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Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: cp46ta on January 18, 2005, 05:37:23 PM

Title: avast and Lopdotcom...?
Post by: cp46ta on January 18, 2005, 05:37:23 PM
Spy Sweeper with its latest defs. show this result now after scan:

Name: Lopdotcom
Location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\run || avast!
Fingerprint Type: Exact Match
Category: Adware

"Lop.com is a pay-per-click search portal that places numerous web site shortcuts on your desktop, adds web sites to your Favorites folder, changes your default search engine pages and more."

If removed, avast seems to be disabled.

Is this a false positive or the cost I have to pay for using your free software...? ;)
Title: Re: avast and Lopdotcom...?
Post by: cp46ta on January 18, 2005, 06:41:20 PM
Well, uninstalled avast! Home Edition and got rid of Lopdotcom.... now using AVG Anti-Virus for the meantime   :P
Title: Re: avast and Lopdotcom...?
Post by: GYL on January 18, 2005, 06:52:00 PM
Hi.I've just uniinstalled lopdotcom with spysweeper and...
 Avast! runs always very well!
SO I stay with Avast!
Title: Re: avast and Lopdotcom...?
Post by: Eddy on January 18, 2005, 06:59:45 PM
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
"avast!"="C:\\PROGRA~1\\ALWILS~1\\Avast4\\ashDisp.exe"

is a perfectly normal key and belongs to Avast.

I suggest you contact the people from Spy Sweeper and tell them about this false positive.

And why did you removed Avast? There is no need to remove Avast just because it is seen as a false positive by Spy Sweeper.
Title: Re: avast and Lopdotcom...?
Post by: Baba on January 18, 2005, 07:55:21 PM
Hello, I ad the same problem.
After removing the adware (or what Spysweeper sow as adware) Avast! deed not starts.
Then i deed the backup and got avast! runnig again.
I will mail to Spisweeper people for this false positive.

Bye
Title: Re: avast and Lopdotcom...?
Post by: Lisandro on January 18, 2005, 09:26:44 PM
I will mail to Spisweeper people for this false positive.

Thanks very much  ;)
Title: Re: avast and Lopdotcom...?
Post by: Baba on January 19, 2005, 07:43:18 PM
Well,
I submit the question to SpySweeper people and they answer to update definitions, reboot the computer in safe mode.
After that run SpySweeper.
Things remain the same.
I mail back again.

Bye
Title: Re: avast and Lopdotcom...?
Post by: Lisandro on January 20, 2005, 02:11:38 AM
Things remain the same. I mail back again.

Hehe...
Not only avast and Microsoft have problems from time to time  ;D
Title: Re: avast and Lopdotcom...?
Post by: drhayden1 on March 25, 2006, 04:14:34 AM
my new version of retail spy sweeper found lopdotcom  and had to remove it and reboot and my avast works just fine........................any concerns should i have
Title: Re: avast and Lopdotcom...?
Post by: DavidR on March 25, 2006, 04:09:17 PM
I wouldn't be unduly concerned only if after it detected lopdotcom the avast icon went missing. In the past SpySweeper has had false positive detections on the ashDisp.exe.

The important thing isn't the detection alert but what it has detected, you have to look deeper than a detection, what file, what program does it effect, what location, etc. ?

When spysweeper incorrectly detected ashDisp.exe as lopdotcom people still allowed it to delete, etc. now if they had looked deeper and seen that this file was a part of avast by its file location giving a clue to the program the file belongs to.

There are now numerous security based programs available but they shouldn't be allowed to control the user (and not be an automaton and click delete). The user must be in control, check what is detected, is it something that has been on your system for some time, yet after an update it is detected. This is a clue that it may be a false positive detection and further investigation, using google on the file detected, etc.

I have had a number of false positives on anti-spyware programs but for the most part I have been able to easily see they have been FPs by the file location and its program association. So I have left the file in place and monitored, a few weeks latter it is no longer infected, the signatures have been corrected.
Title: Re: avast and Lopdotcom...?
Post by: drhayden1 on March 25, 2006, 05:31:13 PM
the blue avast icon is still there and avast pro is still working fine.......just updated itself this a.m. and everything so if spy sweeper finds that lopdotcom again should i just leave it and not delete it and monitor it down the road...........like you suggested or what is the best way.......?????thanks
Title: Re: avast and Lopdotcom...?
Post by: DavidR on March 25, 2006, 05:52:03 PM
You still haven't said what spysweeper alerted on, file name, location, etc.
Quote
The important thing isn't the detection alert but what it has detected, you have to look deeper than a detection, what file, what program does it effect, what location, etc. ?

Do as I suggested check file, check program, check location, after that if you can see no reason to think it is pointing to a legitimate program etc. then you would quarantine/delete (I don't use spysweeper so I don't know how it deals with what it detects). Ensure that it keeps a back-up so if you experience with a program on your system you may be able to relate it a spysweeper detection you can recover/restore.

Just leaving it isn't rather than deleting it isn't an option if you haven't investigated, doing nothing may be more dangerous than quarantining/deleting a false positive detection.

The name of the game must be investigation file, program, location and google, etc. so you can make an informed decision and take action on that decision no matter what it is.

Sorry to keep banging on about checking/investigation.
Title: Re: avast and Lopdotcom...?
Post by: drhayden1 on March 25, 2006, 06:38:58 PM
just got a e-mail from spy sweeper to ignore that ......was a false positive as they say and they on working on a update ...........so that's that i guess.........thanks for your help and advice now and in the past everyone on the forum
Title: Re: avast and Lopdotcom...?
Post by: drhayden1 on March 25, 2006, 06:51:36 PM
wondering could a third party browser one as the new version of netscape browser i just installed prior cause that lopdotcom false reading on spy sweeper not avast????........the end!!!!thanks!!!!! ;D :D :)
Title: Re: avast and Lopdotcom...?
Post by: DavidR on March 25, 2006, 08:02:41 PM
That would entirely depend on the information contained in the spysweeper detection, which you didn't give (but I only asked twice ;D), e.g. what was spysweeper pointing at, file, folder, registry entry, etc.
Title: Re: avast and Lopdotcom...?
Post by: drhayden1 on March 25, 2006, 09:14:22 PM
 :)
Title: Re: avast and Lopdotcom...?
Post by: drhayden1 on March 25, 2006, 09:16:34 PM
sorry........all i remember spy sweeper found it in the memory scan