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Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: theghost on March 02, 2012, 07:43:41 AM

Title: accessibility issues with avast! 7
Post by: theghost on March 02, 2012, 07:43:41 AM
hi,
I use jaws for windows
I tried avast 7 all I can say is the installer and interface are totally unusable
i've made a support ticket but have gotten no answer
i'm sticking with avast 6 until it is resolved
will screen reader accessibility be fixed?
Title: Re: accessibility issues with avast! 7
Post by: DavidR on March 02, 2012, 01:47:49 PM
Why didn't it work ?
Avast alert, running in sandbox, etc. etc.

Surely it would be better to find out why and perhaps help avast find out what the problem is.
Title: Re: accessibility issues with avast! 7
Post by: theghost on March 02, 2012, 01:57:00 PM
hi,
the new gui just doesn't work
the old one worked fine
before avast had the product tested by screen readers and had the issue fixed in a month
also same goes for the installer
i'm not the only one who has this issue
people are switching to different antiviruses because of this problem
hope it gets resolved so I can benefit from the new avast! 7 features
Title: Re: accessibility issues with avast! 7
Post by: DavidR on March 02, 2012, 02:53:37 PM
Honestly, if the only information they have to work on is "the new gui just doesn't work," they aren't going to be able to do much with that generalisation.

Title: Re: accessibility issues with avast! 7
Post by: theghost on March 02, 2012, 03:05:39 PM
hi,
what type of info do you need
Title: Re: accessibility issues with avast! 7
Post by: DavidR on March 02, 2012, 03:33:42 PM
What version of Jaws, what operating system and what avast version free/pro/AIS 7.0.1407, etc. ?

How do you launch Jaws, when you do are there any avast alerts/notices ?
Does it actually open but with problems or crash, etc.

You could check a couple of things in avast logs and see if there is any reference to the executable user to start jaws. The problem being if you have gone back to avast6 then that information isn't going to be available (see ####).

Two possibly elements that may conflict with jaws (though this is based on an educated guess) would be either the Behavior Shield or AutoSandbox (additional protection). These could be selectively Stopped and see if in disabling one of them jaws would work or not.

Or set the AutoSandbox to Ask and if there is an interaction between the two, you will see it and be able to allow it to Run Normally and check the Remember my answer for this program (this adds an exclusion for that executable in the AutoSandbox exclusions).

####
That would have been in the C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\AVAST Software\Avast\report\BehaviorShield.txt or possibly the FileSystemShield.txt (which controls the AutoSandbox).
Title: Re: accessibility issues with avast! 7
Post by: sleepdeprived on March 02, 2012, 03:58:47 PM
I tried to find the logs at one point, with the version 7 disaster. Looked in help under "logs" and found nothing. I knew it had to be there and probably for those who are better at these things, it could have been found. But it would have been nice if the help file told how to find it. Or maybe I needed to look under something less obvious that "logs"? Bah, Humbug.

Avast not only lost me as a client, but the tech person I was working with has a lot of clients asking for a referral to a good security program. He used to recommend AVG and they also messed up a release and he had to fix multiple computers for clients. So he is another lost source of referrals. If he had seen it working smoothly when working with updating my video driver, he might have thought it a program to refer to his clients. Now he wouldn't touch it. If version 6... had been still on my computer, he might have been impressed with avast.

I keep reading the forums, thinking maybe I'll read of some miraculous fix and an update that works fairly well. Time to stop wasting time and get on with more enjoyable pursuits.
Title: Re: accessibility issues with avast! 7
Post by: theghost on March 02, 2012, 05:02:08 PM
hi,
I use jaws 13
I tried avast 7
and yes even in avast 6 the behavior shield and sandbox block jaws which is annoying
I found the solution in disabling the autosandbox feature
and setting an exception  to the behavior shield
the version of avast I tested was 7.0.147
I use windows 7 ultimate 32 bit
and I didn't reboot jaws after the avast installation
anything else?
Title: Re: accessibility issues with avast! 7
Post by: DavidR on March 02, 2012, 05:16:55 PM
You can also set an exception in the AutoSandbox, Settings, this would allow jaws to run but continue to have the additional protection provided by the autosandbox, but set the AutoSandbox mode to Ask.

I'm a little surprised that the behavior shield was involved (though it is certainly one that could interact), so it would appear that jaws, modifies some system settings, triggering the block (and or the autosandbox intervention). I generally change the default Action to take to Ask, as that would make you aware of any possible interaction, allowing you to permit the application and exclude from future interaction.

So if your current solution works, e.g. jaws now runs there isn't anything else needed is there ?
Title: Re: accessibility issues with avast! 7
Post by: theghost on March 02, 2012, 06:22:41 PM
hi,
no nothing else
just the 7 version doesn't function properly
Title: Re: accessibility issues with avast! 7
Post by: SafeSurf on March 03, 2012, 10:26:45 AM
@ DavidR,

Is Yonatan still involved with issues such as this?  Perhaps he can assist from the Avast side.  I will PM him.

I tried to PM him, but it appears he is no longer there.  Are you aware of someone else who replaced his area of expertise?
Title: Re: accessibility issues with avast! 7
Post by: DavidR on March 03, 2012, 03:15:28 PM
I honestly don't know, but if he is still with avast, I assume he would still be on the Interface side.

Did you have an email for him and try that ?
Title: Re: accessibility issues with avast! 7
Post by: yonatan on March 03, 2012, 08:45:53 PM
we will look on this issue
thanks, yonatan.
Title: Re: accessibility issues with avast! 7
Post by: yonatan on March 05, 2012, 12:06:02 PM
hi, just to make it clear.
is Jaws reads well after you disable the autosandbox feature
and setting an exception  to the behavior shield - as you mentioned?
thanks
Yonatan
Title: Re: accessibility issues with avast! 7
Post by: hectic-mmv on March 05, 2012, 05:47:31 PM
Hi guys,

I am sorry, there are really accessibility issues with jaws - both in installer and avast UI.

However, pls can you specify what are the problems with autosandbox or behavioral shield? We tried to reproduce any issues have not found any problems.

thanks
Title: Re: accessibility issues with avast! 7
Post by: theghost on March 06, 2012, 05:09:36 PM
hi,
so have you found what's rong with accessibility
welll if you've fixed the blocking of screen readers with autosandbox that's nice
well the behavior shield happened randomly
when unloading jaws
try restarting and unloading jaws and see if that triggerts the blockages
wouldn't flagging screen reader files safe fix the problem
Title: Re: accessibility issues with avast! 7
Post by: theghost on March 06, 2012, 05:12:48 PM
hi,
well  jaws still won't read the gui and installer after the exceptions to sandbox and shield
but other than that it works fine
btw, the accessibility probnlem isn't just with jaws it is with all screen reader applications
Title: Re: accessibility issues with avast! 7
Post by: theghost on March 06, 2012, 05:14:08 PM
hi,
sorry for double posting
Title: Re: accessibility issues with avast! 7
Post by: gwcox on March 16, 2012, 08:41:01 PM
Avast Internet Security v. 7 is blocking the screen reader for the blind called System Access. Not only does it stop it from working, but it also blocks the content at its web site, www.serotek.com. I found this out after Avast support helped unblocking a couple of harmless games and Adobe Reader.

For those who are not blind and use screen readers, the problem with Avast's interface is that it doesn't read at all and has to be dug into with special modes or sighted help. This situation is untenable.

Specs: SPSP3, Jaws 13, IE8