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Error message "There was a problem sending the command to the program" while using Search

Published: May 2004
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Symptom

When you right-click a folder and click "Search..." or while using the "Show Desktop" button in the Quick Launch bar, you may receive the following error message:

There was a problem sending the command to the program

Solution

This is caused by a setting in Zone Alarm. In Zone Alarm program settings, allowing Windows Explorer to access the internet (or the Trusted Zone alone) solves the problem. You don't need to allow Windows Explorer act as Server, though.

search_error1.JPG (20717 bytes)I could repro the problem with the latest version of EZ Trust Firewall (powered by ZoneAlarm). Windows Explorer just tries to the local PC IP address (127.0.0.1:port xxxx) or (0.0.0.0:port xxxx). Therefore, rather than allowing Windows Explorer access to the Internet, you may wish to add the local PC IP address to the TRUSTED zone and allow Windows Explorer access to the TRUSTED zones only. You may add 0.0.0.0 and 127.0.0.1 to the Trusted Zone and allow Windows Explorer access only to Trusted zone, but not the Internet Zone. (Credits to ZoneLabs forum for this Tip.)

If that does not help, reset the Zone Alarm settings to factory defaults and re-configure it again. All customizations in Zone Alarm will be lost.