# ZoneAlarm problem



## shughe54 (Dec 6, 2005)

I've installed win98 se on a clean formated partition but can't install Zone Alarm free edition. Get the following complaint

Validation failed for C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\VSINIT.DLL. You probably are missing a neccessary root certificate.

I get same complaint even when ZA is the first app i try to install. Same complaint if it's an older version or the latest version of ZA, off my archive cd or the internet
AVG free doesn't find any viruses
I've deleted the partition and reformatted and reinstalled win98se with same results.

Thanks in advance for any help


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## koala (Mar 27, 2005)

Here's the Zone Labs solution http://www.nohold.net/noHoldCust25/Prod_1/Articles55646/validation_failed.html

And I found this in a forum which might be relevant


> *If you check your internet explorer options, go to the content tab and click certificates. Now check the trusted root certification authorities. If you don't see anything listed there, that is your problem.* We recently had that issue at work and it turns out the certs were being deleted by spyware that got in through unpatched machines. When those are missing we were getting validation errors, firewalls that were failing to start up and cisco VPN that wouldn't work. Cisco actually uses zone alarm technology for it's stateful firewall, so that's where that dll comes into play. *As far as replacing those certs (if they are actually missing) go to microsoft and do a search for rootsupd.exe. That will populate the trusted roots with the latest ones.*


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## shughe54 (Dec 6, 2005)

> *We have determined that on systems with a validation error the root certificates were missing.
> 
> The Zone Labs client has nothing to do with any kind of certificate removals and we can only assume that something malicious has removed them from effected machines.*


I wasn't aware malicious software or a virus could survive when OS is wiped out by reformating the HD. So I'm wondering if sinse I wasn't connected to the internet when I did the install that the certificate couldn't be updated or whatever. My other thought is that both my install CDs are going south. 
Anyway I'll try ZA's solution in the AM when I get home and let u know.
BTW there are a bunch of root certificates in my IE browser but I don't know what they are.

Thanks


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## shughe54 (Dec 6, 2005)

I put the Computer on the internet and upgraded to windows ie6 and installed the missing root certificate. ZoneAlarm then installed.


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