Avast.INI File Modification

[DacrimL]

Excuse me if this is in the wrong place or already been asked. I have been using Avast4 Home for a number of years and am extremely happy with it.

However since the upgrade to 4.8 I have been getting a pop-up which is asking for permissions to be changed or granted. Could some one please explain this to me and how can it be fixed.
Oh and it seems that if I click NO then all animations from any web page stops working, whilst clicking yes only allows some pages to work but not others.

Any assistance will be muchly appreciated

[Malkor]

I find it would help to mention what Operating System you are running.

[alanrf]

Please see this thread.

[DacrimL]

I find it would help to mention what Operating System you are running.

Sorry Windows XP Home........

and alanrf.....have check the thread you suggested. Is this a new problem between Avast & ZA, as I have had both for approx 5 years now without any form of dispute betwwen them.......that is until the most recent updates of Avast.

[alanrf]

Can you please confirm the version of avast you are using?  I suspect it is 4.8.1169.

[DacrimL]

That is correct alanrf

[alanrf]

The avast team report that the problem you are encountering has been fixed in the new program update of avast.  That update is now undergoing beta testing and you can read about that beta testing in the sticky post at the top of the forum.

If this problem is causing you difficulty you can:

Join the beta program and install the new release - bearing in mind that it is still in beta testing (I am using the new release and it has corrected a number of other issues and I cannot find any problems with it).

-or-

You can temporarily disable the avast self-defense module by avast Program Settings > Troubleshooting and checking the "Disable avast! self-defense module" box.  That will stop the error message you are seeing. 

This will not affect the antivirus functions of avast.  The self-defense is a new function in avast 4.8 and with it off you will be really in the same circumstance as you were before with 4.7.

If you do disable the self-defense please remember to go back and turn it on again when you receive the next program update from avast.

[DacrimL]

Thank you very much for such a swift and candid response to my problems. I will follow your instructions and await the next update from Avast.


P.S - why I didn't join this forum long ago for help with these tpes of problems is beyond me.......Thank You again

[alanrf]

Glad you found us - welcome to the forum.

[DavidR]

<snip>
and alanrf.....have check the thread you suggested. Is this a new problem between Avast & ZA, as I have had both for approx 5 years now without any form of dispute betwwen them.......that is until the most recent updates of Avast.

That thread also mentions the disabling of the second AV, a point which seems to have been missed. Your image clearly shows that the culprit accessing the avast4.ini file is the ZA anti-virus module.

My main concern isn't that this may or may not be a problem which has been fixed by the latest release which I think is an aside to the real issue, having two resident AVs installed on your system.

So you effectively have two resident anti-virus scanners on your system and this isn't recommended and this is even if there weren't any problems with the avast self-defence module. Uninstall/disable the ZA anti-virus module would resolve the problem and you could have the self-defence enabled and protecting avast now.

[Lisandro]

Similar thread here: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=34628.msg291106#msg291106

[alanrf]

David,

I deliberately did not go down this path. While I agree with you about the general undesirability of running two anti-virus products on the same system we know that some users do and without apparent conflict. (Were this a known conflict situation I would have gone down that path).

1) the user reports that the this was the case in avast 4.7 and had been for some time
2) the problem with the avast4.ini file pop-up introduced with avast 4.8
3) the developers have agreed that this "overkill" and have modified it in the new beta release 1178
4) when this user installs the new release it will be possible to continue with the same software configuration without the avast popup.
5) the problem here is clearly avast 4.8.1169 and not the user's configuration.

[Lisandro]

the problem here is clearly avast 4.8.1169 and not the user's configuration.

Alanrf, I will disagree in this point. Nowadays is difficult to even think in a second antivirus running side-by-side with avast. Maybe BitDefender will be the only one without side-effects.
I don't think ZA antivirus, sooner or later, won't have problems with any other antivirus present.

[DavidR]

I won't recommend that anyone use a second resident AV as whilst it may have been working without problem for some time, when they do clash it can be more serious with systems locked on boot probably the most serious and we do see then in the forums, too frequently.

This avast4.ini modification issue which isn't a clash between the two AVs but the draconian self-defence. But I feel it advisable to point out that two resident AVs isn't advisable.

[Lisandro]

but the draconian self-defence.

I even think it's a bad feature or it's not correctly working.
It will have issues and they're being addressed. The self-defense module is welcome and should be there. It's not funny has anything disabling and destroying avast...