Avast suddenly preventing PAID Weatherbug from running!!

Viruses and worms
1

I have added an exclusion for now, but still wanted to post here because there is no valid reason for Avast to block the PAID version of Weatherbug!! It shows no ads. To block it is completely inappropriate.

This needs to be corrected immediately!

I will look here for some sort of confirmation that this has been addressed.

Thanks!!
Paul

2

Well firstly avast doesn’t block/prevent from runing, it scan and alerts you if a file is infected.
Are you saying avast detects weatherbug as infected ?
If so what is the virus name, file name and location of the infected file ?

If so 2. You could also check the offending/suspect file at: VirusTotal - Multi engine on-line virus scanner
Or Jotti - Multi engine on-line virus scanner if any other scanners here detect them it is less likely to be a false positive. You can’t do this with the file in the chest, you will need to move it out.

If it is indeed a false positive, add it to the exclusions lists (Standard Shield, Customize, Advanced and Program Settings, Exclusions) and periodically check it (scan it in the chest), there should still be a copy in the chest even though you restored it to the original location. When it is no longer detected then you can also remove it from the Standard Shield and Program Settings, exclusions.
Also see (Mini Sticky) False Positives, how to report it so the problem can be corrected.

3

Sorry, I guess I freaked out a little bit. It’s been a really bad day.

I selected No Action when it was detected, but the program would still not run until I disabled On-Access protection. I added the program to both the regular and the On-Access scanner Exclusion lists and it seems to be working ok now.

I have attached a screenshot of the results of the Virustotal scan…

Paul

4

Here is Jotti…

5

:slight_smile: Hi Maryland :

  You are the 1st person I have ever come across to say
  they "Paid" for the Adware Weatherbug program . Long
  ago I read the info at : 
  www.pchell.com/support/weatherbug.shtml . There it
  talks of a "Alternative" that does NOT display ads AND
 is FREE called "Weatherpulse"; I am now using it and
 quite pleased. Perhaps you should check it out !?
 
  Jotti Results are not as reliable as VirusTotal because
  the former is based on Linux- based OS's .
6

The No Action just means don’t send it to the chest, try a Repair, Delete, etc. but it won’t let you execute a file that is infected (rightly or wrongly detected as infected). That is why it won’t run and why the exclusion of the file works, you should also include the exclusion in the Program Settings, Exclusions, so it isn’t detected on on-demand scans.

I guess people would pay to remove the ads in weatherbug which was what got it categorised adware.

I can only assume that the same coding/signature is still present in the paid for version. You could take action as in the False Positive link, but I don’t know if it would be classed as an FP, if you upgraded from the free version to paid for the same signature may be present.

As you have excluded it you accept that it isn’t adware this will give you a workaround in the meantime, you could also look at the other option mentioned by spiritsongs.

7

You do get extra features when you pay for the program. The $$ is not just to remove ads. Whether or not the added features are worthwhile, I could have to re-evaluate that. I’ll look into Weatherpulse to see if it gives me what I want. Thanks…

Paul