Avast! MAC + Apple Mail Application

[SMPlante]

It look like every time Avast! is launched, it start Apple Mail application.  Even if the function in the preferences is unchecked.

I use "Microsoft - Entourage", (yes, I know, nobody is perfect) may be it could be a good idea to include a way to select the Mail Application we want to protect with Avast! ?

Any solution for now ?

Thank's

[.: Mac :.]

I would have thought disabling the Mail scanning would have stopped it. Guess we just have to wait for a official response.

[SMPlante]

Found a way to disable the Apple Mail Application CALL when Avast! is launched.

Delete the "GetRuleScript.txt" from the Avast! Contents; Ressources folder.

See the above image.

It's not really solving the problem but it will do the job until a new release is available with a permanent solution.

[internetworld7]

avast! for the Mac is very nice and light on system resources but WORDS CANNOT EXPRESS HOW PISSED AND ANNOYED I AM AT THIS CONSTANT POP UP OF AVAST! UI AND LAUNCHING THE MAIL APPLICATION ON MAC OS X LEOPARD. And yes I'm shouting and I should be. 

Do the people at Alwil honestly believe that having this pop up of the UI and launching my Mail application at system boot up each and every time is what the average Mac user wants to see? Why would the people at Alwil be so obtuse as to not include a simple option to disable this

Guys, I know and can appreciate that this is a new product and that it is not perfect but wouldn't come sense dictate even to a jackass that this is going to be EXTREMELY annoying at EACH and EVERY system boot up?

I'm very disappointed in the judgement of Alwil to release a product that behaves like this. I run avast! on Windows XP and Vista and it runs silently with NO annoying pop ups or launches. Why wasn't this the case for the Mac edition 

I was so ready to purchase this but now all I can do is uninstall it and wait for the next release that corrects this. 

[SMPlante]

WOW! internetworld7, we can feel your disappointment in your post.  I think you did not look at my last post ?  I expland how to disable the launch of Apple Mail until a new release of Avast! for MAC (with a permanent solution).

Of course this new product will require improvement but until now I think it's a very good start.  And if I'm not mistaking, it's still free (downloaded from the product web page : http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-mac-edition.html).

Think about the time Alwil (Avast!) team need to put on a product that will never be a very important return of investment.  Even the graphic interface have been done by another company (OCSoftware).  So, lot of $$$$ spend and no gain until now.

As specify in another post, regarding Alwil Avast! for MAC development, there is (until now) less than 25 virus real treat for MAC.  So, how much licence do you think they will sale ?  Enough to cover the cost ?  If they do, be sure we will be the first to win on this.

I think, when you like a product, it is better to encourage Alwil (or other company) to continue MAC's development since WE (MAC USER) need to have the choice from different manufacturer than be limited to only one product.

As an AVAST! unconditional user, and base on my experience with Alwil Avast! team, I can assure you they will provide you the BEST support and service when required.  You just have to either use direct Email, this forum or the Support Center Web Page : http://support.avast.com/.

I hope this post will give you back your confidence in Avast! MAC Product 

[internetworld7]

Yes, I read your post about disabling this but I wasn't interested in a work around to this problem. I'm also aware that Mac sales for this product will be very little. I was a for sure customer. However I found it very incompetent and irresponsible on the part of Alwil to expect that an antivirus program that automatically launches both the antivirus program interface and the Mail application at start up is going to be an enjoyable experience for Mac users. If this isn't the behavior on Windows, why the Mac?

Let me ask you, what benefit is there in having the antivirus scanning interface automatically launch at EVERY boot up? Am I suppose to run a virus scan every single time I boot up my computer? Also what purpose is there in automatically launching my Mail application every time I boot up my computer?

Even if an option to disable this silly behavior is included in a future version, what value does this serve and why would this in any way shape or form be considered acceptable  default behavior in an antivirus program?

This type of functionality serves no practical purpose and is very rude and unspeakably annoying. I like the user interface and the fact that it was only using 8.24mb on my MacBook running Leopard with 2GB of memory. I also like the avast! engine and would have gladly paid for this but now I will have to wait until this childish and rude behavior is fixed in the next version.

[chocholo]

...

Let me ask you, what benefit is there in having the antivirus scanning interface automatically launch at EVERY boot up? Am I suppose to run a virus scan every single time I boot up my computer? Also what purpose is there in automatically launching my Mail application every time I boot up my computer?

...

I am sure that this is not expected behavior and someone will look onto this in the new year, however all Mac edition developers are out for holidays. (My personal bet is, that it is caused by some error in our workaround for resident protection startup, as startup of resident applications are AFAIK not supported on MacOS.)

[internetworld7]

Hmmm...I was under the impression that this is what everyone is experiencing and this is the default behavior of the program. My apologies if this is simply a bug and not what Alwil wanted.

[zilog]

Hmmm...I was under the impression that this is what everyone is experiencing and this is the default behavior of the program. My apologies if this is simply a bug and not what Alwil wanted.

Hallo,

this "autostarting" behavior was used in the former mechanism (via InputManagers). In Leopard, this framework is no longer usable (in general), and with the new binding, we can leave Mail restarting off. For now, Avast has direct bindings to Apple's Mail only, thus, running Mail is what the majority of users need (to have their mails scanned avast! must tell the application to do the check -> the application must be running).

Indeed, for people that for some reasons use some third-party mail clients, the auto-starting should be supressed. We'll add this in the next release.

regards,
PC

[zilog]

avast! for the Mac is very nice and light on system resources but WORDS CANNOT EXPRESS HOW PISSED AND ANNOYED I AM AT THIS CONSTANT POP UP OF AVAST! UI AND LAUNCHING THE MAIL APPLICATION ON MAC OS X LEOPARD. And yes I'm shouting and I should be. 

Do the people at Alwil honestly believe that having this pop up of the UI and launching my Mail application at system boot up each and every time is what the average Mac user wants to see? Why would the people at Alwil be so obtuse as to not include a simple option to disable this

Guys, I know and can appreciate that this is a new product and that it is not perfect but wouldn't come sense dictate even to a jackass that this is going to be EXTREMELY annoying at EACH and EVERY system boot up?

I'm very disappointed in the judgement of Alwil to release a product that behaves like this. I run avast! on Windows XP and Vista and it runs silently with NO annoying pop ups or launches. Why wasn't this the case for the Mac edition 

I was so ready to purchase this but now all I can do is uninstall it and wait for the next release that corrects this. 

In the next release, this behavior will be fixed, together with workaround for "hidden start" (in 10.4.x, flag for hiding in LoginItems doesn't work properly, sigh). So, no "annoying pop-ups and launches", as You wish .

PC

[internetworld7]

avast! for the Mac is very nice and light on system resources but WORDS CANNOT EXPRESS HOW PISSED AND ANNOYED I AM AT THIS CONSTANT POP UP OF AVAST! UI AND LAUNCHING THE MAIL APPLICATION ON MAC OS X LEOPARD. And yes I'm shouting and I should be. 

Do the people at Alwil honestly believe that having this pop up of the UI and launching my Mail application at system boot up each and every time is what the average Mac user wants to see? Why would the people at Alwil be so obtuse as to not include a simple option to disable this

Guys, I know and can appreciate that this is a new product and that it is not perfect but wouldn't come sense dictate even to a jackass that this is going to be EXTREMELY annoying at EACH and EVERY system boot up?

I'm very disappointed in the judgement of Alwil to release a product that behaves like this. I run avast! on Windows XP and Vista and it runs silently with NO annoying pop ups or launches. Why wasn't this the case for the Mac edition 

I was so ready to purchase this but now all I can do is uninstall it and wait for the next release that corrects this. 

In the next release, this behavior will be fixed, together with workaround for "hidden start" (in 10.4.x, flag for hiding in LoginItems doesn't work properly, sigh). So, no "annoying pop-ups and launches", as You wish .

PC

Are we any closer to fixing this bug and about when will an update be released? I'd like to really purchase this program.

[zilog]

> Are we any closer to fixing this bug and about when will an update be released? I'd like to really purchase this program.

This is already fixed in out internal build. But, we decided to add some additional features to the next release (such as incremental update, hidden mode, etc.), so you must wait a bit yet. As fast solution, you might try the hint mentioned few posts above.

regards,
pc

[Cattus Thraex]

I would have thought disabling the Mail scanning would have stopped it. Guess we just have to wait for a official response.

Could you offer a step-by-step instruction about how to COMPLETELY remove Avast! from my MAC OS X Leopard system?
I have had a problem with my sys immediately after I installed Avast! and would like to check whether this is the cause. I deactivated Avast!, yet it persists in checking Mail.app, and would like to completely and entirely remove it for a time, and check sys integrity without Avast!
Thanks in advance.

[SMPlante]

Hi Cattus Thraex,

You could just trash the Avast! app from your application folder and it should do the job.

But if you want to make sure everything is deleted from your system, here is some folder where I've found reference to Avast from my MAC :

• Folder in User Library; Application Support; com.avast.MacAvast
• Folder in User Library; Cache; com.avast.MacAvast
• File in User Library; LaunchAgents;com.avast.MacAvast.plist
• File in User Library; Preferences;com.avast.MacAvast.plist

If you had Symantec Norton MAC Antivirus installed on your MAC before installing Avast!, make sure every thing is deleted (from Norton) before installing Avast! (look in all Library - System and all users).

If you can not locate everything from Norton, I suggest to use the "Norton Uninstall" app., normaly located in the "Applications Symantec Norton Folder".  It should delete everything.

Good luck

[Cattus Thraex]

Thanks, worked, let me see whether problem with the system still persists.
There are, in fact, two Avast files in ~/Library/Preferences.

When you post next release, please add an uninstaller, as uninstalling Avast! is not trivial.
No, I do not have Norton on my mac, why for? I was just curious whether Avast! may detect Windows viruses, detected none, but meanwhile I had a problem with my sys, and I suspect Avast! may be the cause.

Thanks / Děkuji