[ken21]

now that i've got zone alarm re-installed, the error messages have returned:

for example, while deleting an e-mail ad from yahoo:

... ! the operation time out while attempting to contact us.
... f541 mail. yahoo.com.

[airedale]

Treat this problem very seriously.

If your getting that kind of error something is trying to get to to some place on the Internet and it's timing out. That message has nothing do do with email rather access to a location on the Internet. My guess is that you've still got something bad on your system or in the mail that's generating the error that's sending info from your system. It may even have it's own smpt engine. Your firewall is blocking part of it. Probably what it's trying to send to you after you've opened the mail. gotten out. What site is it trying to access. Zone Alarm is probably doing it's job

Send me the URL that it's trying to open, the message itself including the header (that will tell me where it really came from) and I'll see what I can find out. Send it via Freep Mail. You might want to send the same info to Zone Alarm's tech support and see what they have to say.

Download Leaktest from GRC and run it. See if anything gets out. Remember to answer no to answer no when Zone Alarm asks for access to the Internet. If it gets out you have something that's gotten out. Besides the specific programs I recommended get one of the Trojan Hunters from TuCows that allows for 30 days free trial.