Homegroup Issues

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

I have a home network with four computers. Two desktop computers run Windows 7, one desktop runs Windows 8.1, and one laptop runs Windows 7. (There are also two XP computers on the network, but they are rarely turned on and not a concern here.) The three network computers are all on the wired LAN while the laptop is normally used in wireless mode. The three desktops run the latest version of Avast Internet Security and the laptop runs Avast Free with Windows firewall. All four have the latest updates for their operating systems. Using Windows Explorer I can see and share files between computers on all four computers.

My problem is that I have set up a homegroup and each of the four computers have joined that homegroup successfully. But after a recent update of the Avast program the two Window 7 desktops no longer see the homegroup, but the laptop and Windows 8.1 desktop do. Again, all four computers can interact with each other over the network. I have tried several suggestions from users in these pages, but with no final success. It does, however, seem to be an Avast problem.

On the two desktops I have run the Avast Repair tool via the control panel Programs and Features menu. This works. After the repair I am able to actively use the homegroup on all four computers. However, as soon as I reboot those two computers, the homegroup disappears until I do the repair again. This is not a process I prefer to do every day.

I tried resetting the program and shield settings to their default values, but this had no affect. I also made changes to the Avast Friewall and system services settings recommended by users here. None of these had any effect on the problem.

Another user here suggested fully removing Avast and re-installing it completely. I did this on one of the two desktops, first deleting Avast using the AvastClear program in safe mode. I then re installed, and again the homegroup worked well on that desktop. But after a second reboot, the homegroup again failed to work, and now the repair procedure described above also fails to make it work. I’ll note also that the homegroup was also accessible while the Avast program was uninstalled even though the system re installed the Windows firewall.

I’m not sure what else I should try and I don’t find any recent suggestions here that I haven’t already tried. Does anyone else have this problem or any suggestions on how to configure Avast so that it will allow me to access the homegroup on all of the computers?

2

Same here.

Avast has totally broken the Windows homegroups feature.

Even fully disabling avast doesn’t fix it. I have to fully uninstall avast before the homegroups feature works.

If I go to windows network and sharing center it say I’m in a home network.

If I then go to advanced sharing settings it says Public(current profile)

So it looks like avast is confusing windows. As the network and sharing center says home but the advanced settings says public it looks like Windows is getting confused and not allowing homegroups to work.

Again totally uninstalling Avast fixes this problem so this is something the needs to be fixed in Avast.

3

Solved.

Avast told me to go into settings, troubleshooting and uncheck the box to Enable avast self defense module. This solved the problem, but does introduce some level of vulnerability. They said the problem appeared after the latest windows security update, and that they hope to resolve it before the end of the month.

4

Similar problem, although I only have two computers. Both come up with messages saying that they are in a homegroup and the laptop accesses the desktop OK but the desktop can’t access the laptop. Have applied the suggestion of changing the ‘Private’ settings but it has made no difference. Only signed up to the Premium version of Avast a month ago - wish I hadn’t. A number of years of using free Avast never gave any problems.