Hello, I am running 6.0.100 and my wife had a warning at start up today and let the program run in the sand box as recommended.
I would like to find out what it was but when I start the machine since she shut down I get no such warning and can not find if there is a log of items put in the sand box.
Does it retain a log or report for later viewing?
Thanks in advance,
AVAST user for 5 years on many computers,
Dan
Check the C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\AVAST Software\Avast\log\autosandbox.log (XP location) using notepad, it should list what has been run or allowed, etc.
C:\ProgramData\AVAST Software\Avast\log\autosandbox.log (Vista, win7 location).
This also depends on if you updated to 6.0.1000 or if it was a clean install, if an update it would be C:.…\Alwil Software\Avast5\log\autosandbox.log (were the .…\ is the different location for XP or vista, win7).
Note there has just been an avast! program update, 6.0.1091, you can do a manual program update through the avastUI.
Thanks David, there are a bunch of items listed in the log.
The one she had to respond to today was:
C:\DOCUME~1\Owner\LOCALS~1\Temp\Imgtask.exe
I have seen this before and it seems to have something to do with a photo album or picture viewer.
I have removed it in the past but it may re-install when we pull pictures from our Canon camera. Guessing.
I will update to latest engine and see if it goes away for good.
If I delete the log file will it generate a new one the next time something is forced to open in the sand box or is there a better way to clear it out?
Thanks again,
Dan
The main reason I can see is running an .exe file from a Temp location, to me that should be something from a program files location if it were an installed program. It probably isn’t digitally signed either and these two things are likely to contribute to the decision to have it run in the sandbox.
Why would you want to delete the log ?
It takes up little room and provides historical info on the auto-sandbox activity, you may bump into the self-defence module anyway as the file would be in use and it protects avast files.
I don’t believe that updating the program won’t change the decision making process for the auto-sandbox, though it is something you should do. You can also change the settings to Ask for the Auto-Sandbox, so the user can decide whether to run normally or in the sandbox, but that requires some reasonable knowledge by the user on what is installed, legitimate use (why it is running right then) and known to be from a good/clean source; or they could be allowing something bad to run outside the sandbox.
Thanks David, it has not asked to run anything in the sand box for a day or two.
I was just wondering if emptying the log would make it easier to track new items that run automatically in the sand box without asking.
It seems some of the items listed in the log were not asked about.
Anyway I have learned another facet about Avast from this and really appreciate the protection. I have it on three family machines and have helped five or more friends set it up.
Dan
You’re welcome.
Since the entries in the log contain date time info it should be easy enough to keep track.
That is also why it is worth keeping to see what other decisions are made, that is why it is called the auto-sandbox as it tries to take the decisions where possible.