Avast DESTROYED my computer's ability to run VBScripts in the Task Scheduler

I am very VERY angry with Avast right now because ever since I installed it, it destroyed my automated website backup VBScripts, and uninstalling it doesn’t fix the problem.

I have set up a task in the Task Scheduler to run these VBScripts every day, and before installing Avast, it worked just fine.

Once I installed Avast, it stopped working. I can still run the VBScripts just fine manually whenever I double-click on VBS files themselves, but when the Task Scheduler tries to run it, it doesn’t work.

This is the code I use for all the website backups I do, which I re-use for each website with just the website URL changed:


Option Explicit

Dim fso
Dim dateStr, timeStr
Dim folder
Dim shell

Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

dateStr = Year(Date) & "-" & Right("0" & Month(Date), 2) & "-" & Right("0" & Day(Date), 2)
timeStr = Right("0" & Hour(Time), 2) & "h" & Right("0" & Minute(Time), 2) & "_" & Right("0" & Second(Time), 2)

Set folder = fso.CreateFolder("Backup_" & dateStr & "_" & timeStr)

Set shell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
shell.CurrentDirectory = folder.Path
Call shell.Run("wget -p <URL>", 1, true)

I am very VERY angry because months worth of the websites I backup have now been lost forever and I didn’t realize it until checking up on the directories and seeing all the empty folders corresponding to days that should have been filled up with their website’s data.

I wish I had realized this was happening earlier, so I could have just System Restored my computer to a point before I installed your wretched software, but unfortunately any restore points prior to installing it were lost over a month ago, replaced by other more recent automatic restore points. I thought your software could keep my archival computer safe, but instead it destroyed one of its key functions.

What did Avast do to screw up my archival computer this badly and how do I fix it?

Just to get some potential questions out of the way:

My computer is running Windows 7 Ultimate x64, though I may have to finally upgrade to Windows 10 if I have to permanently uninstall Avast.

No, uninstalling Avast does not fix the problem.

Yes, I do already have the folders that contain the VBScripts whitelisted under Settings->General->Exceptions.

Yes, I can access all of the websites I’m trying to backup through normal browser applications. Avast does not block any the websites I’m trying to backup. Again, the backup scripts function just fine when I run them manually. I just can’t run them automatically anymore.

  • Which Avast…? (Free/Pro/IS/Premium)
  • Which version…?
  • OS…? (32/64 Bit…? - which SP/Build…?)
  • Other security related software installed…?
  • Which AV(s) did you use before Avast…?

Avast Free Edition ver. 19.8.2393 - build 19.8.4257.548

Windows 7 Ultimate x64 Service Pack 1

No other security related software has been installed, and no other anti-virus software was installed prior to Avast.

Follow instructions: https://support.avast.com/article/33/ and post your File-ID here afterwards.

I was about to do that, but after getting some sleep, I decided to try one last ditch effort to get the script to run by copying wget.bat (which links to wget.exe though an argument passing %* command) from C:\Windows\System32 to C:\Windows\SysWOW64 and when I tried running the script again, Avast finally FINALLY gives me a prompt to make the proper Exception to allow the script to run.

Should I still use this troubleshooting tool regardless of the issue having been resolved?

It’s just perplexing because the Task Scheduler was able to the run the script with wget.bat in System32 up until the point I installed Avast, and then afterwards the automated task stopped working, despite me still being able to run it manually by double clicking on the VBScript that runs wget.bat.

OK, thanks for the feedback.