False positive with HP printer?

Viruses and worms
1

Hi
After I updated Avast to 5.1.889, it detects the file hpofxm08.exe as a threat. Does anyone knows if it’s really a malware? That file would related to my HP printer (HP Digital Imaging/Fax). It was even a threat when I used the genuine HP CD-ROM installer.

2

See this
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=69919.0

3

Thanks. The forum has so many posts that it would have been hard to find the one you mentioned.

4

There is a search function… :wink:

5

I had the same problem with updated Avast and HP printer. I’ve tried disabling avast when printing, as well as creating file system shield exclusions. Any other suggestions out there or things I should look for to correct this problem? I can’t use my printer with the updated Avast. It worked fine with the previous version of Avast.

6

Then I suggest you read the other topic, link in reply one on how to proceed.

I can’t see how it can be the same problem if a) you disabled avast when printing and b) excluded it in the file system shield.

These would effectively stop avast alerting on the file, so there has to be something else in the mix.

Avast is alerting isn’t it ?
If so what is the file name and location ?

7

I read the other topic, link in reply and tried the suggestions - didn’t work. And avast is not alerting. All I know is that the printer worked fine, I upgraded avast, printer quit working. If others are having the same problem, isn’t this something that Avast should look into and correct - and update the release, rather than having users try to screw around with fixing the product?

8

Yes but if as I said your avast isn’t alerting it is different to this topic (and it would seem the other one too).

So there is something else going on, what is what we need to find out for anyone to be able to fix it.

What avast version do you have, avast 5.1.889 being the latest ?
What avast version did you have before ?

9

I am using 5.1.889 and was previously using 4.8 (I believe). I tried removing Avast from computer, which didn’t work, as I believe there are latent files that I need to remove using the executable from Avast - I didn’t want to go to that step yet.

10

Well it is the next logical step if you are experiencing problems, but ensuring you have a clean start point.

  • Download the latest version of avast, 5.1.889 (see below) and save it to your HDD, somewhere you can find it again (if you didn’t save your last download). Use that when you reinstall.

  • Download the avast! Uninstall Utility, aswClear5.exe find it here and save it to your HDD (it has uninstall tools for both 4.8 and 5.x).

    1. Now uninstall avast! (using add remove programs, if you can’t do that start from the next step), reboot.- 2. run the avast! Uninstall Utility from safe mode, first for 4.8 if previously installed and then for 5.x, once complete reboot into normal mode.- 3. install the latest version, reboot.

Free AV: - http://files.avast.com/iavs5x/setup_av_free_eng.exe (English only)