for the problem, though I haven’t tested them out. (I quit using ZoneAlarm a while back; like a lot of security software it started out simple and sleek, and then gradually got more and more bloated and sluggish.) Your other options: uninstall the hotfix, or set your firewall security to ‘medium.’ Nice.It’s always fun when a ‘security fix’ breaks your computer’s security software, though. What, you mean there’s other software in the world not written by Microsoft? Gates may be gone, but his legacy lives on. Got hot tips or more Microsoft workarounds? Post them below or email me here: cringe (at) infoworld (dot) com. Swingin’ swag awaits top tipsters. Think you’ve got the right stuff to pass our tech quizzes? They’re not as easy as they look: • The InfoWorld News Quiz • Test Your Geek IQ • Test Your Network Security IQ Software DevelopmentSmall and Medium Business