Avast asking for a password?

[MasterCougar]

To start off, I have been using Avast for along time now, a good few years. I have recently updated my computer to Windows Vista Ultimate. I'm using Avast 4.8 Home Edition with a registration key. Here is the problem --- If I try to turn Avast off, it asks me for a password, I haven't told it to ask me for a password, I haven't set "any" type of password on my computer, and I am the admin of the computer, also the only user. I have read other topics saying to uninstall and reinstall the program, but this isn't the point, I don't want to keep reinstalling the program if it keeps asking me for a key that is non-existant when I was to disable it.

Any ideas why this is happening?

Thanks in advance,
Cougar

[DavidR]

It shouldn't keep asking you for the password and I have no Idea why it is, a corruption of a setting perhaps, I simply don't know. I have had avast for almost five years I have never set a password and it has never asked me for one and as you have said up until now neither have you.

Why are you trying to turn avast off (and how) ?
avast 4.8 has a self-defence module and that would pop-up so are you sure it isn't that, an image might help ?

I know very little about Vista but I do know many swear at the UAC, but from what you say I don't believe that it might be a limited user account thing as the UAC would normally only ask when starting an application.


The only area of avast with a password is that for protecting program settings, etc. Does anyone else have access to the computer ?

If you updated to Vista (I don't know what your previous OS was) it may be necessary to reinstall avast and if you a) didn't set a password, b) don't know what that might be, then the only option is to reinstall.

It would probably be best to do a clean reinstall, first Download the latest version of avast http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html and save it to your HDD, somewhere you can find it again. Use that when you reinstall.

Download the avast! Uninstall Utility, find it here and save it to your HDD.

1. Now uninstall (using add remove programs, if you can't do that start from the next step), reboot.
2. run the avast! Uninstall Utility, reboot.  If step 1 failed it may be necessary to run this from safe mode, once complete reboot into normal mode.
3. install the latest version, reboot.

[MasterCougar]

My previous OS was Windows XP, and I didn't encounter a problem with Avast on it.
I have to disable Avast to access some files, which Avast picks up as viruses (they are not viruses, files I use on a regular basis for games and such)
I usually have to disable 'Standard Shield' to access the files, to do this I; Right hand click on the 'A' bubble in the icon tray, pause provider and then standard shield.
This however asks me for a password



When I installed Vista I formatted my HDD first. So Avast was freshly installed after.

I'm currently downloading Avast in the link you gave me, I will follow your instructions and post a reply later.

Thanks.

Cougar.

[Lisandro]

(they are not viruses, files I use on a regular basis for games and such)

Please send them for analysis and help improve detection.
Can you inform the file as being a false positive? (click on the bottom right of the virus warning message).

I usually have to disable 'Standard Shield' to access the files, to do this I; Right hand click on the 'A' bubble in the icon tray, pause provider and then standard shield.

Use the Exclusion lists if you're sure the file are clean.

Standard Shield provider (on-access scanning) exclusion list.
Left click the 'a' blue icon, click on the provider icon at left and then Customize. Go to Advanced tab and click on Add button...
You can use wildcards like * and ?. But be careful, you should 'exclude' that many files that let your system in danger.

This link is a tutorial on how to help correct a virus detection that you believe to be false:
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=25009.msg204838#msg204838
or http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=7779.msg62586#msg62586

Are you logged as administrator?

[DavidR]

My previous OS was Windows XP, and I didn't encounter a problem with Avast on it.
I have to disable Avast to access some files, which Avast picks up as viruses (they are not viruses, files I use on a regular basis for games and such)
I usually have to disable 'Standard Shield' to access the files, to do this I; Right hand click on the 'A' bubble in the icon tray, pause provider and then standard shield.
This however asks me for a password

I'm currently downloading Avast in the link you gave me, I will follow your instructions and post a reply later.

Now we are getting to the meat of the problem (virus detection, with a side issue of the password problem, which will hopefully be resolved with the reinstall) and should have been tackled in this way.

What is the malware name, infected file name, where was it found e.g. (malware name, C:\windows\system32\infected-file-name.xxx) ?  
Check the avast! Log Viewer (right click the avast 'a' icon), Warning section, this contains information on all avast detections. C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashLogV.exe

Why you feel it is a false positive detection ?

If you feel a detection isn't good you should confirm or deny the detection:
You should check the offending/suspect file/s at: VirusTotal - Multi engine on-line virus scanner and report the findings here the URL in the Address bar of the VT results page. You can't do this with the file securely in the chest, you need to extract it to a temporary (not original) location first, see below.

Create a folder called Suspect in the C:\ drive, e.g. C:\Suspect. Now exclude that folder in the Standard Shield, Customize, Advanced, Add, type (or copy and paste) C:\Suspect\* That will stop the standard shield scanning any file you put in that folder. You should now be able to export any file in the chest to this folder and upload it to VirusTotal without avast alerting.

If it is indeed a false positive, see http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=34950.msg293451#msg293451, how to report it to avast! and what to do to exclude them until the problem is corrected.

Now this is the way to positively resolve the problem and you also at the same time help improve detections for all avast users.