I was so happy that I even paid for the Pro version as my way to say thank you, even though I was eligible to use the free version.
I was a little upset when I was notified by ZoneAlarm that there was a new version available and that I should download it immediately, without telling me that my Upgrade capability on the Pro version had just expired, and that I would have to pay to install the upgrade.
I told ZoneLabs I intended to write this article, but that if they had any explanation they wanted included I would run it, and here is the response from Te Smith, Director, Corporate Communications, Zone Labs Inc.
Here's what *should* happen; I realize it did not happen on your system, but I want to be sure and be clear about how the software works for 99.9% of users.
With ZoneAlarm Pro version 2.6, the license was granted on an annual basis, 12 months from the time of purchase, with all updates during that 12 months included. With ZoneAlarm Pro 3.0, we changed the licensing to a perpetual license to *use* the software, with 12 months of updates included in the price. In both versions, a "Check for Update" feature automatically informs the user whenever a new update is available, if the user chose to enable that during install. You can also check for updates manually, or change from automatic to manual and vice versa.
A month before the key expires, the software should start informing you that the key is about to expire. That way, you have a 30-day warning that the key needs to be updated. I believe we would also send email to you that your key is about to expire so you can purchase a new key (and another 12 months of updates) at a discounted price.
I know that did not happen with your system, and I have no idea why it did not. There is no generally known problem of this nature with our software; that's why I suspect a system-specific problem with your configuration. What caused it, I couldn't say. But I've asked the Customer Service/Tech Support folks to get in touch with you to solve the problem. At this point, I don't think giving you another key is going to solve it, as there appears to be corruption of some kind in whatever file is holding the license key.
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