WebScanner not functioning since today's update

[crdenny]

Hi,

I've had a very good experience with this forum in the past, as well as with avast! AV in general, so I hope I'll be lucky getting some help here once again.

I wonder if anyone can suggest the (probably obvious) troubleshooting steps to determine why WebScanner, which has worked fine until now, will no longer access the internet since the avast! 4 Home edition program update today.

I'm running W98 on a 400 MHz PII Gateway desktop, with Earthlink TotalAccess software handling the connection with my DSL line, plus McAfee Personal Firewall. In addition, FYI, I have up-to-date Spybot (with TeaTimer, the Spybot S & D resident) and Dr. Watson running.

After the automatic update completed and began to reboot, the computer froze, forcing a hard reboot. At that point, it seemed that neither the Internet Mail Scanner nor the WebScanner was working --- after spending far too many hours checking and rechecking the settings used with W98 (use proxy server "localhost", port 10280; use mail setup wizard to insure correct setting of server 127.0.0.1, etc.) as well as trying the Repair function in Add/Remove Programs, I decided that the installation must have been corrupted. So I downloaded the newest setup file, uninstalled avast! entirely (again, using Add/Remove Programs), deleted temp folders, rebooted, closed all applications except Explorer and Systray, reinstalled avast! 4 Home edition and finally went through all settings that I'm aware are needed for mail and web scanning. Incidentally, I also deleted and then re-entered the Internet Application rule in McAfee PF giving AshWebServ.exe full internet access. Since the reinstall, email (OE6) now works perfectly, but no matter what I do, I still can't access the internet via WebScanner. If I disable WebScanner and uncheck "use proxy server", I can access it fine.

I'm out of ideas about what to check next. I'd appreciate any help you can offer.

Thanks,

crdenny

[Vlk]

First, make sure the process ashWebSv.exe (the WebShield proxy) is given access to the Internet.
Ideally, if it IS on the list, remove it and let McAfee ask you again for it. Then confirm.

I've seen cases where McAfee firewall somehow "forgets" its settings (for no particular reason)...


HTH
Vlk

[crdenny]

You were absolutely right! I left the computer alone for 30 minutes while doing a registry and app settings backup, and returned to find McAfee PF asking for an okay to allow the "changed" WebScanner access to the internet. This after I had been unable to get any such response for the last two hours, no matter what I did! I have no idea why McAfee can't sort its products out better than it does...

Thanks very much, again. You guys are so quick to answer and so entirely "on the money", it's a rare pleasure dealing with this forum.