Avast 2017 : Cookies

system · 2017-02-19T12:15:13.000Z

Many thanks to bob3160 for the information that Avast 2017 On-line Security saves user settings as cookies in FireFox.

This must be a Very Bad Idea, particularly for those who ask FF to clean the cookie cache On Shutdown - if only to control the build-up of cookies. FF disposes of everything and there is no way to set exceptions. End result is that I lose the global settings for Avast On-line Security each time I close FF.

Using about:config in FF there is the setting privacy.clearOnShutdown.cookies. This is a Boolean setting and there is no option of defining exceptions.

Not easy to understand why Avast has chosen to use cookies in this way, particularly as a security product should enable the user to remain secure.

Is there a work around in this instance?

In the next software update should Avast store the setting data under AppData in Windows rather than as a cookie?

bob3160 · 2017-02-19T12:20:25.000Z

Reported to Avast. Let’s see if they have an answer.

Cluster-Lizard2014 · 2017-02-19T12:32:01.000Z

Rather than use the FF > Delete History option try using CCleaner instead.

CCleaner > Options > Cookies.

This allows you to save cookies that you don’t want to be deleted so that when you use CCleaner to clean your FF history (it actually does a more comprehensive job than FF anyway) it will exclude those saved cookies.

bob3160 · 2017-02-19T12:34:07.000Z

That would work as a temporary stop gap but, it isn’t a permanent fix.

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