Avast 7 worse than a virus!

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Sorry guys, but I just wasted 5 hours of my live due to the latest version!

Since a few days AVast reports many of my apps as ‘suspicious’ when previously it never complained.
Since version 7 (installed this afternoon) I not only get an alert of a suspicious program - but my computer crashes instantly (!) with a blue screen and a core-dump !!! Complaining about something to do with “ASWNSX.sys”.

I am a developer that creates his own executables dozens of times a day - now, every time and without exception they crash with a blue screen! I can not use my machine anymore! I tried setting up exclusions, disable all real-time shields, the sandbox, etc. nothing helps or prevents these blue screens :(((

When I tried to register on the site, it took an hour before I got the confirmation email. Even after confirmation I couldn’t use any of the support features wanting to create a ticket and send you guys a support package. Only this forum works (I hope). Avast used to be my preferred virus killer but you guys are going fast to be the next Norton: an overkill of complex features and a million configurable options when I want absolutely nothing to do with whatever is required to stop a virus and other nasty situations. So far you guys had a flawless record, but this is a real show-stopper. Please resolve this asap!!

With Regards,
Danny.
Vista Business Sp2 - 32bit, Avast 7.0.1407

2

The autosandbox works for protecting someone who runs mostly well-known software, but as a software developer, it might well give you more headache than it is worth in terms of security.

That said, it really should not cause BSODs. So you might want to upload those dumps to their FTP with a link back to this topic so they can look at them>>https://support.avast.com/index.php?languageid=1&group=eng&_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=18

3
I am a developer that creates his own executables dozens of times a day
Change the setting from auto to ask then you can always tell avast! to run it normally and remember your anser so it doesn't bother you about that .exe again. [URL=http://my.jetscreenshot.com/2701/20120226-tpja-86kb] http://my.jetscreenshot.com/2701/m_20120226-tpja-86kb.jpg [/URL]
4

That might work now but VLK has already stated that the ask option will be removed in the next build.

5

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I am the only one who always sets that to ask just so that I have some notice and control over what gets sandboxed and what doesn’t?

6

No, I always did before v7 but now it’s on auto since even on ask, the detected app terminates automatically before you get a chance to choose the options. Apparently the ask option is going away anyway.

7

Not the last time it asked me and that was with version 7 set to ask.

8

Just disable the AutoSandbox alltogether. For someone who develops his own apps, that feature is bound to do more harm than good.

9

Try the test tool with the sandbox on ASK. Yeah it opens in the sandbox fine but it automatically terminates after about 15 seconds anyway. It never used to do that and in my opinion, it shouldn’t do it now.

10

you gotta love the tiltle of this thread ;D

11

We are in the same boat.
My problem is - I need to explain my (potential) customers that Avast have some new “features” … Just hoping that Avast guys will do something, when they come to work tommorrow… and I spend my weekend trying to find why Avast complain …

12

Despite what VLK has stated, (or maybe even more so because of his statement), I am not a fan of the new autosandbox behavior and I strongly feel it should go back to how it used to be.

13

“That might work now but PK has already stated that the ask option will be removed in the next build.”

It seems the auto-sandbox in v7 is being rendered useless… rather than allowing suspicious programs to be run in a sandbox, for the user to be able to observe the results, it now appears simply be a “tool” to confirm or “take-back” avast’s “suspicion”.

I’d strongly advocate they bring back the sandbox as it was implemented in v.6

14

I have not had a blue screen, but some serious crashes on lesser known (but still popular) games that load other resources as avast tries to sandbox them and turn game mode on at the same time!
I have turned it off it’s pretty dangerous in default state tbh!

15
I'd strongly advocate they bring back the sandbox as it was implemented in v.6

nope ::slight_smile: … the process misbehaves , they have to correct this, that’s all. Going backwards would be a disaster, and that won’t happen.

16

If there are bugs, design flaws, whatever by all means fix those. However, what rationale if any was given for removing the ask option? I’ve been looking back through pk’s messages trying to find where he supposedly said the ask option will be removed. Haven’t found it. Lil help?

Edit: I did see this:

"Autosandbox doesn’t have such option - and it won’t have in next version, because this component should be simple (no complex settings, simple dialogs, etc). Autosandbox was improved in v7 - suspicious app is automatically executed in the sandbox, we analyze its behavior in the background and then we show you results. We had a discussion if there should be a link to report file, but such report file would be interested only for experts, not for the average users. "

from http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=93281.msg742723#msg742723

Which I suppose could be read that in v7 a suspicious app is automatically executed in the sandbox regardless of the ask setting.

17

It was VLK who said it not PK, my mistake.

http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=93866.msg747953#msg747953

What he said about the planned behavior concerns me since I have a number of legacy apps that get detected by the autosandbox even though they are perfectly safe. There needs to be some way retained to be able to run things like that normally without getting sandboxed or analyzed again.

18

What’s funny is that some of the thread titles were being quite angry lately, calling names rather than asking for help. Geez. And I thought I was the certified backside on the net.

19

I don’t think “avast 7 is worse than a virus”, but I agree with this statement:

Avast used to be my preferred virus killer but you guys are going fast to be the next Norton: an overkill of complex features and a million configurable options when I want absolutely nothing to do with whatever is required to stop a virus and other nasty situations.

Becoming ‘bloat ware’ is why I left McAfee about 5 years ago. I stayed with McAfee VS-7 as it was the last good version they had. Then when they pulled the plug on support, I came to avast. Looks like I’ll stick with ver 6 until they drop support of it.

20

Try this again. My reply was not posted since there were two replies before I clicked the Post button; little error that needs to be corrected in the forum. Gonna copy what I am entering so I can simply paste if it happens again

I agree. Have always been pleased with Avast which has worked remarkably well. However, after upgrading to 7, a graphics program I have used for years was “suspected” and so opened automatically in the sandbox. This occurred 3 times which I canceled each time. The 4th time when I opened the graphics program it was not opened in the sand box but now I cannot open any image into the graphics program; including a jpg.

I regret upgrading to 7 and hope I can find the earlier version to re-install. I feel like a new M$ OS was installed and new programs need to be replaced by purchasing them and waiting for drivers to be made for devices and software that worked just fine before a supposed improved upgrade.

Not happy. Now I have to learn what went wrong, probably un-install the graphics program and re-install it, but not until after I install an eralier version of avast.