Spotify/Avast serious conflict

[royo]

I am using 6.0.1000 on XP Pro 32 bit system with 6600 quad proc and 4Gb ram.
Launching Spotify with real time shields active causes repeatable hanging of entire OS (you can't even launch taskmgr) I have tested this repeatedly, stripping out registry entries etc. Attempts to uninstall Spotify generate an Avast warning nd offer to sandbox the routine, however the result is the same, a complete crash.

Temporarily disabling the RTS's allows Spotify to launch successfully and run as normal.
I suspect that this has something to do with audio drivers as I have also seen some bugs with Replay Music and iTunes, which can also be worked around in the same way.

I'd say this requires attention. It took me a while to figure out and others may not be so lucky. I am already tempted to change AV applications (after many years of using Avast).
Roy

[Vlk]

Are you using ZoneAlarm on this machine?

Thanks
Vlk

[Tim_Fox]

Hi Vlk,

I'm having exactly the same problem. Windows XP 32-bit. My Avast Free is up to date.

I can download the latest Spotify to my computer normally. I have installed/uninstalled Spotify several times (the latest version from their server). However, I can only do this in Safe Mode or by disabling Avast otherwise my system just 'hangs'  I can also disable Avast and then install normally in Windows. 
Once Spotify is installed if I disable Avast ("Disable Permanently) Spotify connects and works fine. I can then actually re-secure my system again with Avast and Spotify continues to run normally.
For info I am also running Zone Alarm but have only had to disable Avast to allow Spotify to work.

Many thanks

Tim

[Eric March]

IMHO it is very bad to run a so called FireWall like Zone Alarm at all.
If you have a good virus shield - and you so so since you use Avast - no other live protection (!!) is needed, especially no fire walls.

You may hold in background something like MBAM reday to use. But if your system is overrun, all is too late. If your FW has Port 80 open, all you put through will pass it. If ZA scans incoming stuff (how..?), and Avast does it same second (what is it's job), that can not be good. Avast is on to shiled you system to threats, ZA may stop attacks from… Whom? Who attacks your ports from outside, and why? But if ZA gives an alarm for somebody wants to phone home, this one is already here and may have done everything worse. Or you did not set ZA to well known progs (see manual…) which are allowed to transmit?

Disregard ZA, and see if really Avast must be stopped for Spotify. And then try to set Avast to grant Spotify necessary transmissions.

Eric

[Tim_Fox]

None of that makes any sense but even if you shut it (ZA) down Spotify still won't work

Update, however............I have now uninstalled ZA and installed Comodo Firewall. Spotify now seems to work correctly.

[Vlk]

Thanks for the confirmation. ZoneAlarm is quite aggressive and injects some code into our processes, which unfortunately causes a conflict with this latest version of avast.

We have already made some modifications to resolve this issue - should be fixed in the upcoming program update (roughly in 1 week).

Thanks
Vlk

[Ferminator]

Hi there - It might be something else. I have the exact problem, same Avast version and ZoneAlarm as well, with XP (updated). But I have a friend with Avast on W7 and no ZA and she gets also the freeze trying to start Spotify. I would let ZA go with few tears but I am not sure that this solves the problem.

[fearofgordon]

Hi

I am relieved to know that other people are having the same problem.  Mine seems to be identical to Royo.  If I disable either ZA or Avast, I can open Spotify fine.  I uninstalled ZA and installed Comodo instead, but I think I did something wrong in setting this up as it caused havoc on my PC and wouldn't allow me to access the internet at all.  Not having a clue how to resolve this, I uninstalled Comodo and reinstalled ZA.  I am now just hoping that Avast manage to fix the problem in an update soon as Vlk suggests so that I can just stick with ZA.  Otherwise I'll just have to get rid of it and try some other Firewall.  Any chance Vlk of alerting us when the update comes out that should solve this?

Thanks!

[royo]

Hi again
It's a relief to see that I'm not losing my few remaining marbles. Having just done a clean system rebuild this box and installed all the usual suspects, I can say for certain that nothing has changed. Spotify still brings the entire system down if Avast is running. Zone Alarm seems immaterial. One thing that I have noticed again - saw it previously - is that when the Spotify installer is running the installation path shown ends with \*******ELEVATION. I noticed previously that when installing and seeing this there was usually some sort of problem: apologies if this is an irrelevance in a thread devoted to Avast.
So, the fix doesn't seem to be in, does it?

RoyO

[BTCentral]

Hi again
It's a relief to see that I'm not losing my few remaining marbles. Having just done a clean system rebuild this box and installed all the usual suspects, I can say for certain that nothing has changed. Spotify still brings the entire system down if Avast is running. Zone Alarm seems immaterial.

Are saying if you only have avast free installed (and not Zone Alarm) then running Spotify locks up the system when using Windows XP?
Or are you saying the issue still exists if you have avast free and Zone Alarm installed?

Also which version of avast are you running, the latest stable (6.0.1000)?

[royo]

Running ZA and Avast  6.0.1000.
I should say that I seem to have a persistent malware problem (or a very strange system bug/conflict) on this machine, however the Spotify/Avast problem remins the same. Stopping Avast temporarily cures the problem. I have not tried stopping ZA.
Roy

[mbaldery]

Hi

I had the same problem. What you need to do is to add the spotify folder (C:\program files\spotify) to the exclusion lists within Avast. I followed the instructions here (its for a different program but just put in the spotify folder instead)

Works a treat

http://www.softactivity.com/blog/index.php/2010/add-exclusions-to-avast-free-antivirus-5/

hope this helps

Melv

[DavidR]

Personally I would be looking for a specific file to exclude than the whole folder as that leaves a large hole in your security.

[Nesivos]

It is my understanding that Spotify has pop-up advertisements.

Avast could be finding malware in them

Spotify splattered with malware-tainted ads
   
Sounds dodgy

By John Leyden

Posted in Enterprise Security, 25th March 2011 11:15 GMT

Updated Users of the ad-supported version of Spotify were hit by a malware-based attack on Thursday.

The assault takes advantage of a Java-based exploit to deposit Trojan horse malware or exploit kits on vulnerable Windows machines. Only users of the free version of the music streaming service seem to be affected.

In response, Spotify pulled its ad feed on Friday while it investigating the problem.

    We're currently investigating and have pulled all third party display ads that could have caused the problem until we locate the specific advert.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/03/25/spotify_malvertisement_attack/