Avast WEBforum
Consumer Products => Avast Mac Security => Topic started by: Hughmoz on August 24, 2013, 11:50:36 AM
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This is so silly. Both Safari and Firefox have extensions listed for Avast on the browsers and yet with the web shield on I cannot connect to the internet. What is the point of having an anti virus which stops you using your computer to go on the internet? If you disable the web shield or cancel the extensions for Avast in the browsers then you are defeating the whole object of having anti virus software. When I look at all sorts of forums on this problem the answers are sometimes complicated but often just do not work. Surely these programmes should be designed to work and not create hours of wasted time for everybody without having to play around for hours getting nowhere? I thought that computers were supposed to free up time but having used them for 25 years I can honestly say that they take up far too much time just keeping them running and being able to use the internet.
Is it possible to have Web shield on and use Safari and Firefox? And can you disable web rep which seems like a paranoid parent and probably why the whole progarmme does not work in the first place. And why is there no reliable information on Avast for Mac anywhere on the internet? Is it that bad that nobody uses it or that it is so new that nobody has thought anything through? It appears that developers put out programmes that have not been thought through or tested properly and then everyone spends countless hours playing intellectual ping pong in making excuses for bad design. Any proper help would be much appreciated.
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Webrep extension has nothing to do with net access, webrep serves one purpose only, to show you the Web Reputation ranking (according to Avast!) of sites when you google for them. But lets leave that aside, by just saying that webrep is a red herring here.
Of course it's possible, as you can expect, most users have no problem whatsoever connecting to the internet using their browsers and Avast!, or else there would be no Avast! by now. You make a lot of assumptions based not only on webrep but on your bad experience, the first of that assumptions is that everyone else or most people had your problem, this isn't true, I never had that problem.
If we come down from those assumptions and accept this is a rare or exotic behaviour, then we can actually go thru the specifics of your environment. Let me give you some examples: Do you have any firewall (like little snitch) blocking access to avast? Do you have any proxy configured?
As of right now, your post boils down to "I cannot connect to the internet and I don't know why" and everything else is a bitter rant based on a construction of assumptions on top of assumptions that you force people to read if they have a genuine intent of helping a fellow man (my case).
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I'm experiencing the same issue as Hughmoz. I have to turn off Web Shield to access most websites. For example, www.google.com won't load. :o The error I receive is "The connection was reset" blah blah blah. It doesn't matter if I'm using Firefox 23 or Safari 4. For some reason, Web Shield is blocking a bunch of legitimate sites. I'm using Snow Leopard 10.6.3, Little Snitch is allowing all Avast connections and I'm not using a proxy.
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Well specimen9999
There is little information that I have found on Avast website about how Avast for Mac (free version) works or, how you set it up or how to fix anything. Most information available comes on download sites like CNET. So, thanks for all your put downs, however, you have not answered anything and there is no rant. I gave factual information about web shield not working with Avast with a moan about web rep. Web Rep complaints are a plenty on this forum and have been read by a lot of people. It is commonly expressed problem on the internet that with web shield on, Avast Mac (free version) stops you connecting to the internet. It is not unreasonable to seek answers for this. So, thank you to SarahVTEC for her post. I do not have anything else except Sophos for Mac as that deals with Windows as well as Mac anti virus and I only put Avast on because it deals with email and protection against infected websites. I have not got Little Snitch or any proxy that I am aware of and am using Snow Leopard 10.6.8. Spent whole day on Friday looking on the internet and forums and there is a lot of flannel but no answers that appear to work. Avast just advised me this morning to turn off the web shield as they say everything is covered by other components . So, the company that developed it say turn it off and you seem happy with it. I will await until someone who understands how to resolve the problem comes forth. :)
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I'm experiencing the same issue as Hughmoz. I have to turn off Web Shield to access most websites. For example, www.google.com won't load. :o The error I receive is "The connection was reset" blah blah blah. It doesn't matter if I'm using Firefox 23 or Safari 4. For some reason, Web Shield is blocking a bunch of legitimate sites. I'm using Snow Leopard 10.6.3, Little Snitch is allowing all Avast connections and I'm not using a proxy.
SarahVTEC, when this happens can you please look in the Console.app (/Applications/Utilities/) what are the error messages that appear (that in some way refer to "avast") and paste those here.
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I think that the issue is between web rep and the browser in Firefox as the extension and uninstall of same are are held in web rep on the browser Add-ons. and in Firefox under Tools > Add-ons it has Avast ! Online security 8.0.1429 listed under Extensions. If you add Avast to the exceptions or whether you do not you get:
The connection was reset
The connection to the server was reset while the page was loading.
The site could be temporarily unavailable or too busy. Try again in a few
moments.
If you are unable to load any pages, check your computer's network
connection.
If your computer or network is protected by a firewall or proxy, make sure
that Firefox is permitted to access the Web.
Then a button which says 'try aain later'.
In Safari it has the same thing about the extension and uninstall in Web Rep and in Safari itself it has Avast listed in the Extensions with a tick against enable. When you click on Safari it says along the lines of 'Cannot connect with http://google.co.uk because the server unexpectedly dropped the connection
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To uninstall Webrep, you do it via Avast itself, open up Avast, go to "Webrep" on the left side and uninstall it from each browser. However, this is a red herring, like I told before. You could at least looked in the console like I told SarahVTEC.
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Have unistalled both Firefox and Safari in Web Rep. Reset Web Shield to on and initially Firefox worked but then reverted to same non-working pattern after 30 minutes and Safari does not load either. As a matter of interest if they did work after uninstalling in Web Rep would they be protected or unprotected when browsing the web? Excuse my ignorance, but I assume that it is but as I had PC's for years I never had to faff about on antivirus as they just worked on any particular browser without worrying about exclusions etc, and this is all relatively new to me. Apple are far less flexible than PC's and it's all a bit my way or the highway so, what works is great but any problems and you are using up an awful lot of time.
I had no idea what console was. Now I have sussed that out and it is fulll of three messages all saying com.zeobit.MacKeeper.Helper
So, the following messages appear ad infinitum unless I use my emails and then obviously other messages appear as well.
28/08/2013 15:06:57 com.apple.launchd.peruser.502[235] (com.zeobit.MacKeeper.Helper[1185]) Exited with exit code: 1
28/08/2013 15:07:17 com.apple.launchd.peruser.502[235] (com.zeobit.MacKeeper.Helper) Throttling respawn: Will start in 10 seconds
28/08/2013 15:07:17 com.apple.launchd.peruser.502[235] (com.zeobit.MacKeeper.Helper) Throttling respawn: Will start in 10 seconds
I have contacted Zeobit and they sent me a Zip file to open in archive to remove the culprits but that has done nothing and I have asked them for better instructions. I do not have the Mac Keeper app on my Mac but may have in the past. However I do no know if any of this is relevant to Avast blocking my browsers. Avast have written again to me suggesting using their Beta version that is in the testing stage but I need to know whether or notI have to get rid of everything from this current version before I am prepared to try that. Just looked at link and there is no beta model for a Mac. It is a hard slog unfortunately.
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Avast! for Mac is generally known for not requiring any user intervention, you install it and if you stick to the defaults you don't have to worry about it.
But like on PCs there are exotic cases of conflicts between apps, Mackeeper is also an antivirus and internet filter, and apparently wasn't completely/correctly uninstalled from your system (it likely installed components elsewhere and only the app in Applications was removed), there might be a conflict between the two apps.
In such cases of incomplete uninstall, I reinstall the offending app, follow the procedures the vendor recommends for uninstallation (they probably have an uninstall app or mechanism inside the app).
Mackeeper uninstall procedure for the current version: http://help.mackeeper.zeobit.com/Manual/GettingStarted/UninstallingMacKeeper.html
Earlier versions: http://applehelpwriter.com/2011/09/21/how-to-uninstall-mackeeper-malware/
Apparently Mackeeper developers didn't make it easy to uninstall their software in earlier versions, shame on them.
Until that is resolved Webrep doesn't matter.
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Have downloaded and then uninstalled MacKeeper deleting from Apps/library and TimeMachine. Tried to delete trash but it said that 'MacKeeper ATd' was still in use. Tried searching everywhere for that but could not find anywhere. Then re-booted and trash then allowed the empty and then as soon as I unlocked to make changes the same 3 MacKeeper errors repeat ad nauseam on the console.
However have just tried with Web Shield enabled and can now connect to internet on Firefox and Safari. Eureka! Same 3 MacKeeoer messages are running non stop on console though and 2 1/2 days to get an antivirus going is a big mountain to climb.
Many thanks for your perseverance.
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The problem was MacKeeper, you should complain to them. Many even consider it to be malware.
If you still have messages appearing in your console about MacKeeper it's because it's still not fully uninstalled, did you remove from the login items like the second link says? You should follow those instructions carefully and not just skim them.
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Well, after going through every bit of the older instructions from the second link which is a lot of places to go to I have got rid of it according to the console activity. I have just checked again and my heart sank as there they were again but after looking carefully at the minute writing it was the earlier stuff as although I kept clearing the display it loads up with earlier stuff eventually.
I have written to Zeobit who are MacKeeper and in turn Kromtech suggesting that they incorporate a proper uninstall in the MacKeeper download in future.
As a matter of interest I have installed Firefox and Safari again in Web Rep ,however, I have no idea if that is the right thing to do?
Thanks for all of your help. :)
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Since the first post I've been telling you, webrep doesn't matter, installed or not installed, it just presents you with the the security ranking of webpages in google results, if you want that, turn it on, if you don't want that, turn it off.
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So, the fact that Web shield is now on and working means that the browser activity is covered properly now?
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Yes.
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Thank you.
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I have now set Avast to open on log in, however, is there a way of stopping it jumping up on the screen instead of just sitting on the dock?
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WHY!?
When you install Avast! it sets itself to start automatically when you turn on your computer, you don't need to set it to launch at login, you get the avast logo on your menu bar at the top right.
For someone who complains about software not working out of the box you are really making it hard on yourself. You are suppose to install avast! and forget it, no need to tinker with it once is set up and running.
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You love to be right as much as I like to find an issue with Avast. I only put Avast into the log-in items list as when I booted up my computer this morning it told me that vast was not running. To say that Avast is foolproof or works properly would be to discount this whole forum.
With your help I managed to get my Mac running very smoothly after going through the multitudinal areas of removing stuff in various registers etc., and i also took that opportunity to remove other old stuff that had stayed in the various directories/registers.
If Avast is sitting on the dock at start-up is it running, even though when you click on it it says that it is not initialised. And why would my Mac say that it is not running?
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The Mackeeper thing probably never allowed a correct installation of Avast!! You keep blaming avast for the stuff that mackeeper did to your mac.
What you put on the login is launching the avast application, when it says avast is not running it's referring to avast background services which should be started automatically
Uninstall avast by opening avast, going to the avast menu on the menu bar at the top and choose uninstall, reboot, install avast again.
I'm out of this this thread, good luck!
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Well, i wish that I had not taken your last advice as having deleted Avast from my computer and downloading it anew I'm back to square one now as neither Firefox or Safari will load.
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Weird stuff this Avast. Just turned on my computer at 1-30 am and switched on the Web Shield and suddenly everything is working fine. THat's great but Avast need to make it far more stable and straightforward. ;)
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Just got up and booted up Mac and hey ho Avast is blocking browsers again. Tried uninstalling and re-installing extensions from WebRep but to no avail. :(
I was running Sophos and Avast on my Mac as I wanted to cover Windows stuff as well so that I do not pass on and windows viruses to PC users but I have just given up now and deleted Sophos and re-installed Avast and it works as intended now which is great. Does anyone know if you can run both Sophos and Avast on a Mac? ;)
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I am new to Antivirus software for the Mac. In fact, I am evaluating alternatives for the subject. In my process I came across the statement, "Please note that avast! will not run properly if you have other antivirus software installed," at http://www.avast.com/en-us/free-antivirus-mac. Maybe, this will help you. I don't know since I'm a newbie.
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Hi Bud
thanks for your post. I just stayed with Sophos in the end as it works perfectly, covers, both Mac and Microsoft stuff and just gets on with it. Have had no problems at all since,it updates automatically and no infections. :)