Web Shield problem...

[bluenova92]

I recently installed Avast Home and have been enjoying it, but when it upgraded yesterday to version Dec2008 4.8.1296, the Web Shield blocks access to avast.com on my computer. Firefox tells me the connection was interrupted. I tried IE too, but it said the same thing. When I disable the Web Shield, I can get in again. I checked the URL Blocking tab in the Web Shield settings dialog, but there's nothing there. Maybe I have a setting on wrong or something... Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[hlecter]

I recently installed Avast Home and have been enjoying it, but when it upgraded yesterday to version Dec2008 4.8.1296, the Web Shield blocks access to avast.com on my computer. Firefox tells me the connection was interrupted. I tried IE too, but it said the same thing. When I disable the Web Shield, I can get in again. I checked the URL Blocking tab in the Web Shield settings dialog, but there's nothing there. Maybe I have a setting on wrong or something... Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Have you checked your firewall?

HL

[bluenova92]

Never mind... I rebooted my computer after the update and now everything is fine! The site is not blocked now. Sorry for the inconvenience! Thanks for your help hlecter.

[hlecter]

Never mind... I rebooted my computer after the update and now everything is fine! The site is not blocked now. Sorry for the inconvenience! Thanks for your help hlecter.

You're welcome.

And welcome to the Avast forums.

[fatcop]

Actually I have been an Avast Home user for years and never had any problems (other than rare false positives).

But after a new version of Avast came out the other day, I cannot browse nor email properly.
The connections get cut off. I either get blank pages or sometimes parts of a page.
For email it justs POP or SMTP errors cause of the connection cut offs.

The current Avast version is 4.8.1296.
All sensitivity settings are on normal.

I am running Windows XP and also applied XP SP3 (and all patches since then) before allowing the upgrade of Avast.
I have rebooted many times and it makes no difference.

The only way I can browse or email is to terminate the Avast Web Shield and Internet Mail.
I can't even connect to my ADSL-modem/router's web interface on my local LAN.
It would be easy just to blame XP SP3, but the install went smooth and I have no other problems, IM, FTP works fine and when those shields are off everything is ok.

I don't use Windows Firewall and I have ZoneAlarm completely turned off.

Any ideas ??

[sded]

Does anything show up in the avast! log viewer?  These kind of things are usually due to conflicts with some other security software like a firewall, but if you don't have one,   Do you have just plain Zone Alarm or ZASS? What other security software are you running in real time.  A complete removal with the tool at http://www.avast.com/eng/avast-uninstall-utility.html and a reboot and reinstall may also help.  The 1296 version actually fixed some unexpected issues for me, but maybe others aren't so fortunate.

[fatcop]

Nothing in logs.
I used that uninstall utility and installed Avast completely.

When I re-installed it I got an Avast message about ZoneAlarm (not using ZASS) being an incompatible program. ZoneAlarm is installed but not running.

It stated that "transparent proxy" functionality of the WebShield was the part with issues, and offered to turn that part off (Yes/No dialog). I said Yes.
Then it gave instructions how to setup proxies (localhost:12080) for FF and IE.

I tried all that and it seemed ok'ish, but when I tried to tell Avast to upgrade itself (it said new version was avail) it couldn't connect.

So I got jack of it, uninstalled ZoneAlarm (which the uninstall kind hung at the end thank u very much !@#$).
Reverted to no proxies for IE and FF.
Then Avast was able to upgrade itself.
Rebooted.
Now everything seems fine.

I don't know how all of that biz was affecting my email before.
But either way, it just seems having Avast and ZoneAlarm on your system is a recipe for pain.
Mind you I've had them coexisting fine for ages (years?) up till today.

I'm not too bothered about losing ZoneAlarm, cause I have caught it CPU spinning a few times and slowing my browsing.
Maybe it was the interaction with Avast
So its been turned off mostly these days anyway.

Thanks for your help.

[sded]

I remember some messages about a previous conflict between avast! and Zone Alarm Pro, but it was so long ago I thought it had been resolved.  Maybe search the forum if ZAP is what you are using to see if there is at least a workaround that is more convenient.  What Zone Alarm version do you have?

[fatcop]

I don't know what version it was exactly. But it was probably a few months at least. So maybe there were some bug fixes to sort it.
But still the latest Avast version available for download on the site warned me of the incompatibility - maybe it recognised the ZAP version and knew problems or maybe it was just an assumption about any version of ZAP still.

I'll just stick with Windows Firewall for now.
Maybe have another stab at it some other time.
Cheers.

[alanrf]

As I recall anyone with an avast install predating 25 September 2006 is likely to get this ZA warning from avast for all eternity (or until avast is reprogrammed - whichever comes sooner). 

avast installs after that date apparently make an automated decision on the "compatibility" issue with ZA.

Alas, I cannot check whether this information is still current since I gave up on ZA a few years ago and (against all the received wisdom of this forum) have only run with the Windows XP firewall behind a hardware router in the intervening years - to no ill effect.