How to stop Avast from deliting my EXEs?

Hello! I’ve been using Avast for almost a decade, and I don’t want switch to another antivirus, but recently Avast been deleting my peer-to-peer client’s EXE file.

Everyday I have to reinstall the program, because there is no EXE. And I can’t bring it back from virus chest, because there is nothing to bring back! The file just gets silently deleted without my permission. AND on top of that, Avast doesn’t allow me to run the application, until I disable File Shield

I added the EXE to exception list. I added the whole file to every exception list, but the EXE gets deleted. I’ve pinpointed the problem of blocking the program from running to File Shield, but there is no way to specifically add an exception to that Shield. When I add an Advanced Exception, it only applies Ransomware Shield exception.

And I cannot afford to lose this program, as it houses a lot of lectures and studying material.

Test the file at VT (https://www.virustotal.com) and post the link to the result here.

It doesn’t let me to upload the file.

Also, I know that this program is totally safe as am using it at least 12-13 years. And no other antivirus has any problem with it. not even the ever-paranoid Norton.

You can report a suspected FP (File/Website) here: https://www.avast.com/false-positive-file-form.php

I can’t report it! Because it doesn’t let me upload it! Is there absolutely no way, to make Avast completely ignore one specific program? And as I learned, addind it to exception just don’t work!

I can't report it! Because it doesn't let me upload it!
Why, what message do you get? Is the file in use when you try to upload?
Why, what message do you get? Is the file in use when you try to upload?

It’s on russian, so I don’t know the official translation but something like: "Windows can’t access the device, path or file. Maybe you don’t have permission to access it" (I am the admin of my PC).

Most importantly - this message shows up even while Avast and Windows Defender is completely shut-down.

but recently Avast been deleting my peer-to-peer client's EXE file.
Is the program to that EXE file you want to upload shut down?

Why is it deleting it, generally the action would be to send it to the Virus Chest ?
Have you changed the default settings for detections (check and have detections ‘Ask’ or ‘Send’ the the Virus Chest) ?

Is it actually being deleted or sent to the virus chest ?
If it is being sent to the virus chest, then you can use the ‘Send for analysis’ option from the virus chest.

Hi,

Can you let us know the name of the app?

Is the program to that EXE file you want to upload shut down?

It only deletes it when I power-up my PC. Silently. I install it, do the daily work, go to sleep, wake up - and boom - the EXE is missing.

Why is it deleting it, generally the action would be to send it to the Virus Chest ? Have you changed the default settings for detections (check and have detections 'Ask' or 'Send' the the Virus Chest) ?

I don’t know why it is deleting it! That’s the problem! And no, it doesn’t move it to the Chest. It straight up deletes the EXE. And have set EVERYTHING to “Ask”.

Can you let us know the name of the app?
MediaGet 2. But it's not from the developer: My version was tinkered with and only works as a peer-to-peer client. I can't recall where I got it from, it just travels from hard-drive to hard-drive.

Hi,

Can you please disable Behaviour Shield (https://support.avast.com/en-ww/article/Antivirus-shield-settings/#idt_040), and confirm if it makes a difference?
Please also post your support file id here.
To generate the support file, please see this link.
https://support.avast.com/en-ww/article/Submit-support-file

Can you please disable Behaviour Shield (https://support.avast.com/en-ww/article/Antivirus-shield-settings/#idt_040), and confirm if it makes a difference?

It made no difference. Only disabling File Shield makes any difference. I.e - let’s me run the program.

Please also post your support file id here.

I… Can’t? My web-browser gives me “PR_CONNECT_RESET_ERROR”. So I had to upload the ZIP-file to my Google Drive. (tried to modify the message, but then it fell into infinite loading. So the problem probably in my internet connection being extremely unstable. Sorry if it violates any internal rules, but there is nothing I can currently do to upload the ZIP-file to the forum itself.)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1z4cTZVRrMoWkKs_s9Pg_5-wDceoybYgS/view?usp=sharing

Hi terrariast and thank you for the report. We checked the provided logs and this version of Mediaget is classified as PUP - potentially unwanted. It seems that the file could not be sent to the Virus Chest so it may have been deleted. I am not sure, however, why the file exclusion did not work for you.

Could you please try excluding the whole folder “Mediaget2”? Is the file still being detected/deleted?

If you prefer a quick workaround, you can set Avast not to scan for PUPs in the program Menu - Settings - Protection - Core Shields - What to do with: Potentially unwanted programs & tools - by deselecting the option “Scan for PUPs.”

Could you please try excluding the whole folder "Mediaget2"? Is the file still being detected/deleted?

If you prefer a quick workaround, you can set Avast not to scan for PUPs in the program Menu - Settings - Protection - Core Shields - What to do with: Potentially unwanted programs & tools - by deselecting the option “Scan for PUPs.”

Already have done this. And today I discovered, that disabling shield before I run Mediaget for the first time in the day, prevents deleting the EXE. Guess I will have to live with that.

I’m sorry to hear that. We’re looking into the problem and it will be fixed in the upcoming program updates.

In the meantime, could you please try re-installing Mediaget in the following way?

  1. first please disable Avast shields
  2. uninstall and re-install Mediaget
  3. exclude Mediaget folders
  • C:\Users*your username*\AppData\Local\MediaGet2\
  • C:\Users*your username*\MediaGet2
  • any other folder used by Mediaget
  1. re-enable Avast shields
In the meantime, could you please try re-installing Mediaget in the following way?

Sadly, made no difference.

It seems that the problem solved itself with the latest virus database update. Question closed. Thank you, Avast!

I am pleased that Avast is delighting my exs. Good luck to them is what I say. Everyone is entitled to some pleasure.