Author Topic: Thats it I give up - Im done with Avast  (Read 15744 times)

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joe009

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Thats it I give up - Im done with Avast
« on: December 30, 2013, 04:24:45 PM »
Problems after problems since updating to the new avast.  Many web pages not working unless i disable avasts shields. 
Im turning the shields off so much now theres no point having avast so I give up.

Going back to AVG after 5 years. 

Offline Pondus

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Re: Thats it I give up - Im done with Avast
« Reply #1 on: December 30, 2013, 04:28:36 PM »
Will you try attaching a OTL diagnostic log first?

Offline Alikhan

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Re: Thats it I give up - Im done with Avast
« Reply #2 on: December 30, 2013, 04:35:50 PM »
If the pages aren't loading...

Hallo, we have discovered an issue in new WebShield implementation. This is probably reason of your problems. We are preparing fix for that.

Meanwhile you can try to switch to old WebShield implementation. To do that, please

Go to C:\programdata\avast software\avast directory

Find the WebShield.ini, file and add following lines:
 
[General]
UseStreamFilter=0
 
Now restart „avast! Antivirus“ service, or reboot.


Please let us to know if the problem is gone.
Windows 10 Home 64-bit • Avast Free (latest stable version) •  Malwarebytes 4 Premium (On-Demand) • Windows Firewall Control • Google Chrome • LastPass • CCleaner • O&O ShutUp10 •

ram1220

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Re: Thats it I give up - Im done with Avast
« Reply #3 on: December 30, 2013, 11:23:47 PM »
Problems after problems since updating to the new avast.  Many web pages not working unless i disable avasts shields. 
Im turning the shields off so much now theres no point having avast so I give up.

Going back to AVG after 5 years.

If you want to stay with Avast then go back to version 8. It works. If you really are finished with Avast I can't blame you. I have also been looking at other AV's. I have been a long time user of Avast and have recommended Avast to a countless amount of people . But I just can not recommend them anymore.

Offline Eddy

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Re: Thats it I give up - Im done with Avast
« Reply #4 on: December 30, 2013, 11:29:31 PM »
Joe,
why not try to solve your problems?
Ever thought that avast is blocking those websites for a legitimate reason? (containing malware, malicious code etc)
What do you mean with "new avast"? What exact version?
What os/sp?

Ram,
stop giving people a useless advise please ask you have been asked several times now.

COMPUTIAC

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Re: Thats it I give up - Im done with Avast
« Reply #5 on: December 30, 2013, 11:30:18 PM »
If I go back to version 8;

How do you prevent it from updating to version 9 ?
I tried to do this a couple of weeks ago, unchecked auto update and it did not help.
« Last Edit: December 30, 2013, 11:32:39 PM by COMPUTIAC »

olddog

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Re: Thats it I give up - Im done with Avast
« Reply #6 on: December 30, 2013, 11:30:32 PM »
If the pages aren't loading...

Hallo, we have discovered an issue in new WebShield implementation. This is probably reason of your problems. We are preparing fix for that.

Meanwhile you can try to switch to old WebShield implementation. To do that, please

Go to C:\programdata\avast software\avast directory

Find the WebShield.ini, file and add following lines:
 
[General]
UseStreamFilter=0
 
Now restart „avast! Antivirus“ service, or reboot.


Please let us to know if the problem is gone.

Given the apparent recent spate of emupdates, does this hack still work as intended?

Offline Alikhan

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Re: Thats it I give up - Im done with Avast
« Reply #7 on: December 30, 2013, 11:34:17 PM »
If the pages aren't loading...

Hallo, we have discovered an issue in new WebShield implementation. This is probably reason of your problems. We are preparing fix for that.

Meanwhile you can try to switch to old WebShield implementation. To do that, please

Go to C:\programdata\avast software\avast directory

Find the WebShield.ini, file and add following lines:
 
[General]
UseStreamFilter=0
 
Now restart „avast! Antivirus“ service, or reboot.


Please let us to know if the problem is gone.

Given the apparent recent spate of emupdates, does this hack still work as intended?

It's not a hack.. it's a fix.

It still works as intended.
Windows 10 Home 64-bit • Avast Free (latest stable version) •  Malwarebytes 4 Premium (On-Demand) • Windows Firewall Control • Google Chrome • LastPass • CCleaner • O&O ShutUp10 •

olddog

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Re: Thats it I give up - Im done with Avast
« Reply #8 on: December 31, 2013, 12:03:17 AM »
It's not a hack.. it's a fix.

Alikhan, Thanks for that.

With respect, the procedure given requires a user to manually edit one of the .ini files.   
The advice was given as a "you can try..." and "Please let us to know if the problem is gone". It also says "We are preparing fix for that", and does suggest the .ini edit would "switch to old WebShield implementation". In my book that is a "workaround" requiring a user modification to the content of a file to a form other than what had been officially released, so it's a "hack" not a "fix"

But that's just me being pedantic.
 
I don't know is whether the "fix" mentioned in the post was ever subsequently issued (maybe one of the emupdates that have occurred since) and if that were to be the case, whether the "fix" might have made the .ini change invalid. There is at least one report that indicates the code added into the .ini file had disappeared after one of the emupdates. 

Offline Alikhan

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Re: Thats it I give up - Im done with Avast
« Reply #9 on: December 31, 2013, 12:34:56 AM »
It's not a hack.. it's a fix.

Alikhan, Thanks for that.

With respect, the procedure given requires a user to manually edit one of the .ini files.   
The advice was given as a "you can try..." and "Please let us to know if the problem is gone". It also says "We are preparing fix for that", and does suggest the .ini edit would "switch to old WebShield implementation". In my book that is a "workaround" requiring a user modification to the content of a file to a form other than what had been officially released, so it's a "hack" not a "fix"

But that's just me being pedantic.
 
I don't know is whether the "fix" mentioned in the post was ever subsequently issued (maybe one of the emupdates that have occurred since) and if that were to be the case, whether the "fix" might have made the .ini change invalid. There is at least one report that indicates the code added into the .ini file had disappeared after one of the emupdates.

I'd agree that it's a workaround of an issue which has been address by the avast! emergency updater (Win 7 and Win 8). The patch isn't out for Windows Vista so it would be a fix for the issue there...

I'm not sure if the patch overwrites the .ini data, however, I'm certain that after the patch you can edit .ini to your likings and the changes should remain.

http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=143211.0

On the topic their, it's also labelled as a "fix".

From that thread, could you check that (to ensure if you have had the fix applied):

To verify you have the patch applied, you may go to:

C:\Program Files\Avast Software\Avast\Setup\Inf\x86 or .\x64

You should see:
aswstm.sys - file version: 9.0.2011.265
aswstm.sys.sum - file size: 223 bytes

To be on the safe side on things, you could have the right file and the fix applied.  ;)
« Last Edit: December 31, 2013, 12:40:20 AM by Alikhan »
Windows 10 Home 64-bit • Avast Free (latest stable version) •  Malwarebytes 4 Premium (On-Demand) • Windows Firewall Control • Google Chrome • LastPass • CCleaner • O&O ShutUp10 •

olddog

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Re: Thats it I give up - Im done with Avast
« Reply #10 on: December 31, 2013, 01:05:46 AM »
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=143211.0

Thanks for the link, I was following that thread a while ago, but had not been back to read the more recent posts.

Quote
To verify you have the patch applied, you may go to:

C:\Program Files\Avast Software\Avast\Setup\Inf\x86 or .\x64

You should see:
aswstm.sys - file version: 9.0.2011.265
aswstm.sys.sum - file size: 223 bytes

It appears from http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=143211.msg1040384#msg1040384, and http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=143211.msg1040389#msg1040389 that is is also worth checking aswstm.sys file inside c:\Windows\system32\drivers to make sure it is also 9.0.2011.265

Quote
To be on the safe side on things, you could have the right file and the fix applied.

Yes, Lukor's post at http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=143211.msg1042670#msg1042670 does seem to confirm that one can apply the .ini edit after the aswstm.sys (9.0.2011.265) and aswstm.sys.sum update.
 


ram1220

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Re: Thats it I give up - Im done with Avast
« Reply #11 on: December 31, 2013, 10:09:55 PM »
Joe,
why not try to solve your problems?
Ever thought that avast is blocking those websites for a legitimate reason? (containing malware, malicious code etc)
What do you mean with "new avast"? What exact version?
What os/sp?

Ram,
stop giving people a useless advise please ask you have been asked several times now.

It's not useless info. There are numerous problems with 2014 that the common response is to disable this or that. I recommend that people go back to version 8 which is a working version of Avast. So no I will not stop telling people this info. You Eddy have been told this several times now.

NoelC

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Re: Thats it I give up - Im done with Avast
« Reply #12 on: December 31, 2013, 10:12:38 PM »
So sure are you that the current version with a few "Tools" deconfigured is not better than an older version?

-Noel

Offline Eddy

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Re: Thats it I give up - Im done with Avast
« Reply #13 on: December 31, 2013, 10:37:19 PM »
ram,
there are also problems with version 8. Problem with the 2014.9.0.2011 version is often pebkac, but it is working fine.
Telling people to go back to version 8 is NOT a solution. It is like telling people to remove windows and install dos v1.
You are telling people you have a fix, but you don't give them the fix.
"I have to ask my teacher first".... :-(
No you don't.
If you have a fix, tell it to the person who has a problem and solve the problem.
That is what helping is about.

Offline Turtlediver

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Re: Thats it I give up - Im done with Avast
« Reply #14 on: January 01, 2014, 01:18:12 PM »
Like others, I've been a loyal Avast user and advocate for many years, but feel I had no choice but to jump ship this morning.  I updated to 2011 a week ago that essentially made browsing impossible as long as web shield was active.  Everything worked normally when switched off, and System Restore was able to revert Avast to the previous version.  Though probably of no help, I posted my experiences.  I've since learned that even the previous "good" version was erroneously blocking some websites.

I made sure that Program Update was set to Manual to avoid a possible automatic update, but this morning the web shield was disabled.  Hitting "REPAIR" installed 2011 all over again; and the problems previously encountered reappeared.  Unfortunately, System Restore didn't this time, but the Avast removal tool finally got rid of the program in the Safe Mode.

I'd love to be able to help troubleshoot the problem, but if had been earning just minimum wage for the hours I've already spent troubleshooting and trying to restore the computer after the 2011 update episodes, I could have bought any of the full version antivirus programs out there!  NOT everyone is a computer geek or has the knowledge, time, or inclination to dive into the inner workings of their machines … and that's even if there was a reliable repair.  They simply expect their antivirus program to work or at least not screw things up. 

Perhaps I'm mistaken and the Avast crew is really taking these problems seriously, but  excusing the matter by saying that "most people don't have any issues" is condescending and likely without basis in fact.  Most users don't have a clue what's wrong when their computer experiences any of the problems being enumerated in this forum.  Most don't even know there is a forum!  They're screwed without even knowing the cause!

I'll keep monitoring and hoping this issue will be resolved; possibly I'll return to Avast.  I really liked it, not to mention the sexy definition update announcements!  Now to take care of my other five computers that also have Avast, not to mention the several computers I routinely maintain for others. :(