Author Topic: How to interpret Avast! warnings?  (Read 15618 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

kwg

  • Guest
How to interpret Avast! warnings?
« on: April 01, 2005, 01:04:30 AM »
I'm pleased that Avast! SBS Premium is e-mailing me notifications of its activity, but I'm puzzled about how to interpret some of the warnings. For example, this warning just arrived a minute ago:

Quote
[SBS2003]: AAVM - scanning warning: x_AavmCheckFileDirectEx: http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/10/70/62/04107062.xls (C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\PxB7EA.tmp) returning error, 0000A477.

Was this file actually blocked because it contains a virus?

Does the warning simply indicate that a virus was suspected, but the file itself was not blocked?

By the way, I am familiar with the file in question, having downloaded it to my home computer previously. It is just an Excel spreadsheet on the UK government site. I've downloaded it to my home computer (which uses Norton) without problem.

Why would Avast! have a problem with this file?

Ken

Offline Vlk

  • Avast CEO
  • Serious Graphoman
  • *
  • Posts: 11658
  • Please don't send me IM's. Email only. Thx.
    • ALWIL Software
Re: How to interpret Avast! warnings?
« Reply #1 on: April 01, 2005, 08:44:06 AM »
Which version of avast is this, exactly?
Doesn't look like the Server Edition (or SBS Edition) as it has not been updated to v4.6 yet (i.e. the current version, 4.5, does not contain the webshield module from which this message is coming...).

BTW this means that avast could not scan the file (the error code means "a problem in the macro virus engine").
I'll try it here...

Thanks
Vlk
If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving's not for you.

Offline Vlk

  • Avast CEO
  • Serious Graphoman
  • *
  • Posts: 11658
  • Please don't send me IM's. Email only. Thx.
    • ALWIL Software
Re: How to interpret Avast! warnings?
« Reply #2 on: April 01, 2005, 08:46:32 AM »
Hmm, it's not reproducible here (the scan of the same file does not trigger any warnings/errors...)
If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving's not for you.

kwg

  • Guest
Re: How to interpret Avast! warnings?
« Reply #3 on: April 01, 2005, 11:48:46 AM »
Which version of avast is this, exactly?
Doesn't look like the Server Edition (or SBS Edition) as it has not been updated to v4.6 yet (i.e. the current version, 4.5, does not contain the webshield module from which this message is coming...).

It's the SBS Premium Edition: version 4.5 Build Nov2004 (4.5.345).

BTW this means that avast could not scan the file (the error code means "a problem in the macro virus engine").

I got the error just once. I had my client open the file again, and this time there was no error. Perhaps the file had been cached at the server, so the avast! ISA plug-in didn't scan the file more than once.

Does the ISA plug-in generate the same error messages as the Webshield?

Are you testing this file with the ISA plug-in or with the Webshield?

Ken

kwg

  • Guest
Re: How to interpret Avast! warnings?
« Reply #4 on: April 04, 2005, 12:37:32 AM »
I'm still testing avast! on our network server and on two of the workstations.

During the last few hours, I have received 8 warnings similar to the following:

Quote
[SBS2003]: AAVM - scanning warning: x_AavmCheckFileDirectEx [UNI]: C:\WINDOWS\system32\RICHED32.DLL (C:\WINDOWS\system32\RICHED32.DLL) returning error, 0000A413.

Why so many warnings all of a sudden? There has been no one using the network or server during the time period that avast! issued these warnings.

What exactly does error 0000A413 mean? Should I be concerned?

Is there a comprehensive list of error numbers that network administrators can use to help interpret avast's messages?

BTW (with respect to my post below), have you determined yet why downloading an ordinary virus-free Excel spreadsheet from the UK government site would cause avast! to issue error 0000A477?

Ken

markrnaustin

  • Guest
Re: How to interpret Avast! warnings?
« Reply #5 on: April 04, 2005, 08:41:56 PM »
Likewise, all the sudden I'm getting hammered with these errors. I posted the full detial of the messages I'm getting on another thread:
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=12475.0

But they are all the same errors: 0x0000A413

I get a warning and then and error.  TOO MANY EMAILS!! HELP!!!!!

kwg

  • Guest
Re: How to interpret Avast! warnings?
« Reply #6 on: April 04, 2005, 08:57:35 PM »
The problem continues:

I just received a barrage of 43 avast! warnings in my e-mail. Like markrnaustin says, every one of them shows error 0000A413.

Ken
« Last Edit: April 04, 2005, 09:01:43 PM by kwg »

kwg

  • Guest
Re: How to interpret Avast! warnings?
« Reply #7 on: April 05, 2005, 05:42:14 AM »
I just received another 51 avast! error messages, all sent within a few seconds of each other. Most (but not all) were the following:

Quote
[SBS2003]: AAVM - scanning warning: x_AavmCheckFileDirectEx [UNI]: C:\WINDOWS\system32\MAPIsvc.inf (C:\WINDOWS\system32\MAPIsvc.inf) returning error, 0000A413.

Are Mark and I the only users with this problem?

Is avast! aware of an issue that is causing this problem?

Does the problem lie with the current scan engine or virus definition files?

Is my avast! software configured incorrectly?

Ken

rogerclarke

  • Guest
Re: How to interpret Avast! warnings?
« Reply #8 on: April 05, 2005, 09:40:51 AM »
Hi

I'm having similar problems.

I installed the latest version of Avast for Small Business Server 2003 (standard) and now I recieve about 50 emails per day with variations of this message:

[SBS]: AAVM - scanning warning: x_AavmCheckFileDirectEx: ?/NON_IPM_SUBTREE/OFFLINE ADDRESS BOOK/?o=AAA?cn=addrlists?cn=oaaa?cn=Default Offline Address List/OAB Version 2/?Global Address List-132772890.EML/lng405.oab (C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\Vx246D.tmp) returning error, 0000A413.

I've underlined the parameters that change in each email message.

Is this a known problem?

Thanks,

Roger

kwg

  • Guest
Re: How to interpret Avast! warnings?
« Reply #9 on: April 05, 2005, 10:13:00 PM »
So far today, I have not received any of the avast! error messages.

There was a virus database update (VPS 0514-0) today. I notice that the error messages began after the previous database update (VPS 0513-2) on April 1.

Maybe today's update solved the problem.

Mark and Roger, have you received any errors since the update?

Vlk, do you have an explanation for these errors?

Ken

rogerclarke

  • Guest
Re: How to interpret Avast! warnings?
« Reply #10 on: April 06, 2005, 09:31:06 AM »
Hi Ken

I've not had any email warnings today; however, I changed the logging detail for the Avast providers shortly after my last post so that may be the reason why.

I'll take my life in my hands and change them back to the defaults to see if the problem was resolved by the latest definition update.

Roger

cyberdelicat

  • Guest
Re: How to interpret Avast! warnings?
« Reply #11 on: April 09, 2005, 07:48:19 PM »
I keep getting this same error! Has any Avast mod addressed these posts yet? I'm real worried that something's wrong with my program so can a moderator or anyone please let me know if they know anything about it? I get 3 error variants: after 'SYSTEM' it reads: 1584, 1388, or 1336. I think this relates to the scan error source (URL or file) but I'm not sure. Here's just one example:
SYSTEM 1584 AAVM -scanning error: x_AavmCheckFileDirectEx: avfilesScanReal of http://www.columbia.edu failed 0000A413
My errors began 3/13/05. I use Avast Home Ed, version 4.6, build March 2005 4.6.623, with XP and SP2.
Thanx in advance for any advice!  ::)
cyberdelicat

kwg

  • Guest
Re: How to interpret Avast! warnings?
« Reply #12 on: April 09, 2005, 08:45:52 PM »
cyberdelicat,

I haven't received any errors since the VPS 0514-0 update on April 5.

I agree with you that the lack of response from Avast is disconcerting. The response I did get to my initial post is erroneous in that it tells me that I cannot possibly be using the server edition, which, of course, I am using. Then, there was no repsonse at all to the posts from several users about the barrage of error messages we experienced over a four-day period.

When I get a barrage of messages from an anti-virus program, I have to conclude either that my network is infected with a virus; or that my anti-virus program is defective, so my network might be unprotected. Without any feedback from Avast, it's impossible to decide what to conclude, or what action I might need to take to combat a virus attack.

I am evaluating Avast for possible purchase for our office network. So far, it's not looking good for Avast.

Ken

Offline Lisandro

  • Avast team
  • Certainly Bot
  • *
  • Posts: 67195
Re: How to interpret Avast! warnings?
« Reply #13 on: April 09, 2005, 11:43:07 PM »
I agree with you that the lack of response from Avast is disconcerting.

Where is avast! team?  :P
Shame...  :(

Did you click on <Report to Moderator> button? Maybe it helps...  :)
The best things in life are free.