Avast WEBforum
Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: Fizbin on February 22, 2011, 02:00:20 AM
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Latest Avast V5.1.899, latest definitions. Windows 7/64 bit. Chrome browser...But any browser is affected.
It started with Canada Post yesterday. I was getting an Error 101 (net::ERR_CONNECTION_RESET): Unknown error. I thought it was Canada Post and I was on the phone with them, acting like an idiot, obviously. I lost a lot of money because I couldn't calculate postage for ebay auctions.
Anyway this afternoon it's working fine. Now parts of ebay aren't working, like the search. But these things work on my other PC (with XP) with the same internet connection...And I mean taking the cable from my Windows 7 PC and putting it in to my XP PC. So it's not my internet and it's not a specific browsers. When I deactivate web shield, I have no problems with ebay.
I just ran Malwarebytes (updated) and I get nothing.
Any ideas?
Thanks!
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No new problems installed, by the way.
Just reinstalled the program, no change. I'm afraid it's going to have to go. I can't believe I have to install Norton. I've uninstalled Norton on tons of machines, and put Avast instead. If my friends only found out about this...
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Wait! One thing I have done...Gee am I talking to myself?...Is I went in to settings/troubleshooting/redirect settings and I cleared the HTTP port line. Now I can access ebay search. But has this disabled web shield? Can I do a test and see if Avast can pick up a dummy virus somewhere?
The http port line was populated with 80, 8080, and a series of 10 other four digit numbers.
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Clearing the http port line is effectively the same as disabling the web shield, you have no web protection.
These are redirects so that the HTTP traffic on those ports are routed through the web shield proxy so that they can be scanned.
I use ebay regularly, just fired of a search and no problem.
Don't know if that is Canada Post and in mail service, if so no problems with that either.
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Ok, I just installed a program called Comodo. Not sure what possessed me to do that. I also still have Avast running (with the "80" in the port) and all is working fine now. I'm not sure what Comodo did.
I have since put 80,8080 back in the port line. Is there anything else I should put? There was a whole string of numbers before, but Avast won't let you copy that line, just paste it.
One more oddity...In Explorer, I have to type "www" for many domains now, like ebay. Before I could just put ebay.com
UPDATE...Comodo did not do anythng but I have kept it installed for now.
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This is the full list (see below) copy and paste including the comma separators, they are commonly used http proxy ports, so they are there so that avast can scan the content. Some malware links uses these ports as most web scanners only monitor port 80 and they do it in the hope of bypassing AV scanners.
80,8080,8091,8081,8008,8888,3124,3127,3128
Comodo may have been blocking the web shield, avastSvc.exe, but this would be across all sites other than ftp or https.
Are you talking of windows explorer or internet explorer, presumably IE, you can jsut click the Ctrl (control) key + Enter and that would fill in the www. (and also http:///. I don't know why it is doing it as I don't use IE as my default browser.
Using IE8 I can type ebay.com and it does open ebay, so I have no idea why it is going on in your version of IE.
Have you tried Firefox, Chrome or Opera and do any of those have problems connecting to these sites, etc. ?
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Firstly, the original problem is back, even with Comodo...I don't know why it cleared up there for awhile even though it was still slow.
Chrome is the browser I use, which is having the problems but it also effects IE 8 as well.
So I have disabled web shield and everything is back to "normal". And I don't need to put www for IE8 (another side effect of using web shield).
This all started at midnight yesterday. It's obvious that Avast made some sort of update that is affecting me.
So for now I'll run Comodo and Avast (minus web shield) and if I go to any unknown sites, I'll activate the web shield. I don't know what else to do.
Anyway thanks for your help!
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I decided to just kill Avast and keep Comodo. So I used the Avast uninstaller and I can't believe how much faster my internet is now. You don't know how much web shield slows things down until you kill it. I'll do routine malware checks and if they go up, then I'll try Avast again one day.
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I decided to just kill Avast and keep Comodo.
By "killing" Avast, you have no antivirus protection unless you have something else installed in the meantime. I think your problem was your firewall settings, not Avast.
When you installed Comodo, did you disable the AV portion?
Did you put Comodo as an exclusion in Avast under Settings and Real-time shields > Expert Settings? These are just a few troubleshooting things we could have worked with you prior to you uninstalling to help you. Now without AV protection, you are swimming with sharks.
BTW, Norton leaves many remnants behind, so if you do install it and decide to come back to Avast, you need to uninstall via the vendor's instructions then reboot. I also recommend that you search in Safe Mode for remnants as well, and use a system cleaner afterwards (like CCleaner).
By doing "routine malware checks," I'm assuming you are checking with an on-demand scanner for malware. Remember Avast is resident protection and will prevent malware from getting into your machine while the on-demand scanners allow the infections to get in your machine and then remove them later. On-demand scanning compliment resident scanners, but are no substitution.
Please let us know if you have questions so that we can assist you further so that you are protected. Thank you.
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I'm done with Avast. I can't believe how fast my PC is now since I deleted it. I never even knew my PC was slow when using it. Comodo did not fix my Avast issues...At first I thought installing it did "something" but it didn't but I've just decided to leave it up for now.
My comment about Norton was out of frustration. I could be tortured for days and I wouldn't install it.
If it was my firewall settings, then what could have changed it as of Feb 21st/2011? I didn't install any programs then. All I know is my internet worked with web shield deactivated (both IE and Chrome) and wouldn't work properly with it activated.
The ebay issue was just bizzare. I could do a normal search but not an advanced search. Also certain preset search links that I have for ebay would not work, yet I could do the same search if I changed something very slightly. For example, I could search "Sony stereo receiver" but I could not search "Sony receiver", without getting that error 101. Essentially, many things that I had prior searches on would not work but new searches would. Just ridiculous!
I'm not sure what to install to protect from web surfing. I'm mostly concerned about malware on ad banners.
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What is your OS?
Sorry...found it in your post....Win7 64-bit.
When you installed Comodo, did you disable the AV or not?
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It's 64 bit Windows 7. I don't remember disabling anything on Comodo when I installed it. How do I find out? I don't know my way around it yet.
EDIT: I have sub menus with Antivirus and Defense+.
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If you right click on the bottom toolbar of Comodo, does it say if it is only a firewall or something else? Do you remember when you installed it having to disable something on it (like the antivirus portion)?
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If I hover my mouse over the icon it says Comodo Antivirus.
When I installed Comodo I did not install something called Geekbuddy. I deselected that. I let it do everything else in the install.
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Ahh...it sounds like you have 2 AV's on your system and this is a problem. Comodo and Avast were both on your machine...both AV's. Now you may have corrupt files with Comodo and it sounds like it corrupted Avast.
But another concern is this "Geekbuddy." Have you been surfing without AV protection? It could be malware.
I suggest the following:
1. Install MBAM (Malwarebytes) and run a scan to check for malware:
· Download free http://www.malwarebytes.org/ (http://www.malwarebytes.org/) (the blue button) for an on-demand scanner.
· Double Click mbam-setup.exe to install the application.
· After install, click update so you have latest database before scanning.
· Under Settings:
o General: Automatically Save File After Scan Completes is checked off
o Scanner Settings: Check all boxes
o Updater: Download and install update if available is checked off
· Once the program has loaded, select "Perform FULL Scan", then click Scan.
· The scan may take some time to finish, so please be patient.
· When the disinfection scan is complete, a log will appear in Notepad and you may be prompted to Restart. (See Extra Note).
· Click the “remove selected” button to quarantine anything found. You will find the infection details under the Quarantine tab.
· The log is automatically saved by MBAM and can be viewed by clicking the Logs tab in MBAM.
· Copy & Paste the entire report in your next reply.
2. After your next post, uninstall Comodo via the uninstaller's tool, then reboot your machine.
3. Clean your machine and remnants with CCleaner Slim version http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/builds (http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/builds) and run the Registry cleaner; make a registry back up in Documents.
4. Reinstall Avast from scratch, then reboot your machine. Register it and update the definitions.
5. Run an Avast Quick scan, then a boot-time scan and report back with your findings. If an infection shows up, put it in the Virus Check (do NOT delete anything!).
In the meantime, stay off the Internet to avoid picking up malware, and if this machine is on a network disconnect it from the network. Do you have any questions?
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But that was not my problem! I did not have Comodo when I was having these problems with Avast. I downloaded Comodo to see if it would pick up any viruses that Avast and Malwarebytes (which I mentioned I'm running) did not.
Please read my original post. I do not have malware!
By the way, before installing Comodo, I uninstalled Avast (withe uninstaller program) and reinstalled it and it changed nothing...Still the same problem.
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When I deactivate web shield, I have no problems with ebay.
I read your post and you were turning off your web shield, which puts you at risk. You were surfing without protection. I realize you ran MBAM (which is not an AV), but where did Geekbuddy come from?
I'm just trying to give you suggestions to check for malware, which you should if you do not recognize Geekbuddy and since you were surfing without AV protection, and to reinstall AV protection since it sounds like you had corrupt files.
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I've only been surfing "safe sites". I'm not going to warez sites or anything like that. :) Geekbudy is another component that installs with Comodo. I left that component unchecked. I am currently checking to see if I should have installed that, on the Comodo site.
Thanks.
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You are welcome. It is up to you to use the information I suggested or not since this is your machine.
Please let us know if you have any further questions. Thank you. :)
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General Info how to solve conflict between CIS and Avast.
go first to CIS --> Defense+ --> Defense+ Settings --> Execution Control Settings --> exclusions --> Add --> the complete Avast folder.
High cpu usage? this will do the trick but keep in mind CIS is vulnerable to get infected.
1) CIS --> Defense+ --> Computer Security Policy --> Protected Files and Folders --> Groups --> Add --> New Group...(give this group a name, such as Avast). Now click once on "add files here" and Add then Add --> Select Fromand --> Browse... and add find the wanted folder
2) CIS --> Defense+ --> Computer Security Policy --> select Comodo Internet Securiy and press edit --> Customize --> Interprocess Memory Accesses --> Modify --> Add --> File Groups --> select the wanted group.
Webshield won't work? This will do the trick
This is one way and the first to try to see if it solves the problem.
CIS --> firewall --> Network Security Policy --> Application rules --> Add --> browse... --> the Avast exe file and as trusted program.
An other solution is to add the group file in application rule by Add --> Group files.
Regards,
Tenko
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Good info but I never had a conflict with them...I never had them simultaniously installed for long.
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Thank you Tenko for the information you posted. ;)
@ Fizbin,
You were going to look into how you got "Geekbuddy" on your machine, and I doubt this was from CIS, and definitely not from an Avast update. What did you find out? I know you said in a prior post you have no malware, but I would still suggest running some scans to be sure since I don't recognize "Geekbuddy" unless someone else does in a legitimate program. It certainly can't hurt to run another MBAM scan.
Are you getting Avast updates without problems?
Did you adjust your CIS settings as Tenko suggested to avoid conflicts?
Let us know if you have any additional questions. Thank you.
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Geekbuddy is optional can be chosen during installing CIS. You might be able to add it if you wish to be going to where you to uninstall programs in windows and then click on change/add or whatever is says.
I will add my previous post that might be useful.
Regards,
Tenko
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@ Tenko,
What exactly does Geekbuddy do and would this affect the OP from being blocked from surfing (his problem at posted here)? I do not use CIS and I know you used to use it in the past. Thank you.
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I haven't tried out Geekbuddy but it should be equal to Avast's technical support. But other comodo products uses it as well (geekbuddy that would be) so the all around pro to help people our.
If he would have taken contact with geekbuddy an employee with try various ways to investigate and solve the problem if it would be possible.
Offtopic
On my host pc I use CIS and on my WMware I use Avast with Oline Armor. Before I had CIS on my computer I had avast and very happy Avast user.
Regards,
Valentin N
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I was very happy with Avast too (for 5 years!) and I'll still install it on other people's PC's...Comodo is too confusing...But considering the problem was so unique and unusual, I knew it would take too long for me to troubleshoot it.
Anyway, I'm glad it happened. It gave me the opportunity to try other things. I didn't realize how much faster my PC would be. Disabling Window's firewall (for Comodo) was one reason for the speed increased.
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you can speed up your pc by disabling unneeded services by typing services.msc in run. if you want more info what to disable in oder to tune up your pc look at http://www.blackviper.com/.
Tip: inactivate Windows firewall and Windows defender.
If you have questions please ask at comodo forums or PM me here or at Valentin N at comodo forums where I am most active.
Regards