Avast(Free) becoming unusable!

Over the past few months Avast has become almost unusable for me.

  1. If I download a file and Avast blocks it, the file has the correct size in my d/l manager but Avast has corrupted it so that it’s unreadable.
    Why not give me a warning and let me study it. In virtually all cases it’s a false positive.
  2. If I extract a file to a folder and Avast finds a threat it will say that it has removed it and it has indeed it has disappeared from the folder. But in most cases it is not in quarantine. God knows why not. I’ve looked for settings to ensure such files are always quarantined but can’t find any.
    So to carry out a lot of these actions I have to disable Avast which defeats the purpose of an AV.
    I’ve used Avast for a long time so I’m reluctant to change but it’s not looking good. Can Avast help?

when avast detect you can select what you want it to do in settings … ask / quarantine / delete … and there is settings for evry shield

In virtually all cases it's a false positive
What files is it that you download ? What download manager are you using ? What OS/SP ? What exact version of avast ? Any other security (related) software installed ? (or was there)

Thanks for the replies…

@Eddy

I’m using Avast Free Antivirus
Program version 11.1.2253

I’m running Windows/Vista Home Premium

I use JDownloader 2

Files could be anything…
Mostly rars & zips but will include some exes

Last queston…
Originally I used only Avast. Now, because of these problems, I have added MBAM.

@Pondus
I note your reference to settings for every shield and will experiment.
I still can’t see in settings where you ensure that “dodgy” files must be quarantined.

I repeat my wishes

  1. Don’t block a d/l just warn!
  2. When finding “dodgy” files put them into quarantine.into quarantine

I’ve re-installed it 2 days ago and it prevented my system from shutting down. It just got stuck on “Shutting down”. I had to reset it TWICE. Then I’ve uninstalled it and without avast!, it shut down fine (with Windows Defender). Or later with Comodo. I really don’t know what’s happening with avast! in the recent times.

sadly avast has never been stable ever since version 5.This was a nice stable antivirus but upon reading not just this forum but others the issues associated with the program.
The support is to be honest not very supportive and i am always suspicious of companies who will not open dialogue with its users to try and fix matters.

And before all the evangelists and avast lay preachers start descending down on me ln their fury,just remember these are complaints which can be verified in this very forum by simply using the search bar.

Avast just like others are trying to cram too much crap into their software and because of this,post avast 5 has been on a downward spiral ever since.It will become a shadow of its former self and become nothing but a ghost.

Wakey wakey avast.

Had Problem with PC Sleeping recently, would work fine on Defender, so decided to clean Avast completely as experiment from Windows 10 Home 64bit system first, before trying to fix mom’s, also Windows 10 Pro 64bit, (eventually upgrading mine to Pro also lol) Amazingly last night it worked properly and slept properly, so tomorrow will fix hers in the morning, and should be all good lol

NutWing,

1. If I download a file and ...
The downloader checks the total file size when the download starts. The download is done as a temporary file (see also 2). When the download is complete, the downloader checks the file size of the temporary file and that is what is shows. It does not check the final file.
2. If I extract a file to a fold...
When a file is downloaded, it is a temporary file. When the download is complete the system file rename the temporary file to its original name. If avast detects something during the download, the download is blocked. Meaning the file is "officially" not on your system and there is nothing to put in the chest.

You have a old systems (nothing wrong with it).
Java is known to slow down things a lot.

JDownloader is known to come bundled with malware.
JDownloader was convicted by a German court for allowing RTMPE streams.

Remove JDownloader and simply use the download manager build into your browser.

I’ll try to deal with a few points which emerged from the postings.
@Arnold72 talked about support.
Some time ago I was getting no Virus messages despite the fact that some AV actions had occurred. I chose to use on-line support. They took over my machine and showed me the event log. (look how many errors you’ve got!) They offered to clean on a contract or 1-off basis for a price. I declined.

A little while later (from my national paper) I found that this technique was used by scammers.
I also discovered that my problem was that I had checked Gaming mode by accident.
Not spotted by Avast support!!!

@Eddy has the innate ability to miss the point.
One of my original questions was …
“If I extract a file to a folder and Avast finds a threat it will say that it has removed it and it has indeed it has disappeared from the folder. But in most cases it is not in quarantine. God knows why not. I’ve looked for settings to ensure such files are always quarantined but can’t find any.”

Eddy’s answer
…“the file is not officially on your system.”
What’s that got to do with the price of fish?
The file does exist.
MBAM can scan it. Avast can scan it, finds malware but nothing goes into quarantine.

I will take the remark on JDownload seriously.
But I find that if I use the browser I find that I get many more ads including those that force you to use Task manager.

I see the possibility that there is no adblocking add-on or software installed in your browser: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=adblock+software+for+your+browser which could be why you see excessive ads when downloading a file at any site.

As for the no-quarantine issue on detection, if a file is currently being downloaded as a temporary .part file and either MBAM or avast detects it, then there will be nothing to put into quarantine because the file is incomplete. If the file is fully downloaded as .rar, .zip, or .exe and has moved off the original temporary .part file, and avast does not quarantine on detection, then likely a setting within avast needs to be checked, to ensure it does quarantine as expected for that file type.

A temporary .part file can be any file extension type, but will not have final file extension name until fully downloaded, just so you know.

See attached below:

I feel you at least understood my problem!
I quote…

If the file is fully downloaded as .rar, .zip, or .exe and has moved off the original temporary .part file, and avast does not quarantine on detection, then likely a setting within avast needs to be checked, to ensure it does quarantine as expected for that file type.
I checked in some detail and I have now changed a Setting in Active\Actions From Fix Auto then No Action To Fix Auto then Move to Chest

It doesn’t really explain why some files do go to quarantine but at least I can try this.

In passing wrt Ad Blockers, I have been reluctant to use one because I feel that sites have a right to earn money from ads. With so many ads now containing malware of sorts I may change my mind.

I’ve no issues with using an adblocker since legitimate ad services and their ads are sometimes compromised with malicious links and downloaded malware that comes with it all too often by malicious agents, so I’m left with the strategy of looking out for myself, along with avast’s help, of course.

If all ads were clean, as they are supposed to be, and mistakenly assumed to be so by some, then I would not run an adblocker, but sadly, that is not the case here. A drive-by exploit through a malicious ad can lead to vicious ransomware, for example, and the user does not even have to click on it for this to happen to them. All that is needed is to visit that site, and the ad also does not even need to visible for you to get infected.

If you use an adblocker then you can use the native downloader application within your browser without the current issues you now are seeing. Your choice.

Hope this helps.

You should check settings for size of your virus chest.
When file is too large for your chest it is automatically deleted on a spot.
I’m not sure about settings in free version, but default in endpoint is 256 MB.

The free version has the same default setting (256 MB).