Can't find exception I created?

[bob3160]

The file is also probably protected by Avast Self Defense.

I'd wait for further clarification from Avast before removing it.

[HansDelbruck]

Yeah, that would make sense for it to protect that file if that file is where exclusions are listed. It would be a bad thing if a virus could list itself in there as an exclusion, so it would make sense for it to be difficult to edit.

However the problem remains that there is an exclusion listed n there that I wanted to be temporary and would like to remove now. Since it is only listed in that file and no where else I have no way of editing it. And had I not found this file I would not even be aware that this exception even existed. So something is wrong here and needs to be addressed. This appears to be a bug in how exceptions/exclusions get listed.

Checking another(different) PC there is no exclusions.ini file at all. The file does not exist on another PC I have, for what that's worth. So maybe it gets created IF you create an exclusion.

[Cluster-Lizard2014]

That would be normal practice.

You may have answered this earlier but can you confirm you have checked the other Shield (File System , Web. P2P etc) > Settings > Exclusions lists for that entry?

[HansDelbruck]

I do not have any other shields installed. I only see one place where there is an exceptions setting.
Settings->General->Exceptions

Other than in the hidden exclusions.ini file that you would only know about if you knew about it and looked inside.

[bob3160]

The file is also probably protected by Avast Self Defense.

I'd wait for further clarification from Avast before removing it.

If you uncheck that box, you should now be able to edit or delete that file.
Don't forget to again check the Self-Defense option after making changes.

[petr blatny]

Hello HansDelbruck,
if you still have exclusions.ini, can you please send it to me: petr.blatny@avast.com. I would like to find out, why it is not shown in the UI. Thank you.
Petr

[HansDelbruck]

I can do better than that ... here it is ...

Code: [Select]


[Global]
ExcludeHashes="C:\Temp\file_txt.exe"<sha256=bad7xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

I only changed the hash to a bunch of x's but you get the idea.
That is all that is in that file. That's it.

[HansDelbruck]

OK I tried an experiment. I have a file let's call "file.exe". It's an encrypted file created by an encryption program; a self decrypting .exe file.

experiment 1
1. I go into file explorer and double click the file
2. Avast has a popup in the lower right corner that says that it will not allow me to run this file because it might be dangerous unless I create an exception and it provides a link at the bottom to do that.
3. I click the link and (I guess) it automatically creates the exception and then allows the program to run.

**From that point forward - no more warnings. Every time I run the program it runs and I never get asked again.
Avast has created a line for that program, including the name/path and a SHA hash, in the exclusions.ini file. Yet, if i go into settings->exceptions there is nothing - blank page.
-
experiment 2
1. Instead of double clicking the file in Windows Explorer I open Avast first and go to the exceptions page and manually add the file I want to open before I open it.
2. Now Avast adds the file name and path in the exclusions.ini file, but no hash.
3. I open the file and no warnings as there is an exception. Works fine.
4. I go back to Avast settings and manually remove the exceptions from the exceptions page.
5. Now I check the exclusions.ini file and it is empty - no files listed.
-

So what is going on? Seems like a bug to me. If you click a file and it creates an exception that exception does not get added to the exceptions page and thus you can never ever remove it.

[HansDelbruck]

OK so I have dome everything requested of me ... installed a program, sent all the support info I was asked to send, answered every question I was asked to answer ... where is tech support? Has anyone at Avast even looked into this? This appears to be a bug in their software.

I mean if you plan on not answering me then why make me jump through all these hoops and install programs and send all kinds of files and then in the end don't answer my question?

This does not seem that difficult for someone at Avast who can look into the code of this thing and see why this is placing exceptions in a file with no way to remove them and not even let the user know that the exception is even there. Initially I thought this would be a simple 2 second answer from a programming aspect.

[bob3160]

You could send Petr the .ini file as requested.

[HansDelbruck]

Um seriously? Did you see that I posted the entire file right here in the post right underneath his? There is nothing else to the file. Copy what I posted and save it as a text file and name it "exclusions.ini"

It is beginning to look like DMV here. Instead of actually trying to help someone they look to see if you are missing a form so they can send you home and you have to come back the next day so they can check again and see if you have your farm equipment registration form.

Look if they don't want to help people that's fine. They don't have to, but then say so. Don't jerk people around and keep asking for stuff you don't need to diagnose my problem just to get out of helping me. What do you want next? Urine sample?
It's beginning to look like they try to anger people so they post something angry and the topic gets locked. Is that the plan? Because 62 more posts like this and I might say something I don't mean.

So far people keep asking me for stuff but offer zero ideas. It does not appear as though anyone from Avast has looked at anything. Unless you are an Avast employee?

[HansDelbruck]

Wow, nothing? Seriously? This does not seem that difficult.

When I first posted I really thought this would be a 2 to 3 post topic at best. I thought someone from Avast would either tell me the answer or say that this is a known bug and they are working on it for the next version. But i never expected to be asked for everything under the sun and then ignored.

[Asyn]

You could try the latest beta: https://forum.avast.com/index.php?board=15

[HansDelbruck]

You could try the latest beta: https://forum.avast.com/index.php?board=15

Does that fix or address the problem? Or is this hollow advice designed to divert attention ... again?

I appreciate the advice but it sounds like you have no idea if this beta does or does not do anything to address my issue. What I expected was someone who was actually looking into this ot see if they could replicate it and if this is a bug in the program that others may be experiencing. A flaw in the code that a user is bringing to their attention. But, so far at least, it does not seem like Avast is interested in actually finding out what is going on here.

[Asyn]

Well, it works for me in the beta, it's up to you if you try it or not.