Avast Forum redirecting to forum main page after page refresh

[Skakara]

I once again edited the 1st post, added test 2 (below is a copy of it).

Test 2:

1) Make a bookmark to your browser from any topic page, e.g. https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=151424.0 and close the page/tab.

2) Wait 1-2 hours (I haven't tested which is the limit actually, but it's not that long since this problem occurs many times a day). Do NOT open/load any other avast forum pages during this waiting period!

3) Click/open the bookmark created in step 1.

= Browser is redirected the forum main page.

[bob3160]

David,
It's an issue I reported right after the forum restarted and the issue is still present.
There are some exceptions so it's sometimes a hit and miss situation.
Some email notification links go to the main forum page and some directly to the subject.

[Skakara]

There are some exceptions so it's sometimes a hit and miss situation.
Some email notification links go to the main forum page and some directly to the subject.

The reason, AFAIK, is the waiting period since last visit to any forum page. Try my tests and you'll see.

The reason: my "educated" guess is that the forum software checks the login credentials (avast account) after that 1 hour of inactivity and then redirects to the main page of the forum (e.g. this same thing happens when you first log in). So the forum software doesn't distinguish when a user is A) logging in B) continuing his/her session when previously logged in with "remember me" selected. The forum check periodically (cookie) that the user is logged in, and if there's a certain length of inactivity (no page loads -> the cookie is not updated -> cookie expires) the Avast account "verification" kicks in, and the result is that you're redirected to the main page. This is, like I said, my "educated" guess about what is happening ("black box testing", i.e. I can't see the internal workings of the system and have to make assumptions based on how the input & output of the system works).

[Asyn]

Wait 1-2 hours (I haven't tested which is the limit actually, but it's not that long since this problem occurs many times a day). Do NOT open/load any other avast forum pages during this waiting period!

While this might be true, it's most probably quite hard to find anyone testing it, if one has to wait that long.

[Skakara]

Wait 1-2 hours (I haven't tested which is the limit actually, but it's not that long since this problem occurs many times a day). Do NOT open/load any other avast forum pages during this waiting period!

While this might be true, it's most probably quite hard to find anyone testing it, if one has to wait that long.

I noticed the wink, but still, you could do the test 2, with the waiting period while you sleep.

[Asyn]

Sorry, but I'll skip.

[Skakara]

I noticed that the cookie (which I believe has the limit for when the forum checks the credentials again & does the redirecting) might not get updated even if you load/open pages in the forum. Which means that every 1 hour the credentials are checked and you're redirected away from topic pages to the main page.

I say this because just now when I got back to reply to Asyn's post, I was redirected although I visited the forum just few minutes ago.

Anyways, how ever the system may work, I suggest that the people responsible update the system so that links from e.g. emails, bookmarks, or page refreshes do go to the page intended, not to main page. Thank you.

[Asyn]

Could you please add a sig..!?

[Skakara]

Could you please add a sig..!?

Huh? 

[Asyn]

Could you please add a sig..!?

Huh? 

A signature, so we can see what HW/SW you use.

[Skakara]

Well, I had a signature once, then when I came back to this forum after a while, I noticed that the info was way outdated, so I removed it. I don't see a point keeping a sig if the info is most of the time incorrect, and I'm not keen on the idea to update it regularly. If a post I make here requires any HW/SW info, I'll add it to that post/topic. This topic/post doesn't need any HW/SW info. /offtopic

[Skakara]

More personal testing.

Just when I came to answer Asyn, I was again redirected. After I posted the above reply I looked at the cookies. This cookie seems to be the one that activates the credentials lookup & redirection when it's expired:

forumavastcom

It's set to expire 1. July 2014 18:05:24 (seems to be exactly 1 hour after I came to post my previous message)

This cookie expire date/time doesn't change whatever page I load here in forum (EDIT: and it doesn't get updated even after a new post is made). So it's really like I guessed couple of messages back, the time limit is 1 hour for the cookie and when it expires, the credentials are checked and you're redirected away from topic pages to the main page.

I'll try to remember to refresh this page at around 18:00, and again 18:10 and see what happens on both times. I'll be back.

[Asyn]

1. I don't see a point keeping a sig if the info is most of the time incorrect, and I'm not keen on the idea to update it regularly.
2. If a post I make here requires any HW/SW info, I'll add it to that post/topic.

1. Shouldn't be too hard to update it once in a while.
2. So, please add it here.

[DavidR]

David,
It's an issue I reported right after the forum restarted and the issue is still present.
There are some exceptions so it's sometimes a hit and miss situation.
Some email notification links go to the main forum page and some directly to the subject.<$1alt="" title="" onresizestart="return false;" id="smiley__$2" style="padding: 0 3px 0 3px;" />

I don't use the email notifications of new replies to posts, etc. I just use the 'Show new replies to your posts.' and 'Show unread posts since last visit.' links at the top of the page. So I don't experience that, however, as I mentioned in a previous post, that on occasion clicking the 'Show new replies to your posts.' or 'Show unread posts since last visit.' it redirects to index.php, but this doesn't happen all of the time.

[Skakara]

This cookie seems to be the one that activates the credentials lookup & redirection when it's expired:

forumavastcom

It's set to expire 1. July 2014 18:05:24 (seems to be exactly 1 hour after I came to post my previous message)

This cookie expire date/time doesn't change whatever page I load here in forum (EDIT: and it doesn't get updated even after a new post is made). So it's really like I guessed couple of messages back, the time limit is 1 hour for the cookie and when it expires, the credentials are checked and you're redirected away from topic pages to the main page.

I'll try to remember to refresh this page at around 18:00, and again 18:10 and see what happens on both times. I'll be back.

Just like I expected. On 18:00 a page refresh to this page does just that, refreshes the page. On 18:10 page refresh redirects to main page. And the "forumavastcom" is now set to expire on: 1. July 2014 19:10:12.

Ok, now the mechanism what causes this annoyance is pretty much solved.

I urge others to test too. 1 hour (+5 minutes to be sure) without reading this forum can't be that difficult. Go out and jog, or watch a movie.

Could somebody from Avast fix this please? Thank you. (Or do I've to start playing with stored cookies to avoid this issue?)