Firefox add-on Avast Passwords does not work anymore

[Grigs]

Good day everyone,

Earlier today, I have opened a thread on the general part of the forum. A first issue was fixed after making use of the “Repair Avast function”. However, a second issue survived.

I am using the free Avast antivirus version and make use of the password manager. Thus, Avast had installed several months ago the avast password add-on to Firefox and it worked just fine. For a few days/weeks (I had not used my computer for 2-3 weeks), the add-on is still enabled (the icon is orange with a red exclamation mark over it), but it looks like it is not linked to Avast antivirus. As a matter of fact, when I click on the Avast password icon in Firefox, it tells me “hum… something went wrong. Avast Passwords needs Avast antivirus to work. Make sure that you have installed Avast et try again. Don’t you have it? download it here [link]”.

I have uninstalled the add-on with Firefox, closed the program, asked Avast to integrate Avast Passwords to Firefox and installed it again. Unfortunately, it did not solve the problem.

My system is the following:

• Windows 7 x64
• Firewall Comodo
• Firefox x64 68.0.2
• Microsoft Office Outlook 2016
• Avast antivirus 19.7.2388 (version 19.7.4674.494) with a free licence valid until December 2019
• Avast Passwords Firefox add-on 2.0.4438 (last updated 20.08.2019).

Thank you very much for the help you may provide to fix my issue

[Grigs]

Hi again.

I will go into a more detailed description of my problem (which remain unsolved at this point).

• I have been making use of the Firefox add-on “Avast Passwords” for some time without problem.
• Not long ago, the add-on has stopped working. The icon displayed on Firefox is now an orange key with a red exclamation mark. As I click on that icon, it tells me to install Avast Antivirus for Windows (which I do already own and use).
• My logins and passwords are still stored in AvastUI.
• I have updated the add-on (last update August 22nd), uninstalled and reinstalled many times the add-on in different ways. But it does not work.

Here are screenshots of the installations process:

https://i.postimg.cc/KzrYDXvC/Etape-1.jpg

I launch the installation of the add-on through Avast Antivirus

https://i.postimg.cc/T13TjpsW/Etape-2.jpg

A tab opens in Firefox and I click to install the add-on. At the end of the procedure, I get the following error:

https://i.postimg.cc/6Qf0RgKm/Cercle-vicieux.jpg

“We are sorry, a problem occured… Make sure that you own the latest desktop version of Avast Passwords and try again.”
Indeed, I do not own a desktop version of Avast Passwords, I do have Avast Antivirus. I think that it is the same anyway.

https://i.postimg.cc/8CGcJPTL/Etape2bis.jpg

Here is what happens when I click on the Avast Passwords icon in Firefox: “hum… something went wrong. Avast Passwords needs Avast antivirus to work. Make sure that you have installed Avast et try again. Don’t you have it? download it here [link]”

https://i.postimg.cc/tCf9PRNY/Etape-3.jpg

What is odd is that after the unsucessful installation of the add-on, as I go back in Avast Antivirus settings - Confidentiality - Passwords, you can see that it tells I need to install the add-on in Firefox so that it can work…

To me, it definitely looks like the Add-on in firefox is blocked and cannot communicate with Avast Antivirus. The reason why remains unknown.

I remain at your disposal should you need further information on the matter to help me solve it.

[Grigs]

I am following-up on my issue, which I have been unable to solve yet.

I was willing to try the Chrome trick mentioned in an old thread:

@Destiny26 post:10

If you have Chrome installed on your system you can use following steps (until we provide a fix):
In Avast
Go to settings → passwords
Click on Install for Google Chrome
Chrome gets opened on page with installation button for chrome extension
Copy URL from Chrome address bar
Paste it to Firefox address bar
At the end of URL there is parameter determining browser so change p_pmb=2 to p_pmb=1
And hit enter
Now follow the installation for Firefox

I have thus installed Chrome and tried to install the avast passwords add-on. But the exact same issue as with Firefox occured!

I have tried to do an online repair as suggested later on the same thread. Did not help.

I proceeded to another trick given on this thread:

@tipforeveryone post:5

Thank you

• type about:config into the URL bar in Firefox
• in the Search box type xpinstall.signatures.required
• double-click the preference, or right-click and selected “Toggle”, to set it to false.
• go to addon then enable Avast Password extension.

Did not work either.

I have then applied a procedure mentioned as mentioned on another old thread (although the issue was not the same) deleted the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\AVAST Software\Avast\PRIVATE PAMVaultLocation key and to delete the C:\USERS\APPDATA\LOCAL\AVAST SOFTWARE\APM folder.

This is driving me crazy to be honest. It would be nice to have the support of the Avast team.

[Grigs]

Re,

I have now installed Avast Secure Browser, modified the extensions options in order to use Avast Passwords and not the browser itself.

The problem is the same, i.e. the extensions (in Firefox, Chrome, Avast Secure) cannot access AvastUI/Avast Passwords, they do not see/recognize it (although installed from it…).

[Grigs]

I have uninstalled Avast completly with the Avast remove tool and have installed it again. It now works.

I am changing the thread title to Solved, although I have no clue about the problem.

[bob3160]

See if this helps

Re-Add Avast Passwords Manager to your Browser - > https://youtu.be/Q2MtbvXzkjw

[Grigs]

@bob3160 post:6

See if this helps

Re-Add Avast Passwords Manager to your Browser - > https://youtu.be/Q2MtbvXzkjw

As I wrote, the problem has already disappeared after a clean reinstall of Avast (as a whole, not just the Firefox extension).

But I would like to point out that when the issue was still present, your solution was not even available. Although the extension was already installed in Chrome, Firefox and Avast Secure Browser, Avast would not “see” it and offered me to “add” (not “re-add”).

That is the whole problem: the extension has been installed onto the web browser. But the extension was telling me that I should install Avast Antivirus, and Avast Antivirus was telling me to install the extension to the web browser.

[Grigs]

Here we go again. After three days without any problem, the issue occured again.

As I opened Firefox and started browsing, a new tab opened itself. It was Avast Password telling me “the installation process is nearly done” and then turned into “something went wrong”.

I am honestly angry. What is wrong with Avast password?!

[bob3160]

Working without problems here?

https://screencast-o-matic.com/screenshots/u/Lh/1567975478633-68017.png

[Grigs]

Hello Bob,

Firefox is up to date (and as the problem is the exact same with Chrome and Avast Secure Browser, we must consider that the problem is not Firefox but Avast, or eventually another software).

Now, I cannot understand which is the second window that you have opened on your screenshot where we can read “Firefox.com logins”. How have you opened it?

I have noticed that unlike previously, I have the possibility to “re-add to Firefox” (earlier it was offering me to “add to Firefox”. I have tried it but it did not work. I always get the same error message in Firefox at the end of the installation process.

[bob3160]

@Grigs post:10

Hello Bob,

Firefox is up to date (and as the problem is the exact same with Chrome and Avast Secure Browser, we must consider that the problem is not Firefox but Avast, or eventually another software).

Now, I cannot understand which is the second window that you have opened on your screenshot where we can read “Firefox.com logins”. How have you opened it?

I have noticed that unlike previously, I have the possibility to “re-add to Firefox” (earlier it was offering me to “add to Firefox”. I have tried it but it did not work. I always get the same error message in Firefox at the end of the installation process.

My screenshot shows you the opened Avast Passwords. It also shows you that I’m using the latest version of Firefox.