Request for Enhancement: Export/Import for settings & Site Blocking

[VanguardLH]

Did not see a feedback forum where to submit RFEs so am placing this one here.

Currently when the user does a fresh install (on a new host) or a reinstall (to correct a problem with Avast), all settings are lost.  The user must start from scratch.  Add an export/import for all settings.  If the user reinstalls Avast, they could first export the settings and then import them after the reinstall.  If the user installs Avast on another host, they can migrate their current setup to the new host.

Separately add an export/import for the Site Blocking feature.  I have lost this list too many time on a reinstall of Avast to waste time adding any entries to this list.  I would compile a list of blocked sites, add them, have to later to a reinstall of Avast, and have to start from scratch to manually enter all the sites assuming I still have the original list written somewhere.  Site blocking was last in version 4.8 (?), dropped in 5.0, and reappeared in 6.0.  It has always been susceptible to loss for that list resulting in me finding a more reliable means of blocking sites (and by domain instead of by host as, for example, provided by using the 'hosts' file).

If the user has elected to protect the settings in Avast by using a password, the exported settings and list file should also be protected by hashing its contents with the same password.  If the file is used in a fresh install or reinstall (where no password has yet been specified to protect Avast's settings) then the user gets prompted for the password used to encrypt the exported settings & list file.  Otherwise, the export/import functions (for settings and block list) should not be enabled unless the password has been specified to access Avast's settings (to get at the export/import functions) if the password was specified to protect Avast's settings.  The idea is to keep prying eyes from inspecting how Avast was setup if Avast has been configured for password protection of its settings.

Uninstalling Avast does not necessarily mean the user is permanently discarding Avast.  The user may reinstall Avast.  They may be doing a fresh install on another host.  The user should not have to reconstitute all settings from scrach and recompile the blocking list and do so manually which is obviously error prone in providing a match on prior settings and list content.

[Gargamel360]

Yeah, this has been requested before.  Nothing wrong with throwing your hat in the ring, though.  Its a good idea.

[DarkMasters]

+1

It's really such a pain to customizing Avast settings if you have a problem and need to uninstall it (either normal uninstall or clean uninstall).

[vbjay]

+1.  I do pc repair and push avast for my clients because it is a very good antivirus.  I do change some settings on each pc.  I would like to make the changes and then export the settings so I can just import them.  I would even suggest partial imports.  See below for example.

I am kind of surprised the url block setting doesn't have an import/export feature.  If I have a few sites I want to block I would have to go to each pc and add each entry.  I know I can use a hosts file, but if you offer the feature then it should be complete and allow import and export.  Along with importing and exporting I wouldn't erase the list and then add the entries.  I would merge the existing items with the import list.

 

[DavidR]

Yes this is something that we have been asking for, for some considerable time. The first concession we got was the ability to reset default settings. One down several to go.

You could as an interim measure save the various avast .ini files:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Avast Software\Avast\ (XP) or C:\ProgramData\Avast Software\Avast\ (Vista, Win7).