Avast said I had a url Mal and blocked our local paper news site. How do I know if the site is infected and if not, how can I unblock the site? Any help much appreciated.
http://www.timesnews.net
Welcome to the forum.
What version of avast! are you using ??? What other security software are you using ???
I have no problem getting to your local paper avast! 5.0.594 Virus def. update 100710-1
I’m only using avast and it’s the same version as you have with the same virus def. updates as well. Here is a screen shot of what came up…
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/missie427/avastpic1.jpg
Also when I try to go to timesnews.com it sends me straight back to google. I disabled avast and tried it and I could view the site.
Hi…
It sounds like a glitch in avast, novirusthanks lists your paper’s site as clean. There might be a “whitelist” in avast that would allow you to visit the site, although since I don’t use avast, I don’t know where the setting for this would be located (within the program.) 
Do you get the same reaction from avast if you use Internet Explorer or any other browser?
Regards…
I'm only using avast and it's the same version as you have with the same virus def. updates as well. Here is a screen shot of what came up...Strange ??? The only difference I noticed is that you're using Firefox and I'm using Google's Chrome.
I clicked on an article in IE and avast popped up again. The only difference is that in IE it let me stay on the page and in Firefox it directs me back to google. Here was the random article I clicked on…
http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=9024584
I don’t think it does it on the main page…seems like until you click into the free edition is when avast alerts me.
Hi…
Ok…look for the setting in avast that will along you to exclude items (and perhaps web sites) from being scanned. If nothing else, you should be able to turn the web shield off in the settings as well, (wait until other options are exhausted first before going this route.) Most likely this is an FP (false positive) issue.
Regards…
Sorry to be so much trouble, but how do I know if the site is safe? I visit this site daily and yesterday was the first time Avast has ever detected something.
THANKS SO MUCH to everyone fore helping me!
Hi…
You’re welcome, glad to help.
Please refer to my first post and click on the word “novirusthanks.” This site did a scan of your paper’s site and found nothing wrong. I also used another site to perform the same scan.
Sometimes, as antivirus programs download and install virus definition updates, the new defintions will flag a file or a site as malicious when the previous set of definitions did not, causing an FP, a false positive. Judging from the information you have provided and the fact that your paper’s site comes up as clean using other url scanners, it sound like this is nothing more than a false positive. But as I said, don’t disable your web shield until other options are exhausted. Someone else on this forum may know more of how to deal with this problem than I or others do.
Regards…
Seems to be clean…! 
asyn
Report 2010-07-10 22:39:21 (GMT 1)
Website timesnews.net
Domain Hash aefb01f150652264bea0c5cdcab8038a
IP Address 74.5.194.205 [SCAN]
IP Hostname mail.gotricities.net
IP Country US (United States)
AS Number 13787
AS Name EMBARQ-JCTY - Embarq Corporation
Detections 0 / 17 (0 %)
Status CLEAN
Thanks!
You’re welcome…!
asyn