Avast WEBforum
Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: Amgeek on July 17, 2010, 06:24:50 PM
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Hi
Been using avast for years and on many machines. Love it.
Today, however, I am having a problem with one machine -Recently cleaned of infections, XP home SP 3 Avast 5.0..... just downloaded
Neither IE or Firefox (no browsers) can display any web pages as long as I have Avast enabled.
I can ping all sites, Windows updates and Avast Updates are coming in in the background but I can't open any web pages unless I disable avast or run the machine in safe mode.
I have uninstalled and reinstalled Avast, in fact, I have even done a couple of "Overlay" installs of XP.
Have seen the posts on this site about checking the registry entries for the "TEMP" and "TMP" file settings and all seems OK.
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What is your firewall ?
Does it allow avastSvc.exe internet access ?
- If it does delete the entry for it and reconnect to the internet, this should force the firewall to ask permission again. This is the most common cause of this, the firewall blocking the web shield.
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Windows Firewall (behind router on which at least 4 other computers are operating well) both on and off.
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Well the XP firewall has zero outbound protection (which shouldn't be the issue here) and unless your specifically states it has outbound firewall protection it doesn't either. So there would appear to be something else in the mix.
You say that you have just downloaded avast 5, what AV did you have before avast 5 (and how did you remove it) ?
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This machine had a soon to expire Nod 32.
Not sure if the machine's history. So, I also ran a Norton clean uninstalle/removal tool and tried to run one for Mcafee
It is an aging dell laptop so it might have had one of those installed earlier (not my machine)
The norton tool seemed to work but the McAfee tool reports incomplete removal. Its log reports "Error while running cleanup using task scheduler".
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Remnants of previous AVs if not completely removed can cause conflict in all sorts of ways, Norton is notorious for leaving remnants (but having run their uninstall tool should be clean), Nod32 I though was better at cleaning up in its add remove programs uninstall routine.
You could try - NOD32 Removal Tool - http://www.nod32.nl/download/tool/nod32removal.exe (http://www.nod32.nl/download/tool/nod32removal.exe), right click on the link and select Save As or Save File (As depending on your browser), save it to a location where you can find it easily later.
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Sorry David, no joy.
Seems to find site (says connecting and the name of the site) and then Internet Explorer Cannot display the webpage.
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OK, I have just tried that and the link using the download them all, a firefox add-on is working for me, see image.
Also see http://www.askvg.com/ultimate-collection-of-uninstallers-removal-tools-for-all-popular-anti-virus-software/ (http://www.askvg.com/ultimate-collection-of-uninstallers-removal-tools-for-all-popular-anti-virus-software/) for others not listed above.
and http://uninstallers.blogspot.com/ (http://uninstallers.blogspot.com/)
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Sorry David,
I got the nod uninstaller using another computer. Was able to sneaker net it to the machine in question and ran it. Seemed to work.
Previous post is result after running the tool and rebooting :-\
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OK, it may be best/quickest to try a clean reinstall including the use of the uninstall tool (don't know if you did that before):
- Download the latest version of avast, 5.0.594 http://files.avast.com/iavs5x/setup_av_free.exe (http://files.avast.com/iavs5x/setup_av_free.exe) and save it to your HDD, somewhere you can find it again (if you didn't save your last download). Use that when you reinstall.
- Download the avast! Uninstall Utility, aswClear5.exe find it here (http://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility) and save it to your HDD (it has uninstall tools for both 4.8 and 5.0). - 1. Now uninstall (using add remove programs, if you can't do that start from the next step), reboot.
- 2. run the avast! Uninstall Utility from safe mode, first for 4.8 if previously installed and then for 5.0, once complete reboot into normal mode.
- 3. install the latest version, reboot.
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OK, Uninstalled Avast, got and ran the clear tool (in safe mode per its request), reboot, re-install Avast, reboot, no change.
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Remains of an old antivirus (Norton, NOD, McAfee) or firewall seems to be messing your computer...
Or the cleaning procedures you've followed, just mess your computer connection...
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And....
So....
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Given what you have done to try and resolve this, the only thing that I can think of is that the infection that you say was recently cleaned, may well not be completely gone.
As I'm at a bit of a loss as to what else to suggest if there are no other AV remnants.
Are you using a web proxy to connect to the internet ?
You could try setting the browser to use the Web Shield local proxy, see below.
Whilst these tutorials are old they should give you an idea of where to look and how to set it up:
For IE - broadband users: - Tutorial - Web Shield Proxy Set-up for IE (http://www.avast.com/files/tutorials/ws_ieproxy.htm)
For Firefox users - Tutorial - Web Shield Proxy Set-up for Firefox (http://www.avast.com/files/tutorials/ws_ffproxy.htm)
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Thanks for all of the help but even set to use local proxy .... No Joy!
Guess I will have to admit defeat and do a geeksquad style nuke and pave.
Bummer,
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And....
So....
Difficult to guess.
Hard to say.
Maybe... start again, formating?
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Thanks for all of the help but even set to use local proxy .... No Joy!
Guess I will have to admit defeat and do a geeksquad style nuke and pave.
You're welcome, sorry it wasn't a better outcome. This is most certainly a weird one.
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Try the following:settings-troubleshooting. Then...I don't remember exactly,but AFAIR then should be something like redirect settings.Change redirect port:type 8080 instead of 80.
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Thanks for the idea, Onix, but still no joy.
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Disable Web Shield straight away and check whether the problem adheres......
-if it doesn't, this means Web Shield is the module that stops your pc from displaying webpages, and we can give suggestions more specifically....
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Disabled web shield - now can display web pages!!!!!!!!
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Disabled web shield - now can display web pages!!!!!!!!
Great. This happened to me before but nothing I did could make any difference.... And many people are actually having the same problem...
It seems that Dr.Com would cause such problem.
But Network Shield seem to scan all the links, including those scanned by Web Shield; and Filesystem Shield scans all the files written on your harddisk under default settings, right? So actually I see no point why it's vital to enabling Web Shield...
Should there be anything wrong in my stating, let me know... Thanks.
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Good to know I am not alone ;D
Better to know how to fix it :'(
I can't send the machine home knowing it is less than perfect :-\
Thanks
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I have the same problem . I think it may be related to Renewing IP Address.
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The network shield isn't scanning the same links, it is checking them against the malicious sites list and not scanning for malware as the web shield does, there are completely different.
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I start the Computer. I can Update Programs OK,Firefox & IE are Blocked from the Net. I only see UDP Port 127.0.0.1:1125 with WEB SHIELD On. I turn WS Off for 2 sec. & I see TCP 127.0.0.1:12080. FF& IE THEN WORK OK. Why is WS Blocking Port 12080?
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The network shield isn't scanning the same links, it is checking them against the malicious sites list and not scanning for malware as the web shield does, there are completely different.
Ah, I'm afriaid you've made a mistake. Network Shield willcheck links for viruses. It actually checks every link including those of the browsers. That's why the number of links it scanns (shown in Avast! UI) is always more than that of Web Shield. Should you be interest, make a little test yourself: disable Web Shield and open a webpage that's been infected with viruses (or would you like to choose an infected page verified by Web Shield) and see whether Network shield will block the infected elements.
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Time has come for me to finish the job. Much as I would like to work this to the right answer, I can't, my client needs their machine back. So, here is how I am resolving the problem.
I am removing Avast and installing the free version of AVG. It works on this machine. I have even uninstalled the working copy of AVG and reinstalled Avast but that did not fix it. I am sending this machine home with its programs and data in tact (no GS nuke and pave). Only compromise I will be making is that it won't have my first choice in virus protection, Avast, on it.
Thanks you all for your help and I hope someone finds an answer.
Ed
www.amgeek.com
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I have only been using the program for a little over six years, so I'm a relative novice at this. But, the Network Shield does not check for viruses period, that isn't its function. for every external link in a web page the network shield will check that domain against its malicious sites list, not the word domain it isn't scanning for viruses.
I suggest you spend some time browsing the viruses and worms forum you will find this to be correct.
Or from practical experience the network shield would alert before the web shied has a chance to even scan the page content (note the work page, which includes imports into that page). So if the network shield doesn't alert there should be nothing wrong with the page content, wrong as the many cases of the web shield alerts in the virus and worms forum attest.
If the network shied was scanning the page content the web shield wouldn't get a look in and would be redundant and that clearly isn't the case as they do different things.
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Thanks for all of the help but even set to use local proxy .... No Joy!
Guess I will have to admit defeat and do a geeksquad style nuke and pave.
Bummer,
Wait..I have had a similar problem after installing the latest Avast! free version. Please forgive me if I missed something here, I didn't read all the posts. But, did you try just stopping the file system real-time protection? Furthermore, in expert settings you could try just disabling the option to check scripting. This fixed my problems with browsing the web and installing firefox.
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avast should work with the Script Shield working and enabled.
You don't need to disable anything in avast to have it working.
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Well, according to avast!, Network Shield 'monitors all network activity and blocks any threats that are detected on the network. It also blocks access to known malicious websites based on the avast! database of infected URLs'.
Furthermore, let's make a test: For a known malisious website, when enabling Web Shield, it absorbs the whole webpage, and the notification is as 4.png
When enabling Network Shiled only, the webpage was displayed successfully, infected elements were blocked selectively (well, I'm also confused... Since the notification says 'malisious URL blocked', does it only check url agasinst its database?), as shown in 2.png and 3.png; when the infected script tried to write in Firefox's cache, it was picked out by Filesystem Shield (1.png).
So since the infected elements would anyway be kept from the computer, does it make any difference between enabling and diasbling Web Shield?
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As I keep banging on in Reply #28 of this topic (and my head against a brick wall it seems), the two shields perform different functions, the network shield is doing what I said it does.
I have only been using the program for a little over six years, so I'm a relative novice at this. But, the Network Shield does not check for viruses period, that isn't its function. for every external link in a web page the network shield will check that domain against its malicious sites list, note the word domain it isn't scanning for viruses.
The other function the network shield does is the monitoring of ports commonly used for exploit/attack (the network activity mentioned), DCOM, etc. but is most certainly isn't scanning for specific viruses/malware.
Of course it makes a difference in not enabling the web shield, the whole point is to provide different levels of protection and the web shield keeps it off the system rather than detect it on the system. The web shield also detects the hacks used by the inserted iframe and script tags.
Those type of attacks in hacked sites are best blocked early as you don't know what the payload might be at the other end of the iframe/script tag might be if it gets run, it could well be that whatever is at the other end is a new variant and might not be detected. Why do you think that the driveby download of rogue security applications is so prevalent.
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Will Web Shield detect what can't be picked up by Filesystem Shield? I mean do they use the same database, and the default settings of 'sensitivity' for them are the same, right?
On the other hand, do you have a better resolution on avast!'s stopping webpages from displaying? This seems to be a fairly good alternation.
PS: we need an official resolution.... Where are you, Avast! team?
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REF. My REPLY #23 + #25
The Good News I fixed My Problem.
The Bad News I am not sure of the Cause or the Fix
? Is there any History of ASK TOOLBAR Screwing up Avast AV or Internet Access ?
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OK, I am having the exact same problem on a fresh install of Windows XP MCE 2005.
I am a reseller and have only installed the managed versions, but I was building a box for a relative and decided to but AIS 5 on it.
Immediately after the boot, could not get to the internet.
I can browse the net if I disable the web shield.
Does anyone have a working solution for this issue yet?