Failed to Read... : Connecting to Xara.com

My XX will not connect to the Xara site, I can't get fills or clipart, etc. I keep getting error messages that it can't connect or retrieve the information.

This is what it says when I try the 'update' link in Help:

Failed to connect Xara.com or failed to read update information.

The fills says:

Unable to download fill folder information. Click on 'get fills' to try again.

I assume it's something I did or didn't do when I installed this?

Is there a way to get any updates without going through the link in the help menu or to get fills, etc. manually?

Thanks, Nancy

Hi Nancy,

Welcome to Talkgraphics.

Those messages usually indicate that you either do not have a connection to the internet or you may be on a network that uses a proxy server that is blocking access.

What type of internet connection do you have?

Hi, thanks for responding. I am on a DSL connection at home. I am the only user. None of my other programs has trouble connecting. Could I have denied something when I setup Xara? Would a reinstall help possibly?

I prefer not to uninstall if it is not necessary though.

Nancy try removing power to your DSL router for a few seconds then power it up again.

My DSL router sometimes will act up especially after a thunderstorm. It will decide to block some IP address. One time it decided I did not need to read any wikipedia pages and blocked them all. Pulling the power cord out of the socket and counting to 30 then plugging it in again clears the problem until the next power fluctuation or thunderstorm.

Bill is dead right about rebooting your modem/router - definatley worth trying.

Another thing to check that I come across all the time, is a third party firewall is installed. You may have inadvertently given it the wrong answer when it asked about allowing the new outgoing connection when installing XaraXtreme.

If this is the case, you will need to find and edit the rule. This will depend on which firewall software you might be using.

Hopefully Bills suggestion will be the winner :D

Thank you both. I reboot my DSL modem occasionally but will try that again. The ZoneAlarm rule sounds truer to what may have happened. I don't like my programs trying to access the net when they open so I may have said remember 'no' to Xara.

I don't know how to edit the rule but I'll look around the ZoneAlarm program and see what options it gives me. Thanks. Nancy

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Originally Posted by Burpee

Thank you both. I reboot my DSL modem occasionally but will try that again. The ZoneAlarm rule sounds truer to what may have happened. I don't like my programs trying to access the net when they open so I may have said remember 'no' to Xara.

I don't know how to edit the rule but I'll look around the ZoneAlarm program and see what options it gives me. Thanks. Nancy

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You can turn zonealarm off temporarily from the icon tray on the right side of the taskbar. Find the Zonealarm icon and right click on it. That's wehre the option is.

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Originally Posted by Doug

You can turn zonealarm off temporarily from the icon tray on the right side of the taskbar.

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I wouldn't do that. The computer could be attacked almost immediately. A better idea would be to go into the ZoneAlarm control panel and look for the list of apps. It should show you what the permissions are for each app. Granted, I haven't used the free version of ZA in several years, and I quit using the pro version after having way too many conflicts and problems with connections, so I can't tell you exactly where it is. You should have access to the list, whatever version you're on.

BTW, I've been using Comodo for 6 or 8 months now, and it seems to be working just fine.

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Originally Posted by amoore

I wouldn't do that. The computer could be attacked almost immediately.

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The sky is falling! The sky is falling! Thank you Chicken Little!

That's being rather paranoid. The hackers and bad guys aren't waiting around the corner to pounce on every one of the millions of computers on the internet. You seem to have swallowed the paranoia dished out by the companies that sell security software. :rolleyes:

Or do you look under the bed at night for the boogie man and ghosties?!? :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by amoore

I wouldn't do that.

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Nor would I.

Disconnect from web - disable zone alarm - enable windows firewall - reconnect

Being on the web without a firewall is irresponsible - bad news is automated these days, not a question of someone waiting, but of constant scanning attacks that could pop up anywhere.

And you know what - a lot of these attacks come from machines that have been quietly infected from other machines that were left open in just such a way - and sooner or later someone suffers big-time.

Its not paranoia - its a real problem
:(
Would you walk across the road with your eyes closed and feel safe because you couldn't hear anything coming? Even once?
;)

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Originally Posted by handrawn

Nor would I.

Its not paranoia - its a real problem

Would you walk across the road with your eyes closed and feel safe because you couldn't hear anything coming? Even once?
;)

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It IS paranoia. I wouldn't go and walk thru the bad part of town where the drug dealers are and walk down a dark alley at midnight, that's a reasonable precaution.

But being paranoid to go out of your house at all is a pathetic phobia.
Are you scared to go out because you MIGHT get mugged? :rolleyes:


Computer wise, it's just plain silly to be scared to turn off your firewall for a few minutes. Of course there are scanners looking around, but there are also millions of other computers on the internet.

I use a hardware router with firewall and virus checker 99% of the time but in a situation like the original poster described, of course I would temporarily turn off the firewall fro a few minutes. I've been using computers since the XT (early 1980's) and been on bbs's and later the internet since around 1990.

I have only ever had one virus and no attacks. BTW-the one virus was from a floppy disk from work! :rolleyes:

Oh ya-raging paranoia: welcome to the internet! :rolleyes:

Hi, I thank each and everyone of you for responding. I looked around my ZoneAlarm and found Xara.com. It was banned from connecting to the web so I allowed it. It works fine now. Thank you!!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Burpee

Hi, I thank each and everyone of you for responding. I looked around my ZoneAlarm and found Xara.com. It was banned from connecting to the web so I allowed it. It works fine now. Thank you!!!

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Glad you got your problem fixed

Cheers

Doug

Its no big deal Doug - I just would not advise anyone else to do it thats all.
:)
Glad you got the problem sorted Nancy :cool:

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Originally Posted by handrawn

Its no big deal Doug

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To turn off the firewall for a few minutes? No it's not, that's what I've been trying to tell you. Kids-they never listen! :rolleyes:

Quote:

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I just would not advise anyone else to do it thats all.

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Yes, you said that before. Want to try one more post and say it again, that way you can get the last word in.

Here you go-the last word-since it's so important, it's all yours, I won't be wasting time reading it.

Thank goodness for the ignore list-PLONK!

:rolleyes:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Doug

I've been using computers since the XT (early 1980's) and been on bbs's and later the internet since around 1990.

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Good for you Doug but calling media induced concern 'paranioa' isn't being objective.
I'm not sure that being on the attack and trying to make a fool out of a member is a good way to get a message understood either.

I've often heard about NAT (Network Address Translation) built-in to most DSL modem/routers as being a 'hardware firewall'. This isn't quite correct. NAT is a mechanism to make further use of the rather scarce amount of IPv4 addresses out there. It monitors incoming packets and sends them to the network PC that requested them while hiding that PC's IP from the outside world. Although if you have a port forward set for that internal IP (eg: torrent clients need PF), you've kind'a announced it's presence. Port scanners will pick it up and worm their way through no problem.
Software firewalls are only as good as the computers users understanding of them.
The reason I suggested in post#5 that Nancy's problem could be related to a permission setting (which turned out to be exactly what the problem was) is because I see this all the time. Lot's of people have heard that you need a firewall so install one of the popular brands, then proceed to say 'Deny' or 'Allow' at every request the firewall makes, thus either fully opening up their PC or fully closing it down and having no access to the internet at all.
The media are good at sensationalising but poor at educating. The general PC public need to be correctly informed before they can make the correct choices. This isn't happening as fas as I can see.

Humm raw nerves or what?
Sorry if I offended you Doug, I only meant it was not worth slagging each other off about. ;)