After OS X update, avast mac edition can no longer quit on Snow Leopard

Avast Mac Security
1

Hello forum :slight_smile:
my apologize if this is mentioned before, I can’t find a similar posting using forum search.

My problem:
avast mac edition (can’t find the version number) is installed in august 2009 on iMac 9,1 on Intel Core 2 Duo, 10.5.x Leopard, all worked fine, setting was launch at startup as a persistent application (option: checked)
After update to 10.6.x Snow Leopard I cannot quit avast any longer.

Steps to reproduce:
Go to preferences

  1. Option launch at start up as a persistent application is unchecked.
    Quit preferences
    Quit avast
    Result: after quit avast, the program restarts automatically
    Expected: avast shuts down

  2. Option launch at start up as a persistent application is unchecked.
    check these option
    push “quit and relaunch…” button
    Result: Option stays “unchecked”
    Expected: option get “checked”

So, the problem is, that the preference Launch at start up as a persistent application seems to be broken, and the setting of avast mac edition stays in the setting of Leopard OS X before updating to Snow Leopard OS X

Thank for ideas!

2

It’s Version 2.74R0 (ServiceKit 1.41)
by the way, can somebody reproduce this ?

3

Hallo, this is caused by arbitrary changes in the whole launchd architecture. launchd is an Applism-MacOSism, intended to replace the (old, good, functional) initd/cron/at utilities suite.

You can “fix” this manually, just by editing the avast’s plist (/Applications/avast!.app/Contents/Resources, com.avast.MacAvast.plist) - remove the disabled key manually (former launchctl did this, new one doesn’t obey -w switch).

use launchctl to plug this modified plist in. i have new build here, where this should be fixed.

regards,
pc

4

Thanks for reply, but now I ran into problems with terminal

Last login: Tue Oct 20 14:44:06 on console myname-imac:~ myname$ launchctl launchd% /Applications/avast!.app/Contents/Resources/com.avast.MacAvast.plist launchctl: unknown subcommand "/Applications/avast!.app/Contents/Resources/com.avast.MacAvast.plist"

Next try: I opened the *.plist-file with texteditor
changed the code
saved as *.txt-file
changed the extension *.txt to *.plist
deleted the original file
pasted the clone into the directory
closed all
restarted my iMac
same result as before, can’t quit avast, can’t change the “launch…” preference
The *.plist after deleting the disabled key now is


<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple Computer//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
	<false/>
	<key>Label</key>
	<string>com.avast.MacAvast</string>
	<key>OnDemand</key>
	<false/>
	<key>ProgramArguments</key>
	<array>
		<string>/Applications/avast!.app/Contents/MacOS/avast!</string>
	</array>
	<key>ServiceIPC</key>
	<false/>
</dict>
</plist>

So, what do I wrong by fixing this manually :-[

5

Hallo,
probably the default (when the key is missing) is enabled. Then, change the value in the disabled key to true, and restart the computer.

regards,
pc

6

This didn’t work too, but here is my little workaround to quit avast in this special issue (for people, who must quit avast for some reasons):

  1. quit avast by right-click on the dock-icon
    result: avast shuts down and restarts immediately
  2. quit avast a second time
    result: avast shuts down and restarts about 3 seconds later
  3. within these 3 seconds, trash avast.app (finder/applications)
    result: avast is trashed, but process is still persistent
  4. go to apple menu and force quit the avast.app process
    result: process is killed
  5. restart Mac
    result: no avast process ;D

Now men can do stuff where all applications has to be quit (me: install windows by using bootcamp assistant)
After this, replace avast from trash or reinstall avast (be sure, that u have saved the license.dat from your avast license-mail)

Nevertheless, thank u for your time to help me! :slight_smile:

7

Hallo, yes, this is a bit … cruel, but possible - it’s about trashing app in the right moment, when launchd isn’t trying to restart it.
But, anyway, launchctl a plist editing must do the same job. i’ll test the beta, regarding this issue right now.

regards,
pc