Avast Free Version - Web Shield Problem

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

My version is 18.6.2349 up-to-date.

The Web Shield is OFF. I keep turning it ON, but it automatically goes back to OFF.
Never had this problem before, can you please help me to overcome this problem and enable me to turn it ON permanently - urgently.

I am using Windows XP with SP3.

2

Have you tried the good Avast Repair ?

The Web Shield is working just fine on this old winXP system.

3

I would love to use the Avast repair, can you please tell me the link to download it ?

4

It is a function in the Control Panel - Add Remove Programs/ Program Control - Avast Antivirus.

5

Thank you. I found the repair wizard and ran it to a successful completion, but the Web Shield is just the same - OFF and will not stay ON. Will I have to do a complete re-install ?

6

Irregardless of the topic title, following bob3160’s advice may just fix the issue for you:
https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=221841.msg1476323#msg1476323

Sometimes using the web installer (6.0 MB) will cause some files to not update to the latest versions, using the full download installer recommended.

7

Firstly I would like to thank you for your responses.
The solution was given by DavidR, suggesting I use the Avast Repair selection, which I did.
But the first time it successfully repaired it, but nothing happened, the Web Shield was still showing OFF no matter what I did.

After fiddling around, I carried out a successful repair once more - still no change. Then poking around the settings and menu’s etc. I saw a red notice saying my PC needed rebooting, which I did. When the PC finished rebooting, I checked the Avast status page and the Web Shield was ON !!!. All back working normal again.

So problem is now SOLVED.
This whole trouble was caused by the latest update to version 18.6.2349, build 18.6.3983. Up to that point my Avast had been working OK for years with no trouble.

THANK YOU EVERYBODY.

8

I woke up to the Web Shield off this morning has Avast updated recently maybe its a bug

9

You’re welcome, I should really have emphasised the need to reboot to ensure any changes/repair take effect. Though I feel on completion of the Repair the program should make it clear (and very visible) you should restart.

10

You don’t say if this is exactly as wittmann44 reported as he is using winXP ?

I have XP on this old system and the latest avast version and I never experienced this problem.

11

Just to summarise -

Unlike the Avast web link which advocates right clicking START to access the Avast repair wizard (it never worked on my PC at very the first click), I accessed the wizard as recommended by DavidR.

  1. The Avast link https://support.avast.com/en-gb/article/Repair-Antivirus entitled “Repairing Avast Antivirus” was useless.
    Right clicking START gave an output panel totally different from that on my PC, where clicking EXPLORE gives a long list, with Control Panel near the bottom. OK, but initially inexplicit.

2.THIS worked better - all left clicks -
LEFT click START
Control Panel R/H column
Add or Remove
Avast Free Antivirus on list
Change
Repair
All done, the program starts to repair Avast.
Must reboot when repair is finished.

The top black image shows the larger content Avast link panel, the second white image is mine where EXPLORE has to be clicked to access the Control Panel on the listed output. The bottom image is the left click panel on START.

12

Repair Avast:
Control Panel> Program and Features (Add/remove program)>Select Avast> Select Repair. Reboot when completed
https://www.avast.com/faq.php?article=AVKB204

If Repair doesn’t fix the problem, try the following:
Clean Install of Avast:
https://goo.gl/4Ptzkf
If you need additional help with the Clean Install, watch this:
https://youtu.be/p-h3myRD51A