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Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: Wernigerode on October 23, 2013, 06:45:59 AM

Title: Avast! 2014 "blocks" Google's websites
Post by: Wernigerode on October 23, 2013, 06:45:59 AM
Hello,

Yesterday I updated to the new 2014 version and after that I encountered a problem. If I try to access any Google's websites with the Webshield module on, I get the "The connection to the server was reset while the page was loading" error in Mozilla Firefox. I get the similar error from IE too. Is there any other way to bypass this than by turning off the module or adding every single google domain possible to the exception list? Seems like a lot of work.

Is anyone else having this problem?
Title: Re: Avast! 2014 "blocks" Google's websites
Post by: mchain on October 23, 2013, 07:04:54 AM
Hello,

Yesterday I updated to the new 2014 version and after that I encountered a problem. If I try to access any Google's websites with the Webshield module on, I get the "The connection to the server was reset while the page was loading" error in Mozilla Firefox. I get the similar error from IE too. Is there any other way to bypass this than by turning off the module or adding every single google domain possible to the exception list? Seems like a lot of work.

Is anyone else having this problem?
Sounds like a browser setting issue, malcode in both browsers at work?  avast! generally does not block sites from loading unless something is amiss.

Please attach a screenshot of any toaster pop-up that may appear when your browser page is reset.  Is avast! alerting as well? 
Title: Re: Avast! 2014 "blocks" Google's websites
Post by: julianmuller on October 23, 2013, 08:57:23 AM
TODAY I had installed Avast 2014 free in 3 PC: (after installing OS)
2 PC where with OS XP
and 1 PC was with Windows 7 x64
all 3 PC were formatted and installed today

In 3 PC Google Chrome didnt navigate to any web sites with Avast Web Shield ON
It was not the case with Internet explorer. IE worked OK

Another thing was that I could navigate to sites with https. If i removed https, the pages didnt load
Something curious was that I could navigate to recent sites having Web Shield ON (pages that they where first loaded with Web Shield was OFF)

I dont know what you did with WEB SHIELD... but. I have to desactivate in all 3 PC
Title: Re: Avast! 2014 "blocks" Google's websites
Post by: Wernigerode on October 24, 2013, 04:24:05 PM
Here is some more information.

All sites were working fine before the 2014 update, no problems at all. The problems started to occur right after the update. So I am hesitated to believe that there is malcode in BOTH of my browsers. I am not sure what happened yesterday, everything was suddenly working fine  even with webshield on.
Today when I tried to use internet, the errors came back. I was not able to use YouTube, Google Translate etc... + also I got the same error when trying to access Avast! forums :D
This feels kind of messy. After trying different google domains, I started to see the pattern that all the normal HTTP domains seem to fail loading. HTTPS domains worked without a problem.

Example of the error in Mozilla Firefox:
(http://static.commentcamarche.net/en.kioskea.net/faq/images/749-connection-interrupted-s-.png)

Example of the IE error:
(http://howto-uninstall.windowsuninstaller.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/uninstall-TorrentSeek-7.jpg)

Any ideas?
Title: Re: Avast! 2014 "blocks" Google's websites
Post by: dgbrad on October 24, 2013, 05:33:41 PM
Firewall issue   ;)
Title: Re: Avast! 2014 "blocks" Google's websites
Post by: essexboy on October 24, 2013, 07:39:14 PM
That would be a more likely cause if you are using a third party firewall like ZA as all the Avast files have changed, so if webshield is blocked then no net connection
Title: Re: Avast! 2014 "blocks" Google's websites
Post by: Wernigerode on October 24, 2013, 11:27:54 PM
I'm using the normal Windows XP firewall, so there was no effect if it was turned on/off.
Title: Re: Avast! 2014 "blocks" Google's websites
Post by: essexboy on October 25, 2013, 01:56:43 PM
Run a repair of Avast on one system to see if that cures it
Title: Re: Avast! 2014 "blocks" Google's websites
Post by: Wernigerode on October 26, 2013, 01:34:45 PM
I ran the Avast repair and at first I thought it cured it, but the problem came back, so that did not solve the problem.
Some Google domains and Avast! Forums still don't work with the WebShield module on.
Title: Re: Avast! 2014 "blocks" Google's websites
Post by: LarsJensen on November 05, 2013, 11:30:42 AM
Hi

I have the same problems. Some websites work, anothers do not. I need to turn off avast to visit this forum. It's pretty annoying.. I use chrome, but it's the same problem on IE. I can't figure out where the problem lies in avast..
Title: Re: Avast! 2014 "blocks" Google's websites
Post by: Wernigerode on November 09, 2013, 03:13:54 PM
Piece of status info: The newest Avast! update did not solve the problem. Dang it!
Title: Re: Avast! 2014 "blocks" Google's websites
Post by: bikemanAMD on November 09, 2013, 04:05:09 PM
Having Same Problem in Windows 8.1 Pro x64

Symptoms are

Avast 2014 Installed with Protection

Disabled or off in IE 32bit mode doesn't make a difference

in 64bit mode with Enhanced Protection mode on it works fine with Google docs, and other google sites, with Ehanced Protection mode off, I can't do nothing on anything Google related without it freezing, or stopping to respond.   

Works fine in Modern UI Internet Explorer 11

Firewall: Windows 8.1 built in Firewall
at&t dsl

Any other info needed to confirm that this is a real problem?

P.S. Works Fine when tested with Microsoft Windows Defender


Title: Re: Avast! 2014 "blocks" Google's websites
Post by: BiffPocoroba on November 23, 2013, 06:35:50 AM
I'm having the same issue, except with yahoo, google and Xfinity sites. No malware, no add-ons, RKill is clean, no drive errors.ADWcleaner is good. Restored Windows back to when I installed Avast and reinstalled. Still problems. I've shut down Avast and turned to another firewall/antivirus temporarily. If I have no problems, Avast will be the culprit.
Title: Re: Avast! 2014 "blocks" Google's websites
Post by: Cast on November 23, 2013, 06:58:56 AM
Could potentially be the Avast Online Security plugin with the latest version.
Title: Re: Avast! 2014 "blocks" Google's websites
Post by: BiffPocoroba on November 23, 2013, 07:47:59 AM
I just turned on and off some items. Looks like it might be Avast's firewall.
Title: Avast! 2014 "blocks" *ALL* websites
Post by: jk079 on November 23, 2013, 09:03:22 AM
Have the same problem - after upgrading avast Internet Security from 2013 to 2014, both IE (11) and Firefox (25.0) stopped working, they simply do NOT OPEN ANY SITEs anymore, as long as the WEB SHIELD inside avast IS 2014 is on.

Accordingly, the solution to that is fairly simple - disable the web shield.
The sad part is, that I am paying for this product, so I would like to actually use all its features - not having to disable some, so that I can continue working as I did until the upgrade to avast IS 2014

This is the first time I am disappointed from avast IS .. but I guess, there is a first time for everything.


PS: when first disabling the web shield for 10 minutes, and then, when seeing, that it "fixed the problem", I tried to disable it permanently, the whole avast IS interface just hangs on me, for minutes on now, with 2 non-responsitive windows: the main avast IS window, and the Settings -> Active protection window .. both not responding even to standard windows "Close window" clicks, repeatedly.
OS version: Windows 7 Ultimate SP1

That makes me strongly want to downgrade to avast IS 2013 again - let's see if I find the good old version somewhere around on the download page ..
Title: Re: Avast! 2014 "blocks" Google's websites
Post by: BiffPocoroba on November 23, 2013, 09:17:20 AM
Here's an irony. I believe Avast's firewall may have been blocking its browser cleanup kit.
Title: Re: Avast! 2014 "blocks" Google's websites
Post by: mchain on November 23, 2013, 09:48:17 AM
@ jk079,

You'll need to go outside avast! to get your file.  filehippo and others have archived versions of avast free.  It does not have any version of AIS on it's site, tho.  Maybe you've saved an old version on one of your backups?
Title: Re: Avast! 2014 "blocks" Google's websites
Post by: miedenet on December 31, 2013, 06:11:52 AM
Hello,

Yesterday I updated to the new 2014 version and after that I encountered a problem. If I try to access any Google's websites with the Webshield module on, I get the "The connection to the server was reset while the page was loading" error in Mozilla Firefox. I get the similar error from IE too. Is there any other way to bypass this than by turning off the module or adding every single google domain possible to the exception list? Seems like a lot of work.

Is anyone else having this problem?



Hi, I had the same issue in Chrome browser, but did the following:
In google chrome I disabled the "SiteCorrect" Feature of avast plugin.

Just do right click on avast's plugin icon, at right top and go to configuration and then disable "SiteCorrect"
I kept running all the shields.

Worked for me and  I hope this can help you.


Saludos!

Avast 2014 Free edition.
Title: Re: Avast! 2014 "blocks" Google's websites
Post by: GrungePunk on February 03, 2014, 07:19:18 PM
I had this same problem. I installed Avast Free Antivirus, Comodo Free Firewall, and Malwarebyte's Free Antimalware all in one go shortly after wiping my computer and reinstalling Windows 8 and upgrading to 8.1. So when I went to browse the internet I found that it would display the error "Unable to connect to webpage" in IE which it usually does when my internet goes down. My internet was up when I checked though. So I kept hitting the refresh button with "http://www.google.com/" in the address bar and I noticed that occasionally the page would display for a split second before changing to the error page and I thought that it MUST be Comodo. Should have stuck with Zonealarm I thought. So I uninstalled Comodo and restarted. Still had the problem... So I reinstalled Comodo and went and check Avast. I turned off the WEB SHIELD and low and behold my problem was solved. I could access Google again. Of course now instead of Avast saying everything is good with it's spinning orange and blue icon I had a big ugly yellow exclamation point covering it because OH NO! One of the shields was disabled! Just like the one next to my post title. Ugh... So after deciding that I didn't want to deal with my Avast constantly looking like it was broken in the notification tray I went to uninstall it. That's when I realized there was an option to Change the Installed Features. I selected this option instead and simply Unchecked the box next to Web Shield, clicked next, and then restarted my computer when it prompted me to. Now I am up and running problem free and ugly yellow exclamation point free as well. Only took me the better half of the day to figure this all out...

The moral of the story? Don't install the Web Shield when installing Avast. Just get Comodo or ZoneAlarm and have them work alongside a Web Shield free Avast and you'll have better luck. Comodo is more secure than Avast's firewall anyways. Well actually considering Avast's firewall blocks EVERYTHING maybe not. Can't be more secure than being completely cut off from the internet altogether. But as far as being secure and being able to use the web as well you're better off with Comodo as your firewall. Hope this helps people will the same issue which from checking online is A LOT of you.

P.S.

GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER AVAST! People installing your software over a fresh untainted install of Windows 8 are having problems! It's obviously not a software conflict caused by other software on the system. Unless you consider your program conflicting with it's host operating system a software conflict. I'd like to think of that more as a FAIL than a software conflict though. :P
Title: Re: Avast! 2014 "blocks" Google's websites
Post by: essexboy on February 03, 2014, 07:26:30 PM
It is not the webshield but the Avast Online Security plugin for browsers.  By disabling the webshield you are severely limiting your online protection.  So disable the addons in the browser and all should be hunky dory again 
Title: Re: Avast! 2014 "blocks" Google's websites
Post by: GrungePunk on February 03, 2014, 07:39:48 PM
It is not the webshield but the Avast Online Security plugin for browsers.  By disabling the webshield you are severely limiting your online protection.  So disable the addons in the browser and all should be hunky dory again

Ahh. Yeah. I just read the post about the crashing IEs on Win 7 right below this one. Didn't realize it applied to the web page errors as well. Thanks for the heads up. I will attempt to add Web Shield again and disable the plugins in IE. Good looking out.

Still though. We really shouldn't have to go through all this. It should work as intended. Never had these problems using a copy of Norton I got off The Bay awhile back. I try to go legit and this happens. At least there's a fix though. I was highly considering going back to Norton. Now there's a program that's worth the money if I actually had any money to spend on it. After this experience I must say I'd never even consider paying for the Pro version of Avast.

Crossing my fingers that they fix the issue soon.
Title: Re: Avast! 2014 "blocks" Google's websites
Post by: essexboy on February 03, 2014, 07:46:16 PM
Unfortunately not everyone is affected by this, myself I cannot use AOS addon on my windows 8 yet on the windows 7 it works perfectly and I have no idea why
Title: Re: Avast! 2014 "blocks" Google's websites
Post by: GrungePunk on February 03, 2014, 08:32:32 PM
Unfortunately not everyone is affected by this, myself I cannot use AOS addon on my windows 8 yet on the windows 7 it works perfectly and I have no idea why

Seems like it's most likely a Windows 8 compatibility problem then. In my search for answers I came across posts on other sites from people who wiped their computer, did a clean install of 8, downloaded all updates, and then installed Avast as their first non-Microsoft software other than hardware drivers and still had issues with it. I actually thought it might just not be compatible with Windows 8.1 until I read that post. That would have been understandable as 8.1 is relatively new. I wonder if Avast can be ran in compatibility mode set to Windows 7 to fix the issue temporarily. Would be interesting to try it. I'm pretty much over working on the issue for the time being though. I've already wasted enough time with this. Need to get into my 3DS Max tutorials and get through some of the video lessons before the end of the day. I will be sure to try your suggestion later tonight though. I don't plan on surfing the web very much till then. I am assuming that the Web Shield is only necessary if I am downloading files or browsing the web right? It wouldn't affect my connection to online games would it? I was also worried about the Web Shield conflicting with my connection to Guild Wars 2, Planetside 2, and The Secret World.