Downloading through Download Express and Web Shield

[trigan]

I have already specified Firefox options to connect by proxy via port 12080 so that Web shield will first check for malaware before reaching Firefox.
Now Download Express program which is excellent and free, also has options for connection by proxy. Should I bother specifiying this option and type in localhost and port 12080 as I have done in the Firefox options ?

I find that after a download is completed, Avast anti virus window opens up automatically.
What causes this and how can I stop it from happening ?

[DavidR]

Don't specify a proxy, if you do then the web shield won't scan it as it redirects port 80 to its proxy so it can scan for malware.

If you mean it is scanned on download, did you enter C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashQuick.exe in the option to scan the downloaded files ?
That would I guess be the only reason it happens automatically.

[trigan]

I wrote :
I find that after a download is completed, Avast anti virus window opens up automatically.
What causes this and how can I stop it from happening ?

DavidR replied:

If you mean it is scanned on download, did you enter C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashQuick.exe in the option to scan the downloaded files ?
That would I guess be the only reason it happens automatically.

------
Thank you for your reply.
No Avast virus program does not scan when or after Download Express downloads the software. After a file is downloaded, the Avast simple user interface window mysteriously opens up for some reason. And it does not scan but merely sits there.
No I did not enter the path you indicated in the the option to scan the downloaded files.
Something must be caused Avast SUI window to open up.

[DavidR]

Then someone/something (not avast) has set ashavast.exe as the executable file to scan downloads and not ashquick.exe as I mentioned in my reply.

You need to check inside download express and see if it has a function to scan downloads and if so ensure it is using the correct file. As you have found ashavast.exe does a memory scan and then open the simple user interface, this is not a default or avast set action.

[trigan]

DavidR, You are right.
Thank you for finally making me remember that I had indeed specified ashavast.exe to "check downloaded files for viruses" in the Download Express Options. Stupid me.
Once again, congratulations on your insight.

Now I already have Web Shield checking the downloaded file for malaware before it reaches firefox because of the proxy setting.
Does it make sense to have Download express do ANOTHER check on the downloaded file after it has downloaded it ?
Thank you !!

[alanrf]

If the file you are downloading is a simple file has obvious malware in it then it may well be caught by the Webshield.  If you are downloading a more complex file like a zip file then the ashquick scan done at the end performs a "thorough with archives" scan of the file and has a better opportunity to find problems embedded in the file.

[DavidR]

As Alan rightly says it is advisable to have ashQuick scan downloaded files as it is the most thorough of the scans

[trigan]

Thank you Alan and David once again.

So does this mean that I should specify ASHQUICK.EXE to "check downloaded files for viruses" in the Download Express Options in place of ASHAVAST.EXE ?

I am puzzled as to why there are TWO programs for scanning and not just one. Can you please enlighten me on this as I find this mighty puzzling.
Thank you.

[DavidR]

Yes you need to change it unless you get a kick out of watching a memory scan done every time you download a file, which I doubt since that was the whole purpose of this topic 'to stop it.'

What causes this and how can I stop it from happening ?

There aren't two programs for scanning, the underlying scanning engine ashServ.exe is the same and the resident scanners scan according to their settings.

The Web Shield only scans HTTP traffic and depending on your settings also will depend on the files scanned.
The standard shield is on-access or when new files are created or modified they will be scanned, again depending on the settings, more or less files are scanned.

By using the ashQuick.exe, which still uses the same scanning engine but does a more thorough scan on all files that you point it at.

This ensures that no files drop through the differences in your settings or the file types for both the web shield and standard shield. You do this by setting your download manager to have all downloaded files scanned by ashQuick.exe as that is the only interface that can do this.

[trigan]

David, thank you very much indeed for clarifying things for me.

[DavidR]

You're welcome.