Avast 7 acting like firewall - NOT SOLVED

[u1tra]

Hi,

First I want to thank the Avast team for a normally fantastic product.  Unfortunately after upgrading this morning from version 6 to 7 I now find that ports that I had open are now closed.  I have checked my firewall and nothing is changed.  I have checked my router and nothing has changed and the only application that I have used since the upgrade is Google Chrome, so I can only assume that the upgrade now has a built in firewall.  I did have a similar problem when upgrading from 5 to 6 where I could not play media files on my desktop via a network media player.  But this was promptly fixed with an Avast update.

Is there something I'm missing where I can easily fix this?

Thanks for time

[AntiVirusASeT]

which version of Avast! 7 ur using? free/pro/internet security?
any firewall programmes ur running with Avast! 7?

[u1tra]

I was running Avast Free edition v7 on Windows x64.  I am using Windows 7's built in firewall.

I will also add that after rolling back to version 6, my problem has been resolved.

Thanks

[ady4um]

Although you could keep avast 6 for now (and it should work fine too), the next time you try avast 7 you should delete the firewall rules related to web browsers and to avast; that is, if the same problem appears again. After the installation and reboot, the firewall (software and/or hardware) may not recognize correctly the new versions of avastsvc.exe, avastui.exe avast.setup. So by deleting such rules and a new reboot, the firewall should recognize them again (and maybe even ask for permissions).

[u1tra]

Thanks for the info.

I read that many issues were resolved by not using the inbuilt update so I have just tried uninstalling 6 using the uninstall utility, rebooting, then installing 7, rebooting.  Seems my ports are now working correctly, but I now have the mail issue :/  ...which I didn't have before.



---

Well after:
1) Removing again using the uninstall tool
2) Rebooting and removing "C:\Windows\System32\drivers\aswRdr2.sys" (as directed in this thread)
3) Reinstalling from installer package from avast.com site

I now have my ports as they should be and my mail working as it should.

Thanks!!

[u1tra]

GRRRRRR!!!!!!

Was working, now it's behaving like a firewall again and blocking incoming connections that are allowed in my firewall.  I have tried the advice above.

[AntiVirusASeT]

try disabling each of the shields 1 by 1

post back which shield is causing the problem

follow ady4um's advise

[ady4um]

GRRRRRR!!!!!!

Was working, now it's behaving like a firewall again and blocking incoming connections that are allowed in my firewall.  I have tried the advice above.

DELETE those "apparently correct" firewall rules, save and reboot. The rules should be re-created anew (if necessary, set the firewall in "learning mode" or equivalent).

[u1tra]

Thank you for your ideas and time to look into my issues but,

There were no rules.  I had to make them.  Windows firewall does not have a learning mode or equivalent.

Could my problem be related to the Close_Wait Ports problem like in This Thread

I don't understand why I should even have this problem.  Avast Free edition isn't meant to have a firewall

[AdrianH]

Could you just try going to your Windows Firewall and return settngs to default?  This has cured problems for a few people.

[CraigB]

u1tra after restoring default settings to the windows firewall it is also no neccesary to place avast into the windows firewall settings unless you have activated the outbound protection which by default is not activated.

[GoreKoala]

I have to confirm this behavior... Windows Firewall completely ignores all firewall rules set on a program... after uninstalling avast7 , it works like it should again...
I will in the mean time use another AV until this is confirmed and solved.

I had a fresh install, with only latest avast and windows firewall. Could open port rules, just not program rules, tried a lot of stuff to get around this..
Resetting firewall rules to default was useless.

I will check this forum regularly and i hope this doesn't get ignored or blamed on other software. I really like avast except for this problem!

[DavidR]

What rules on what program on the windows firewall ?

If this program is one that connects to the internet using http protocol, then the web shield will route it through its local host proxy so that the content can be scanned. So I suspect that the windows firewall isn't smart enough to recognise the program routed through the proxy only the proxy process (avastSvc.exe).

So in effect the program is tunnelling through the rules and there is nothing that the avast program can do if this is a failing in the windows firewall. You could test that failing by stopping the web shield temporarily (10 minutes). If the windows firewall is able to block that program connecting to the internet then that is the problem, the windows firewall is unable to differentiate between the program and the proxy.

[GoreKoala]

What rules on what program on the windows firewall ?

Doesn't matter actually, i could just make an inbound rule on mIRC.exe, so i can receive ident requests and use DCC connections as intended... but since the rule is set on an existing exe it doesn't.. work.. both are completely blocked (although the rule is enabled). After uninstalling avast the rule works again like it should, no other changes.
(any other program behaves the same, i tried a couple..)