Avast! 5 Pro and Floppy Drive Seek!?!?!?!?! (SOLVED:D:D:D:D)

[steveoderocker]

Hey, I have seem this topic on a few different posts on the avast forums but none of them with an answer.

So, the problem is that:

After installing avast! 5 pro on a clean install of windows xp pro sp3, when ever  I open "my computer", the floppy drive seeks or reads trying to find something, thus delaying the contents of the my computer screen to be view for about 2-3 seconds. And also, I have found out that this happens when  I open skype (latest version). This is very annoying and would like it fixed I have sent two tickets to avast! asking about this and both times, the tickets were merged with an old ticket I made last year after about 1 week of being posted and I haven't received any replys from avast support.

The reasons why i suspect avast 5 are:
1. It started happening about installing avast 5 pro on my fresh install of xp. I installed Xp, then sp3, then board drivers, then update, then avast 5
2. before format, using avast 4.8, everything was working fine
3. Quite a few people have been having this issue - but no solutions are available

Also, I don;t want to hear anything like "just disable it, you never use it" etc. Because I do use it sometimes and also, why should  I have to disable it? Also, on my laptop, i am running windows 7 ultimate with avast 5 free edition, and it works fine with a removable floppy drive.

I would really appreciate an answer to my query as  i really like avast and it's new interface


Thanx All!


xD

[Vlk]

Steve, could you please try downloading ProcMon http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896645.aspx - have the tool running when you simulate the problem, and then either save and the log and upload it ftp://ftp.avast.com/incoming (we will analyze it) or search for any attempts to access the floppy drive volume (probably A: )...


Thanks
Vlk

[spg SCOTT]

...and upload it ftp://ftp.avast.com/incoming (we will analyze it)...

IF you do upload to the ftp site, use this one, as the forum adds http to the ftp links messing them up...

ftp://ftp.avast.com/incoming


@Vlk,
You need to add the ftp tags (or another formatting option - like code- to stop this...)
[ftp]ftp//ftp.avast.com/incoming[/ftp]

-Scott-

[Mele20]

...and upload it ftp://ftp.avast.com/incoming (we will analyze it)...

IF you do upload to the ftp site, use this one, as the forum adds http to the ftp links messing them up...

ftp//ftp.avast.com/incoming


@Vlk,
You need to add the ftp tags (or another formatting option - like code- to stop this...)
[ftp]ftp//ftp.avast.com/incoming[/ftp]

-Scott-

I tried that and got "Could not locate remote server" using Opera 1010.  All I can say is I hope either (a) I never need to upload to Avast ftp because I have NEVER been able to get ftp to work on any browser nor have I ever been able to get FTP to work on standalone FTP applications, or (b) Avast would be amenable to my uploading the file to my Opera Unite file server and giving Avast the password to get it. I have never been able to use Avira ftp even with firefox FTP extensions intended to make it easier. Recently, I had a gigantic dump file for Avira beta techs and they were happy to let me put the file on my Opera Unite server. The tech grabbed it right away and even left me a thank you note on my Unite fridge! (This was before Avira beta techs got mad at me for saying I had put Avast on Vista machine...I have Avira still on one virtual machine and on my host XP machine ...just mentioning I am using both for now but on different machines).

[Mele20]

Hey, I have seem this topic on a few different posts on the avast forums but none of them with an answer.

So, the problem is that:

After installing avast! 5 pro on a clean install of windows xp pro sp3, when ever  I open "my computer", the floppy drive seeks or reads trying to find something, thus delaying the contents of the my computer screen to be view for about 2-3 seconds. And also, I have found out that this happens when  I open skype (latest version). This is very annoying and would like it fixed I have sent two tickets to avast! asking about this and both times, the tickets were merged with an old ticket I made last year after about 1 week of being posted and I haven't received any replys from avast support.
xD

I have had a very similar problem with Avira (three different times over the 3 years I have Avira) where suddenly the floppy drive is accessed by the real time scanner every 30 seconds. It is extremely irritating and can quickly wear out the floppy drive. So, I understand your frustration and I too got answers about just disable the floppy drive as who uses that now or put a floppy in the drive and it will stop accessing, etc. I do use the floppy drive some and why should I have to stop using it because of a bug in my antivirus program...so I understand your frustration. I hope Avast can figure out what is causing it and it gets fixed. 

[steveoderocker]

Hey everyone!

VLk: Thanx, I have uploaded my log onto the ftp server (with ie 8 and using explorer view, as Firefox doesnt let me do anything with the server) It is also zipped/RARed to compress it down to 3mb from 50mb <--Thankyou WinRAR! xD

Also, as you said to simulate the problem, I did this by opening and/or refreshing My Computer about 4-5 times and opening skype once. This all happened at 10:17 AEST (just incase you need to know for the logs)

Also, the only programs running in the background while I did this were: Avast!, MSN (which i forgot to exit ), Firefox, Bittorrent DNA (which I have to disable) and a few other services.

If you have any questions, please post!

Thanx for all the help. And could you tell me if I did not upload the .RAR file, because windows says it's uploaded but FF does not show any files in the FTP site.

Thanx Again!

Steveoderocker

EDIT: SPG Scott - Soz, your link did not work, FYI. So, I just used the link VLK stated
Mele20 - Thanx! for understanding about the annoyance

[spg SCOTT]

I tried that and got "Could not locate remote server" using Opera 1010....

Apologies, that is because I forgot a colon...

ftp://ftp.avast.com/incoming

I think it has to be done in IE...Once you open the site, you need to click 'page'--> 'Open FTP site in Windows Explorer', and then you should be able to drag and drop...

...
EDIT: SPG Scott - Soz, your link did not work, FYI. So, I just used the link VLK stated
...

Yep, as I said, I messed up...and Vlk edited his so at least one of us is on the ball

-Scott-

[Mele20]

I tried that and got "Could not locate remote server" using Opera 1010....

Apologies, that is because I forgot a colon...

ftp://ftp.avast.com/incoming

I think it has to be done in IE...Once you open the site, you need to click 'page'--> 'Open FTP site in Windows Explorer', and then you should be able to drag and drop...

I got to the site using your corrected url but I can't see what I could do there using Opera (but I know nothing about FTP in Opera).  As for using IE that requires IE8. I have IE6 on XP Pro and have no intention of upgrading it. I almost never use IE so no need to upgrade it. I do have IE8 on a vista virtual machine and have tons of problems with it. It is basically unusable and I dislike it anyway. IE 6 is fine if you don't want tabbed browsing, but IE 7 and 8 are poor for tabbed browsing I think compared to Opera and Firefox. Anyhow, I would need to know how to do FTP for Avast using either Fx 1.5 which I still have on XP (yes I know it old but newer versions cannot use my favorite Fx extension) or Fx 3 I have on Vista virtual machine, or Opera 1010 which is my default browser on my virtual machines and on my host XP Pro machine. 

I note that steveoderocker said it would not work on Fx which has been my experience. My point though is that Avast should not assume everyone has IE 8 or, even if they do, that they are willing to use it. This is why I made the comment that I hope Avast would do what Avira did and fetch the file from my Opera Unite file server. (I LOVE Opera Unite).  I will read up on Opera FTP though and see if I can figure out if Opera can be used at Avast FTP site. If I ask Opera for help about it they will just say to use Opera Unite as that is much easier than FTP.

[spg SCOTT]

It is not possible to upload with Fx...

http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Accessing+FTP+servers?bl=n&s=ftp&as=q#Limitations

The transfer is actually an explorer job anyway...
You could try:

How to upload it using the Run command-line in Windows:
Windows Key + R (to get the run box), copy and paste explorer ftp://ftp.avast.com/incoming
(without the quotes) and drag the file into the window, from another explorer window.

Or you will need an FTP client...

-Scott-

[steveoderocker]

Hey Guys

Scott: Thats Okay! (about link)

I just tried reuploading the file because I have a feeling that it did not upload the first time. When ever I try to upload a file through the link you gave me scott, it keeps coming up with an error message : An error occured copying file to server. Make sure you have permissionto put files on server. Details: 200 switching to binary mode, 227, entering passive mode (91,213, 143, 4, 174, 118) 553 could not create file. THe numbers change for 227 entering passive mode.

So could some one let me know if it is on the server? And if not tell me another place I am able to upload it? I can upload it to a hosting site (I use box.net - seems good, i like it)


Thanx All

PS> Scott - I might download the FF extension FireZilla (i think thats it's name) and it's a FTP manager for FF

EDIT: On the IE page - Just to note, the instructions incorrectly state to go to page ->open... where it should be "view" -> open.... Just to let ya know Also, would a hijack this log be of any use to anyone? A few forums i've read some people have asked for a HJT log. Just asking. Thanx!

[spg SCOTT]

I had tried uploading something before, and if you upload it again, then you get an error.

The thing is though that the way it is set up is that you can't see what is there, so you only have write access, not read. This means that only Vlk, or someone else on the ALWIL Team will be able to tell.

If it didn't get there, then they will let you know

Had a look at filezilla...Looks much easier than using IE

-Scott-

[Gopher John]

FireFTP extension for Firefox may be the one you are thinking about.  It adds uploading capability and drag-n-drop to upload/download from FTP servers.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/684

Along with transferring your files quickly and efficiently, FireFTP also includes more advanced features such as: directory comparison, syncing directories while navigating, SFTP, SSL encryption, search/filtering, integrity checks, remote editing, drag & drop, file hashing, and much more!

[spg SCOTT]

Yep, keep confusing between fireFTP and FileZilla (standalone prog.)

[Vlk]

Steve, I'm just looking at the ProcMon log and I have to say I'm a bit confused... what's going on is that the log is probably too big to make it possible for me to analyze it completely (manually).

The capturing was turned on for almost 3 minutes.

Do you think you could try it once more, maybe for just 5-10 seconds, just the time needed to simulate the problem? (pressing Ctrl+E in ProcMon turns capturing on and off, so you can use it to turn it on, switch to Explorer to simulate the problem, switch back to ProcMon and turn capturing off immediately).

Also, it would be very useful to close all applications (including background applications like Skype) as these generate unwanted noise in the logs.


Thanks
Vlk

[YoKenny]

@ Mele20

IE6 is very insecure and IE8 is the file manager in Windows Explorer and provides its GUI:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Explorer

Try IE then enter C: in the address area that will open Windows Explorer to show the contents of the C: drive.

I do not have the problem of the real time scanner accessing the floppy all the time but I hear the floppy being accesed when I open My Computer in XP Pro but not on Windows 7 when I access Computer.