Platform-Specific Issues

Windows-specific problems often involve antivirus interference. Security software might flag ZAP's scanning behavior as malicious, blocking or quarantining components. Add ZAP installation directories to antivirus exclusions. Windows Defender occasionally interferes with certificate generation—temporarily disable real-time protection during initial setup. User Account Control (UAC) can prevent proper installation—run installers with administrator privileges.

Linux permission issues prevent proper operation when ZAP cannot write to necessary directories. Ensure the user running ZAP has write permissions to home directories for session storage. Port binding below 1024 requires root privileges—use default port 8080 or higher. SELinux policies might block ZAP operations—check audit logs and adjust policies accordingly.

macOS security features increasingly restrict application behavior. Gatekeeper might prevent ZAP from running—right-click and select "Open" to bypass initial restrictions. Recent macOS versions require explicit permissions for network interception. Grant necessary permissions through System Preferences > Security & Privacy. Certificate trust requires adding ZAP's certificate to the system keychain with appropriate trust settings.