Program Component alert

Use the Program Component alert to allow or deny Internet access to a program that is using one or more components that haven't yet been secured by ZoneAlarm Pro. 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 access the Internet while using the new or changed components. By clicking No, you prevent the program from accessing the Internet while using those components.

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

Why these alerts occur

Program Component alerts occur when a program accessing the Internet or local network is using one or more components that ZoneAlarm Pro has not yet secured, or that has changed since it was secured.

Note ZoneAlarm Pro automatically secures the components that a program is using at the time you grant it access permission. This prevents you from seeing a Component alert for every component loaded by your browser. To learn how ZoneAlarm Pro secures program components see the related topic Program authentication.

What you should do

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

Are any of the following true?
- You just installed or reinstalled ZoneAlarm Pro.
- You recently updated the application that is loading the component (For the application name, look under Technical Information in the alert pop-up.)
- The application that is loading the component ha an automatic update function.
- Someone else (for example, a systems administrator at your workplace) may have updated a program on your computer without your knowledge.
Are you actively using the application that loaded the component?

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 Program 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, investigate the component to determine if it is safe. How?

How you can see fewer of these alerts

You may receive a large number of component 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?

If you have been using ZoneAlarm Pro for more than a few days, it is very rare to see large numbers of program alerts.

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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DLL (Dynamic Link Library)
A library of functions that can be accessed dynamically (that is, as needed) by a Windows application.