Avast 5.0.377 Web Shield Blocks Browser, Then Hangs

[lgreen]

Windows Vista Home Premium sp2 w/ Zone Alarm.  Upgraded from Avast 4.8 (clean uninstall) to 5.0.377 (clean install).  Had no issue whatsoever with Zone Alarm on Avast 4.8.  Problem-free 5.0 install.  Works fine while browsing for a few hours.  Out of nowhere, browser stops connecting to web pages.  This occurs while using Opera 10, Avant, or IE8.  Mail client Outlook still connects without issue.  Home network still intact.  Stopping Web Shield corrects the problem.  Try to restart Web Shield, but program won't allow. Nothing happens when clicking Start or Fix Now.  In the Web Shield tab, both Start and Stop are highlighted at the same time.  In Vista Services (services.msc), avast Web Scanner is listed as 'stopping' - not started or stopped, but 'stopping' as in trying to stop.  Any change to this status is not allowed.  Rebooting is only option to correct Web Shield 'hang' at stopping.  Any help is appreciated.

[lgreen]

Based on what I've read on this forum and experienced first-hand, Web Shield has some serious issues with certain operating systems/software configurations.  I disabled 'Scan web (HTTP) traffic' in Wed Shield and have yet to experience any issues. As well, browser response time has improved noticeably.  Hopefully, the powers that be will be successful in their efforts to make this program more adaptable to the numerous operating systems and software configurations.

[Cahya Legawa]

Hmm... I use with Outpost Firewall 2009 Free, and found no problems, I stop using Zone Alarm since it has conflict with previous avast 4.8

[lgreen]

Used 4.8 with ZA for almost a year - all without issue.  There has to be more to it than just ZA.  It could be UltraMon (monitor utility) or Wizmouse (mouse utility) or a combination thereof.  Can't live without those utilities so for the time being I will either live without Web Shield or go back to 4.8.  BTW, thanks for the reply.

[Cahya Legawa]

Igreen,

When avast puts together with ZA, I found there is a message one of ZA or avast webshield must be deactivated, and as default choice from avast, it automatically deactivate its own webshield when detects ZA- so there would be no more conflict. I guess in my experience it is an automatically solved conflict.

But I don't know with the avast 5.

[frozensnack]

This topic is a duplicate of http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=56522.msg476809#msg476809. Go there for a more intensely rewarding experience with this issue.

[Sp00k]

Hi. Posted this on the other thread, but thought someone here might find it useful, too (or not - but worth posting!)

-----------------------

Hi all. Don't know if anyone is still having this issue, but we had exactly the same problem on 2 workstations and fixed it this way:

1. In IE / Firefox etc, enable automatic proxy
2. - In Avast User Interface, click "Settings" (Top right with the spanner icon),
    - Go to "Troubleshooting (on the left column)
    - Expand "Redirect Settings".
       Under "Web" / HTTP port(s):, I had 80.
    - Change this to a different port (for example, I used the default Avast port of 12080
    - Re-open IE or Firefox and (hopefully) you will have Internet access.

I'm not sure why this works. I've checked on computers that have Avast 5 working, and they are set to "80" - and everything still works fine. Either way, it worked for me. Hope it works for someone else as well!

[bobo1]

Old version of avast. Try the new latest version?

[Sp00k]

It didn't help us. Hopefully it will help someone else though...

[DavidR]

It won't help as you have effectively disabled the web shield proxy so nothing is being redirected as your browser still used port 80. By changing the port 80 to anything else the web shield isn't monitoring the http port 80 browser traffic.

[Sp00k]

Ahh - that explained why it fixed the issue!

So I would have to manually set the proxy in IE to go through the same port (127.0.0.1:12080)? My guess is if I do this I'll be back to square 1: ie no Internet...

[DavidR]

Well in theory you shouldn't have to set a proxy in your browser/s at all, with Vista it should be transparent.

However, you never said what version of ZA that you have, free/pro, etc. ?
As the ZA pro version has a Privacy function and that can stuff up some connections going through the web shield proxy (transparently). In that case it is necessary to manually set the proxy in your browser/s

Does ZA allow avastSvc.exe internet access in its Program control ?
- If it does delete the entry for it and reconnect to the internet, this should force the firewall to ask permission again.

-  also see Cause for apparent Web Shield blocking internet connection, http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=57443.0.

[Sp00k]

Well, I'm hijacking the tread a bit here, but I thought it might help troubleshooting lgreen's issue. The PC we had the issue on (and quite possible still do) did not have ZA or any other firewall installed apart from XP's. In fact very little 3rd party software apart from some till software and the usuals (Office etc).