In case I'm not understanding this right, the following is the case:-

You re-installed Windows (off the offical CD). It worked.

You installed your AV and Zone Alarm. It stopped working.

Now call me stupid, but I'm reminded of the old joke: "Doctor, it hurts when I do this!" "Well don't do it then!"

It's not unknown for AV and/or Zone Alarm to have problems. I know I took out my system quite comprehensively about 5 years ago with a version of Zone Alarm off a magazine cover disk. Similarly, AV software isn't guaranteed crash-proof. But also consider the possibility that this particular zip-disk (and hence all other zip disks you've ever created) might have a virus on it.

If you're on dial-up, your chances of needing Zone Alarm are slim, so you can live without it. If you really want it, download a new copy directly off the net. Ditto for AV.

Also consider that there might be a hardware problem. The HD is unlikely to be the cause - if your problem is exclusively getting on the net, it's more likely to be the modem. Or it could be a dodgy PCI port on the motherboard, so try swapping the modem into a different slot.

Graham.