Password Protection Issue (Using Avast Free)

[REDACTED]

Password protection is supposed to put a lockdown on ALL of the antivirus settings. I, personally, always use password protection as an extra layer of tamper protection. I did, however, find out that even with tamper protection, I can go into the "Core Shields" tab and simply click on the toggles and disable the shields one by one. All of this without any interference from the password protection. Can this be looked into?

[mchain]

Hi Enrick,

Welcome.

See attached picture below for default password protection settings. 

What version of avast free/ and what build?
What prior a/v's?
What Operating System and build?

Does Avast ask for your password at all?  Is the password box ticked off?

See second attached picture below.  I'm able to change Mail Shield to off without a password ask.

Did you reboot after enabling General Program Access?  This setting should give you what you want.

[CAUTION:]  Enabling General Program Access:  Whatever you do, do not forget/lose the password.

[REDACTED]

Yes, I have the password protection enabled, and I have already set a password. Your suggestion to also tick "General Program Access" is a bit overkill. In my opinion, the ability to disable a shield through the "Core Shields" tab should be protected under the "Protection Control" and "Protection Settings" tick box, which is enabled by default. Can this suggestion be implemented into a future update?

[mchain]

Yes, to set General Program Access to require a password is a bit much, but not if you wish to restrict other users from changing any settings within Avast (with you as the administrator) -- I took that to mean you want 'tamper protection' or changes to the program without your permission and General Program Access does that for you.

It is what works for now.

I agree that turning off the core shields should require a password if that is enabled in settings.  Does not seem to work that way here either.

[bob3160]

Yes, to set General Program Access to require a password is a bit much, but not if you wish to restrict other users from changing any settings within Avast (with you as the administrator) -- I took that to mean you want 'tamper protection' or changes to the program without your permission and General Program Access does that for you.

It is what works for now.

I agree that turning off the core shields should require a password if that is enabled in settings.  Does not seem to work that way here either.

Turning off the core shields requires Admin rights. So another user, unless they have admin rights, can't make those changes.

[mchain]

Not to put too fine a point on this version, (version in use posted below) but am able to turn off any/all four real-time shields in a standard account.  No admin account required, no password is required.  (With General Program Access unticked.) 

If this issue persists in latest version, and it will be a clean install for sure, then this likely could be an issue which a repair on the newest install will not fix.  Won't know until newest version is installed.  Cheers.

[DavidR]

<snip>
If this issue persists in latest version, and it will be a clean install for sure, then this likely could be an issue which a repair on the newest install will not fix.  Won't know until newest version is installed.  Cheers.

Well the bad news is there is no Repair option in the UI or Control Panel Programs and features.  Apparently it didn't work in the last beta and now it isn't there at all.

[bob3160]

<snip>
If this issue persists in latest version, and it will be a clean install for sure, then this likely could be an issue which a repair on the newest install will not fix.  Won't know until newest version is installed.  Cheers.

Well the bad news is there is no Repair option in the UI or Control Panel Programs and features.  Apparently it didn't work in the last beta and now it isn't there at all.

It's in Programs an d Features on my system

[schmidthouse]

<snip>
If this issue persists in latest version, and it will be a clean install for sure, then this likely could be an issue which a repair on the newest install will not fix.  Won't know until newest version is installed.  Cheers.

Well the bad news is there is no Repair option in the UI or Control Panel Programs and features.  Apparently it didn't work in the last beta and now it isn't there at all.

I believe this feature is still being added, as the option is already showing in the beta UI.
However in this beta build '2354' the feature is not finished/functioning yet.

[bob3160]

<snip>
If this issue persists in latest version, and it will be a clean install for sure, then this likely could be an issue which a repair on the newest install will not fix.  Won't know until newest version is installed.  Cheers.

Well the bad news is there is no Repair option in the UI or Control Panel Programs and features.  Apparently it didn't work in the last beta and now it isn't there at all.

It's in Programs and Features on my system

Repair and Modify work as they should. Update has a strange reaction. That may be due to the fact that there aren't any updates

[DavidR]

<snip>
If this issue persists in latest version, and it will be a clean install for sure, then this likely could be an issue which a repair on the newest install will not fix.  Won't know until newest version is installed.  Cheers.

Well the bad news is there is no Repair option in the UI or Control Panel Programs and features.  Apparently it didn't work in the last beta and now it isn't there at all.

It's in Programs an d Features on my system

Not on my XP system it isn't when selecting Avast Free Antivirus the only options are Change Remove, as it was previously.  Selecting Change used to throw up the screen you posted, that is no longer happening, it just throws me into the Change UI settings window.

I have yet to install this build on my win10 laptop.

[bob3160]

Windows XP is stuck on an older version and wouldn't have this.

[DavidR]

Windows XP is stuck on an older version and wouldn't have this.

Clearly that is incorrect as it was there previously.  It isn't stuck on an older version it has the latest release version, it isn't until November when the 64bit version of avast comes in that it will be in a time warp. 

If people try to install 18.8.xxxx avast will install avast 18.7 version.

[bob3160]

Admin rights are required for these changes. Avast is aware of the problem and is working on a fix
to reestablish requiring Admin rights for these functions. 

[alanb]

I get the same screen as Bob if I click 'Uninstall', rather than 'Change' (win 7).