scanning downloads

[hetzer]

I used to use avast4 to auto scan my downloaded files using Firefox with the plugin "Download Status Bar's" Virus scan option.
The manual scan was done using the %1 switch and entering the path to the avast executable.
This seems to be stopped in version 5.
Is there any way to do this using avast5?

[DavidR]

The file is the same but the location is only slightly different C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast5\ashQuick.exe. It shouldn't need the switch, that is more of a download manager requirement.

[hetzer]

No joy I'm afraid. With or without the %1 switch,
 C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast5\ashQuick.exe
no longer runs, scanning the newly acquired file, on completing a download!

I can of course right click the displayed downloaded file and choose to open the folder and then right click again and get an avast scan ..... but the automatic V scan functionality I had with avast4 & the "download status bar plugin" seems to be gone!!

[DavidR]

It actually runs, but it doesn't display the interface, should it find something then it will alert.

It also depends on a couple of things as to whether it gets scanned by the web shield or the file system shield, so it may not really be absolutely required.

Try downloading one of the eicar test files using the SSL/HTTPS (secure connection) as this won't be scanned by the web shield and the ashQuick should alert and you will probably also find that the file system shield also alerts (the order may differ).

http://eicar.org/anti_virus_test_file.htm

[hetzer]

Downloaded eicar com.zip and the email canner immediately stopped the download and broke the connection .... full marks but not a test for the Ashquick part of the package.

So I downloaded eicarcom2.zip (eicar.com in a zipfile within another zip file!!) which was missed by the web scanner and sure enough after a short pause a warning notice appeared from avast saying the downloaded file contained a virus sig.
So you are correct and ashquick is running silently after all!
Thank you for your time!

[DavidR]

You're welcome.

The email scanners shouldn't get a look in (you aren't emailing anything) 'if you download the file' right click on one of the eicar.com files on the SSL connection that I mentioned.

The reason I specifically said use the SSL was to avoid the web shield as it doesn't scan secure connections. I also suggest downloading the eicar.com file is is isn't zipped as there shouldn't be any anomaly relating to zip file scanning.

The main thing is that you know the ashQuick is running as it should be.

[leebojammin]

You're welcome.

The email scanners shouldn't get a look in (you aren't emailing anything) 'if you download the file' right click on one of the eicar.com files on the SSL connection that I mentioned.

The reason I specifically said use the SSL was to avoid the web shield as it doesn't scan secure connections. I also suggest downloading the eicar.com file is is isn't zipped as there shouldn't be any anomaly relating to zip file scanning.

The main thing is that you know the ashQuick is running as it should be.

I trust avast, but only so far, so is there really no way to turn on a visible report for right click scans in windows 7 64bit  and latest avast free ?

thx
leeboj.

[DavidR]

You are confusing two uses of ashQuick.exe:

1. If you right click on a file on your system avast will display the results by default (see image) and there is no option to turn that display off. So if you use the right click scan are you getting the results displayed ?

In avast 4.8 this scan info was not displayed by default, but there was an option to display it.

2. The call of ashQuick.exe when used in a download manager acts differently as that doesn't display anything unless there is a detection and there is no option to display the results. The thinking behind this I presume is that you don't have to stop what you are doing and cancel/acknowledge those results.

[leebojammin]

You are confusing two uses of ashQuick.exe:

1. If you right click on a file on your system avast will display the results by default (see image) and there is no option to turn that display off. So if you use the right click scan are you getting the results displayed ?

In avast 4.8 this scan info was not displayed by default, but there was an option to display it.

2. The call of ashQuick.exe when used in a download manager acts differently as that doesn't display anything unless there is a detection and there is no option to display the results. The thinking behind this I presume is that you don't have to stop what you are doing and cancel/acknowledge those results.

I have avast 5 free , and its not showing results, but clearly its scanning , by seeing visible HD spinning during process.

thx
leeboj.

[hetzer]

You're welcome.

The email scanners shouldn't get a look in (you aren't emailing anything) 'if you download the file' right click on one of the eicar.com files on the SSL connection that I mentioned.

Oops! My stupid! It was, I assume, the web scanner that caught the initial eicar download not the email scanner, sorry careless mistake!!

But ashquick did indeed catch the nested eicar.com within the zips.

Ashquick also run from the VIRUS button from winzip (when set up with the path etc) when I used Winzip to open the downloaded eicarcom2.zip file.
So ashquick.exe is functioning as in version 4 just without showing the results when nothing is found!

The way I have it set up ashquick.exe is acting as a 2nd layer of defence, if a virus gets past the avast web scanner, which acts to prevent the download completing, ashquick is scanning the downloaded file looking within zip files and warning of virus sigs within!