Avast WEBforum
Other => General Topics => Topic started by: Treazon88 on March 14, 2009, 01:52:19 AM
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I have recently discovered a site where I can download music and movies and such for free I think the site is a type of shareware and I don't want to download anything from anyone until it has been scanned and verified to be free of viruses but I don't know how to make avast scan the files before I download them can anyone help?
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How are you going to download them (Download manager, P2P, etc. how) ?
I would investigate the site using google to see if it has any bad history.
Movies are huge and to scan them with an antivirus is likely to be unproductive as not all are at risk of infection, .wma though have been infected before.
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I find that hard to do. As far as I know there isn't a software that can scan the file before you download. I know avast scans the files I download but only after I have downloaded them (ie I have a local copy on my machine). Also there is the active scanner which I believe is sufficient. However this does not substitute for safe browsing.
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I find that hard to do. As far as I know there isn't a software that can scan the file before you download. I know avast scans the files I download but only after I have downloaded them (ie I have a local copy on my machine). Also there is the active scanner which I believe is sufficient. However this does not substitute for safe browsing.
Perhaps I misunderstand I thought that the whole point of having a virus program such as avast was to help prevent you from downloading virus's not to find them after you get one (it seems I am also a confused computer user ;D)
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I find that hard to do. As far as I know there isn't a software that can scan the file before you download. I know avast scans the files I download but only after I have downloaded them (ie I have a local copy on my machine). Also there is the active scanner which I believe is sufficient. However this does not substitute for safe browsing.
Well your wrong on that score, as depending on how it is downloaded avast most certainly can.
The avast Web Shield scans http port 80 traffic using the localhost proxy before it is saved to the hard disk, that is the reason I asked how you were downloading it as this would only apply for port 80 http traffic, either using your browsers download function or a download manager.
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Apologies.
Perhaps I misunderstand I thought that the whole point of having a virus program such as avast was to help prevent you from downloading virus's not to find them after you get one (it seems I am also a confused computer user ;D)
Yes this is true but think about it. Every time you go on the web you are downloading info on your machine. Downloading doesn't apply just to actual file transfers (I'm sorry if I am stating something you already know). Avast scans web browsing and warns you if any malicious file is downloading on your computer, before it actually does so. At least this is how I see it. If it's wrong I appreciate any intervention to correct this.
Well your wrong on that score, as depending on how it is downloaded avast most certainly can.
The avast Web Shield scans http port 80 traffic using the localhost proxy before it is saved to the hard disk, that is the reason I asked how you were downloading it as this would only apply for port 80 http traffic, either using your browsers download function or a download manager.
Again, apologies for this. WIRMI (What I Really Meant Is) that I download files from say download.com using Firefox. At the end of the download, with-in the download box I see a message saying that the file is being scanned. I presume that this is being done by Avast. I don't use torrents so I have no knowledge in that aspect.
Also if you can explain this DavidR. When I save something to a folder (download from the internet) I see it and another copy of it but with a different extension. So say I save FILE1.EXE. When I go to the location where the file is being saved, I see: FILE1.EXE and FILE1.PART. The later disappears after the transfer is done. What is this PART file used for?
Thank you and sorry for the confusion.
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The .part is a temporary file used while downloading. A browser downloads a file as a temporary file. After the download is finished completely the browser will (re)name the file to its original name and put it in the download location you have specified.
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Thank you.
I was curios about that. Does avast scan this part file or just the finished file.
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Remember that Download Managers split the files being downloaded and WebShield could miss detection of downloaded files.
The better is set ashQuick.exe to scan the downloaded file after it finishes.
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hmh..I'll look into that although I think that is the case since Firefox tells me at the end of the download that the files are being scanned.
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hmh..I'll look into that although I think that is the case since Firefox tells me at the end of the download that the files are being scanned.
You're not the only one who's confused. Firefox is lying to you. Since Avast doesn't register itself as an IOfficeAntiVirus provider, no virus scan actually takes place, even though Firefox displays a message that it is. Don't be misled by this Firefox bug title. This Firefox bug report includes the Avast case too.
Firefox appears to run virus scan when no A/V is installed (https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=480855)
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I use a Firefox add-on called Download Statusbar in which I provide the link to ashquick.exe which is invoked to scan every file I download.
The Mozilla team (in which I include Firefox and Thunderbird ... even though the latter has been ejected from the nest failing to provide revenue) have a very strange and self assured view - however wrong and misguided - about how they think antivirus products should work and designing their products to work according to their misunderstanding.
I can only support the comments of Alan Baxter.
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Thank you Alan Baxter and alanrf,
your comments reinforce my habit to scan files manually after download. Now I will do it for every file without exception. I will look into Download Statusbar and report back about my experience.
Cheers
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P.S.
alanrf this may be tedious but the warning when setting the antivirus option is a bit troubling. Should I think too much of it?
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Very bad to Firefox... security sense is worse than no security... it's a lie.
I'm happy to not rely on Firefox but on a real ashQuick.exe scanning.
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I'm sorry Tech but do you mean you tried Download Statusbar or are you saying you do manual scans?
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I'm sorry Tech but do you mean you tried Download Statusbar or are you saying you do manual scans?
I'm saying that Free Download Manager scans with ashQuick.exe when the download is finished.
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Ah. OK,
I've tried Download Statusbar and it seems to work. I get the AshQuick pop up and I see the actual scan so it's ok. I'm going to try Free Download Manager because I wish to see it's FLV download capability.
Thank you
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alanrf this may be tedious but the warning when setting the antivirus option is a bit troubling. Should I think too much of it?
Can you explain a bit more about the warning? What is the warning message?
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Well when I click the Virus Scan tab in the options menu I put a Check next to the Manual Scan option.
At this point I get the following message:
Anti-Virus Feature Agreement
This software is provided on an "AS IS" basis, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, either expressed or implied. You agree that the author of Download Statusbar is not in any way responsible for damage to a computer resulting from improper configuration and/or use of this feature.
The scan works but the message is weird none the less.
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I don't think that the message is so weird as the author can't be responsible for any failure of the AV that will be scanning the content. Or if the add-on happens to say crash firefox because of any conflict, etc.
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ahh... ok.. Thanks David. I thought that by activating the option they were somehow more likely to crash or act up. I see now. Thank you. :-[
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It is only left for me to support David's comment.
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ahh... ok.. Thanks David. I thought that by activating the option they were somehow more likely to crash or act up. I see now. Thank you. :-[
You're welcome.
It isn't that many people that pay any attention to what is in an EULA (End User License Agreement). Most of them are very long winded and written in legalese, this one by comparison is straight and to the point ;D.