firefox sessionstore.js is scanned all the time

[fnukyguy]

firefox sessionstore.js is scanned all the time.
anyone else experiencing this?

if I tick the read-box under exclusions for *\firefox\profiles\*sessionstore*.js it goes away...is this safe to do?


win xp sp3, firefox 3.6, avast free 5.0.396

[DavidR]

Because it is constantly updated/modified.

Why are you worried that it is being constantly scanned, it is causing performance issues (I wouldn't have thought so) ?

The exclusion will work, but exclusions aren't without risk (so no one can say it is safe), you are the one that has to decide if you accept that risk. All .js files could be hacked to do more than what is intended, in 4.8 I believe I had that exclusion set, but not since I installed 5.0, I never gave it a moments thought. I haven't notices any constant monitoring, but then again I don't go looking for trouble unless there is good reason, I'm experiencing problems, etc.

[fnukyguy]

I read in another post that VLK did not experience this here http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=53505.0
why is it happening to some of us?

I just set up a virtualbox with xp and firefox and the sessionstore is not constantly scanned even with the R exclusion box unticked for sessionstore.js (the default setting)...weird.   <----  *EDIT* this happened because I was using tab mix plus with its restore feature, not the firefox built-in session restore. If i disable tab mix plus "session manager" the sessionstore.js is constantly scanned again.

[norel]

In the Expert Settings is "Scan all files" turned on for "Scan when opening" or "Scan when writing"? They're off by default. I turned mine on and it started constantly scanning stuff so I turned it back off.

[Alan Baxter]

firefox sessionstore.js is scanned all the time.
anyone else experiencing this?

if I tick the read-box under exclusions for *\firefox\profiles\*sessionstore*.js it goes away...is this safe to do?


win xp sp3, firefox 3.6, avast free 5.0.396

Me too.  I just looked at the usntr.log for the first time tonight and noticed that sessionstore.js is getting hit every 20 seconds while I'm using Firefox.  I see sessionstore*.js is already listed in the default File System Shield Exclusions, but with only "W" checked.  Checking "R" too eliminates the excessive scans.  I'm not using the Tab Mix Plus session manager, but using the Session Manager extension instead.

I infer from VLK's comments starting here that this is unexpected and undesired behavior.  The suggestion there seems to be to check "R" to eliminate the constant scans.

win xp sp3, firefox 3.6, avast free 5.0.396

Edit: Just tested it using a new Firefox profile that has no extensions installed.  Same behavior, so it's not caused by the Session Manager extension.  I don't know why VLK didn't experience it, but it looks RejZoR, Logos, and igor saw it too.

[Hermite15]

yeah same problem here too, this has already been discussed, the file is being scanned constantly and excluding it (and its variants) doesn't work. That's a problem because you never get to see what other files are scanned by the file shield when running Firefox (& Thunderbird too btw), you got that file appearing almost constantly in the activity windows.

[Alan Baxter]

yeah same problem here too, this has already been discussed, the file is being scanned constantly and excluding it (and its variants) doesn't work.

Checking "R" seems to stop the scanning for most of us.  If I recall correctly, your Firefox profile is not in the standard location.  Are you saying a custom exclusion which specifies the correct path to "*sessionstore*.js" doesn't work for you even if both "R" and "W" are checked?

[Hermite15]

yeah same problem here too, this has already been discussed, the file is being scanned constantly and excluding it (and its variants) doesn't work.

Checking "R" seems to stop the scanning for most of us.  If I recall correctly, your Firefox profile is not in the standard location.  Are you saying a custom exclusion which specifies the correct path to "*sessionstore*.js" doesn't work for you even if both "R" and "W" are checked?

exactly, I did just what you described, pointing to the exact location, with R and W checked. New occurences of the file are generated >>> sessionstore1.js etc... and those get scanned again.

[Alan Baxter]

exactly, I did just what you described, pointing to the exact location, with R and W checked. New occurences of the file are generated >>> sessionstore1.js etc... and those get scanned again.

There may be a typo in the path you entered that you're overlooking, or there may be a bug in Avast which causes it not to read your path correctly. Just as a test, does a more general exclusion such as "*sessionstore*.js" with "RW" checked work?  I assume you've been adding the exception to the File System Shield.  Is that correct?

[Hermite15]

exactly, I did just what you described, pointing to the exact location, with R and W checked. New occurences of the file are generated >>> sessionstore1.js etc... and those get scanned again.

There may be a typo in the path you entered that you're overlooking, or there may be a bug in Avast which causes it not to read your path correctly. Just as a test, does a more general exclusion such as "*sessionstore*.js" with "RW" checked work?  I assume you've been adding the exception to the File System Shield.  Is that correct?

I suppose you mean I should try to ad the exclusion in the general settings panel...no, I haven't tried yet. Will do and report back in a minute...

[Alan Baxter]

I suppose you mean I should try to ad the exclusion in the general settings panel...no, I haven't tried yet. Will do and report back in a minute...

No.  I meant to add "*sessionstore*.js" with "RW" to the File System Shield Expert settings exclusions.

Edit: By "general", I meant not specifying the path, but using only "*sessionstore*.js" instead.

[Hermite15]

OK now that I added the path to my profile in the file system shield exclusion list, it works   Just did the same like last time except now it works.

edit:

No.  I meant to add "*sessionstore*.js" with "RW" to the File System Shield Expert settings exclusions.

I already said that I did it that way previously.

[Alan Baxter]

OK now that I added the path to my profile in the file system shield exclusion list, it works   Just did the same like last time except now it works.

Cool!  Glad to hear it works now. 

[Hermite15]

OK now that I added the path to my profile in the file system shield exclusion list, it works   Just did the same like last time except now it works.

Cool!  Glad to hear it works now. 

thanks, without your post I wouldn't have tried again 

[DavidR]

I can't recall having changed any of the File System Shield Exclusions other than add one of my own for my exclusion/samples folder. All of the other ones have R and W checked, so I don't know why that was in my case (3.77 installed over 4.0.1368).