Component Loading alert

Use the Component Loading alert to allow or deny Internet access to program that is loading a new or changed component some time after the program was launched. This helps protect you from hackers who try to use altered or faked components to get around your program control restrictions.

By clicking Yes, you allow the program to continue to access the Internet or local network resources while using the new or changed component. By clicking No, you prevent the program from accessing the Internet while using that component.

Tip Click the Details button to see what component(s) the program was loading.

Why these alerts occur

A Component Loading alert can occur in several normal situations. For example, if you click a link to a .pdf document, and your browser has not yet loaded the components necessary to read .pdf files, you will see a Component Loading alert as the browser loads that component.

However, a Component Loading alert can also occur if someone has tampered with a component, or created a malicious component designed to use a known program as a resource.

Component Loading alerts occur when all of the following are true:

The Program Control level is set to High.
A repeat program (one that has requested Internet access before, and whose MD5 signature has been recorded by ZoneAlarm Pro) loads a new component some time after the program itself has loaded.
That component is new or has changed, or has Ask permission set in the Components tab.

What you should do

The proper response to a Component Loading alert depends on your situation. Consider the following questions:

Are you actively using the application that loaded the component?
If the program that loaded the component was your browser, did you just try to access functionality that might require the browser to load a new component? Some examples of such functionality are flash videos and .pdf files.

If you can answer "Yes" to both questions, it is likely that ZoneAlarm Pro has detected legitimate components that your browser or other programs need to use. It is probably safe to answer Yes to the Changed Component alert.

If you cannot answer yes both questions, or if you feel unsure about the component for any reason, it is safest to answer No.

Investigating the alert

If you're not sure what to do, or if you decide to answer No, or if investigate the component to determine if it is safe. How?

How you can see fewer of these alerts

It is unusual to see a large number of Component Loading alerts. However, you may receive a large number of alerts if you raised the Program Authentication level to high soon after installing ZoneAlarm Pro. With authentication set to High, ZoneAlarm Pro cannot automatically secure the large number of DLLs and other components commonly used by browsers and other programs.

To greatly reduce the number of alerts, lower the authentication level to medium for the first few days after installing ZoneAlarm Pro How?

Glossary

component
A small program or set of functions that larger programs call on to perform specific tasks. Some components may be used by several different programs simultaneously. Windows operating systems provide many component DLLs (Dynamic Link Libraries) for use by a variety of Windows applications.

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