Avast keeps suspending AutoHotKey scripts

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Hi all,

Recently I made a script using AutoHotkey which allows me to quickly open my projects in my browser using localhost (XAMPP). It used to work perfectly, but ever since I got Avast Ultimate, it doesn’t. It keeps showing up in the task manager as ‘Suspended’.
I’ve been trying to fix this for a couple of days, and today I decided to try putting Avast in passive mode. To my surprise, my script now works perfectly. So Avast is causing the issues, but I have no idea how to stop Avast from suspending the process.

I have added the .exe file of the script to the ‘Allowed Apps list’, as well as AutoHotKey itself and the AutoHotKey Script Compiler. I have also added the directory with the script and the .exe to the exceptions list, but neither of those actually fix the problem (at least not while Avast isn’t in passive mode).

How do I stop Avast from suspending the process?

I don’t know if it helps, but here’s the code for my script:


folder = %1%
server = C:\Users\Gebruiker\OneDrive - Curio\Projecten\htdocs
StringReplace, url, folder, %server%, http://localhost/
StringReplace, url, url, \, /, All
Run, %url%
ExitApp
2

Hi,

Did you receive any detection message from Avast?
Could you please temporary disable Avast Antivirus, right-click the Avast icon in the system tray and select Avast shields control. Choose one of the options.
Test and re-enable the shields one-by-one.

3

Hi,

Thanks for your reply. At first, I did receive a detection message, but after that, I added it to the exceptions list and stopped getting the notifications.
Alright, I disabled all shields through the system tray icon. It still doesn’t work, and the AHK process still gets suspended.

Last couple of times I changed some Avast settings through the system tray icon, Avast froze and was unable to restart. The only thing I found that helped was repairing the installation through the control panel (the same way you’d uninstall a program, but instead selecting repair) and restarting the computer. This just happened again. I can’t start Avast and fixing it takes quite a while. Is there a fix for this?

Update:
After restarting the computer and disabling the shields (through the system tray icon), the script works perfectly. However, now Avast freezes again and I have to restart my computer (yet again).

4

Hi,

Would you mind trying the following:

  1. remove the exclusion
  2. enable all shields
  3. take a screenshot of the Avast detection message
  4. disable only Behavior Shield and see if it makes a difference
5

Hi,

Thanks again for your reply. I removed all exclusions and got the following messages:
(the messages are in Dutch)

  1. Scanning the file:

https://i.imgur.com/HfZxEZr.png

Rough translation:

Suspicous file detected
OpenAsLocalHostDesktop.exe is being scanned to check if it’s safe to open.
This only takes a few seconds.

  1. After scanning is finishes:

https://i.imgur.com/yyCLkmL.png

Rough translation:
Good news! This file is safe
No hidden threats were found in OpenAsLocalHostDesktop.exe.

I tried to disable the Behavior Shield, but the on/off toggle was kind of faded, like it couldn’t turn off. I then closed Avast and tried to start it again but it was unable to start (just like I explained in my reply from yesterday).

6

Hi,
So even though cyber capture says it is safe, it is still being blocked?
Could you provide us with a support file, please?

  1. In Avast Premium Security, go to Menu> Settings > General> Troubleshooting > Logs (at the bottom) > Enable debug logging
  2. Send Logs
  3. Post the file id here.
    (Support tool guide:https://support.avast.com/en-ww/article/Submit-support-file)

You can disable debug logging after the file has been generated.

7

Hi again,

Sort of. Cyber Capture says it’s safe and say’s it’s not blocked, but the process still gets suspended. It’s like it gets suspended to optimize my PC (which I don’t think is actually why it gets suspended).

My support file ID is 9N5WC.

I hope the file contains all the info you need. I enabled debug logging a while back, just in case I ran into some problems. It’s been a day since my last test (and since Avast last froze/crashed) so I hope that’s still included in the file.

Thanks again for the reply!

8

It’s real pain in the rear to develop things and use avast!. It’s constant annoying scanning and constant IDP.ALEXA.53 detections on bunch of scripts is really annoying to a point I can’t use it anymore.

9

I relate. What has helped me massively was just adding an exception for a folder where 90% of my own programs will be. I study software development, and for one subject we have to use C# in Visual Studio, so I just added the folder for that subject to the exceptions list. It will ignore everything in that folder and won’t scan/detect the files (including .exe’s).

10

Any updates, @r@vast?

11

Hi,

Can you please try 21.5 beta https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=275894

12

Still having this issue. Adding an exception not working.