Avast! 7.0.1426.0 & eMule 0.50a - Repetitive File Scanning

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Hello,

Just want to report that Avast P2P Shield keeps scanning (very frequently): C:\Program Files[b]eMule[/b]\config[b]statistics.ini[/b]
Each session the counter of P2P scanned files in the Protection Status increases considerably in number because of that statistics.ini file.
I’m not sure if I have to add it to the shield exclusion list at this point.

Also, just in case the repetitive scanning of the file was an issue, perhaps Avast Team may consider whether to add it in the default exclusions in future program updates…

Any other user has noticed that repetitive scanning?

Thanks in advance.

System Info:
Win XP Pro SP3 (Hardware DEP)
Avast! Free AV 7.0.1426.0 (Behavior/Script Shield removed)
Online Armor Free 5.5.0.1557
*Avast!/OA mutually excluded
eMule 0.50a (running as a Limited user)

2

Yes, the better is add this particular file to avast! exceptions. I’m excluded all *.ini file from P2P module.

3

Yeah, probably. Thanks, Tech.
I’m assuming you’re an eMule user too - did you find out any other eMule .ini file being scanned over and over by the P2P Schield?

4

No, just the one you’ve posted before.

5

Tech, you’re from Avast Team, could you please report the issue to the developers?

Thanks again for your help.

6

The forum is exactly for this: communicate with the developers :slight_smile:

7

Problem is still here in 7.0.1466.
Avast Antivirus Free slows down Windows (makes mouse lagging for few seconds):

  • frequently when scanning statistics.ini (i have disabled statistics in emule too, but the file still updates itself)
  • seldom when scanning shareddir.dat
  • when updating/applying configuration changes because of preferences.ini
  • when closing emule

Disabling P2P protection solves the problems. Or putting emule/config folder in exclusions

The positive side is that the protection works and immediately deletes any downloaded virus (fake files) :smiley:

8

Hello em4ndokm,

I added C:\Program Files\eMule\config* to the exclusion list of the P2P Shield and since then the only eMule’ files that Avast scans are completed downloaded files (I did it immediately after starting this thread). Also, no slow down related to eMule/P2P Shield here.
So, mine is basically just a confirmation about the exclusions.

Hope this may help.

System Information:
Win XP Pro SP3 (Hardware DEP)
Avast! Free AV 7.0.1466
Online Armor Free 5.5.0.1616
*Avast!/OA mutually excluded

EDIT: added some info

9

Yes, i did the same, and the trick works. However i don’t understand why avast makes Windows lagging when scans those files, i mean it’s not normal high peaks of cpu in similar operations (i suppose)

Thanks anyway for the confirmation, Tetsuo.

I have a similar configuration, using XP.

System Information:
Win XP Home SP3
Avast! Free AV 7.0.1466

10

You’re welcome.

I haven’t seen any lags when the exclusion is not set though - and my pc is very, very old unfortunately…
Just in case you have some other security software with real-time protection, you could try setting mutually exclusions between Avast and the other security software.
However, from the informations you posted, Avast seems to be the only security software on your system…

11

Hello Tetsuo.

I think you should just exclude the specific file instead of a document pathway. May be like this “C:\Program Files\eMule\config\statistics.ini”.
But you should do it manually. Because avast! can’t through browse option to locate a specific file.
I still found there are many files in system or programs are always scanned by avast!. But in my opinion some of the scanning are meaningless. You can exclude them too.

Regards. :wink:

12

As reported in previous posts, I did set those exclusions on purpose.

P2P Shield now scans only completed downloaded files (as it should). That was the purpose of excluding the entire config folder.

Regards

Edit: added some more info

13

I have a desktop computer of 2004, a bit old, and when avast scans those files the mouse starts lagging and windows doens’t react (in other words: extremely slow down) for few seconds. I was searching a solution to this problem and found the thread. You don’t have the issue… so i wonder
Is this situation normal with an old pc?

XP SP3
Athlon Sempron 3000+ 2,0ghz
RAM: 1,5GB
Avast! Free AV 7.0.1466
No other security software running in backgroud/foreground

14

Personally I would do as suggested by Tech and only exclude the file group *.ini (or just the file as suggested by av2000) causing the issue within the config folder and not the entire contents of the C:\Program Files\eMule\config* folder. If there happens to be any sub-folder of config then that too would be excluded, so you could be introducing a large hole in your systems security.

15

Mine is from 2004/2005: Intel Pentium 4, 3.20GHz, 2 GB RAM

Anyway, in the past the P2P Shield seemed to ignore those config files, because the counter of P2P scanned files in the Protection Status showed only downloaded files, as I can remember.

16

I can’t understand why the .ini file is being constantly scanned, once scanned it should be in the transient cache once scanned and found to be clean. Then it should only be scanned if a new VPS comes in and or it is being modified constantly by emule.

17

Put only the .ini file into the exclusions. This always solve this issue.
The file is being read/saved all the time.

18

Well, I’d like to exclude C:\Program Files\eMule\config[b]statistics.ini[/b] also in Avast! 9.0.2008.
Apparently it is not so easy… Any suggestions?

P.S., I tried adding the line (C:\Program Files\eMule\config\statistics.ini) both to the global exclusions and the file system shield exclusions, but Avast keeps scanning it very often.

EDIT: added some info

19

Boot after adding it :slight_smile:

20

Thanks for your reply, Tech.
I rebooted several times to no avail, unfortunately. Is it working in your system?

My OS: Windows XP Pro SP3