Hi, since I updated my Avast AV free things have gone awry, for some years Avast has been fab, just set and forget, but now Avast seems so over complicated & I can’t find a way to set my preferences on the dashboard.
The problem is, Avast is now telling my that web pages I have used regularly are dangerous or do not have an up to date certificate or something like that, and now I also have little icons where pictures or info should be, of course I want to keep my PC as safe as poss but I also need to see what’s on the pages I visit, so I need help to selectively turn off the part which is stopping me from seeing the info I need, at the moment I have the Web shield turned off.
And can anybody explain what
1 Enable reputation services is
2 What Hardened mode is
And do I need them?
And as usual to some degree the prob is operator malfunction ;D Regards Robert.
You will find many answers in the FAQ http://www.avast.com/en-us/faq.php?article=AVKB89#idt_01
If during your exploration you have more questions…come on back!
Many thanks, sorry for the late response, I was expecting an email notification.
Actually I thought that I had responded but I can’t find one so here goes.
I have had a look at what you pointed out and some of it I understood, however I still cannot find a way to tell the program that the page that it thinks is suspect is OK, so at the moment I have the Web Shield turned off, is this ok? while the file (what does that do) and mail shields are on.
Regards Robert.
I’m the same as you and the FAQ link didn’t answer my questions. Wish that there was a “Dummie Guide to Avast 2015” Hope that we get a detailed answer soon, as I’d like to fix it/set it and forget it as I’ve been able to do in the past with Avast.
Can you be a little more specific as to what it is that you need explained as the F.A.Q. covers a massive area ?
By default Hardened Mode is off.
If you open the avastUI there is a ? at the top right of the screen - it opens the Help relavet to the page that you are on when you Click on the ? (Help).
thanks for the tip about using the ? to find help on a certain topic, and for the screen shot which finally answered my question about just what is Hardened Mode. The FAQ does cover a tremendous amount of info, but I wasn’t finding details/specifics. The ? function should be able to assist me.
thanks again!
You’re welcome.
Yes the F.A.Q. holds a great deal of information (as I mentioned) and it isn’t always easy to find things unless you get the right search term.
I think the ? (context help) function is very handy, whilst it doesn’t give detailed information it is usually enough to get the idea of what it does.
Hi David R
Sorry again for the late reply as I am not getting email notification of new postings.
Was this addressed to me or to Begolden who has sort of hijacked my thread?
Quote :Can you be a little more specific as to what it is that you need explained as the F.A.Q. covers a massive area ?
The original problem was that Avast said some sites I use were basically unsafe which I don’t believe and to be able to read the sites I have the Web Shield turned off, is this ok? while the file (Q what does that do?) and mail shields are on.
What I would like to know is when a web page/site is flagged by Avast, is there any way I can tell Avast that that particular site is ok?
I possibly confused people by asking questions in my post besides explaining the problem, although one question about hardened mode has been mentioned and as it is a default setting I will never alter it.
1 question I asked was what Enable reputation services is, unanswered
And do I need it? unanswered
Regards Robert.
I though that the forum setting default option (in your forum Profile) was to notify users of new posts.
You can however, click the ‘Notify’ button at the top and bottom of the topic pages.
The Reputation services are to do with files being checked (are they known and in use by other avast users or whitelist, etc.) not the reputation of web sites. So yes I would enable Reputation Services.
Files with a low reputation are likely to be new, not digitally signed, in low usage, so even though they may not have been found to be infected/malicious, they are a little suspect.
Web sites considered infected (if that is what you mean by flagged) by the Web Shield will either have been detected by physical scanning of the content or listed in its malicious sites list. The Web Shield has a high detection rate with low false positives. Hacked sites (even ones you have visited regularly) are unbelievably common and possibly the highest means of infection. So shouldn’t be treated lightly.
You can create a topic in the viruses and worms reporting the site you consider clean - ensuring the link isn’t active (change http to hXXp) so it can’t be clicked accidentally. People can do an analysis of the site and see if it really is infected or suspect.
If considered clean then you can report it as a false positive (e.g. first confirm) using the on-line contact form, http://www.avast.com/contact-form.php?loadStyles for: * Sales inquiries; Technical issues; Website issues; Report false virus alert in file; Report false virus alert on website, etc. etc.
Hijacked? haha This is a forum in which people with the same problem share threads. Sorry if I offended you. Hope you get all of your issues resolved.
Hi again, sorry for the slow response as I have been away and also had PC probs, and had not not found the notification button :-[
Anyway thanks for the info David, I have now turned on all shields again and if the prob comes again I will get back and explain in better detail.
Ps Now I have clicked the notify button 
And sorry Begolden I was not being sharp with you, its just a little confusing to me when someone else joins in when you don’t understand what’s going on or who the reply is aimed at, the last time I joined in a thread on a tech forum I got a bollocking, and told to start a new thread with “my” problem.
Best regards to you both, Robert.
No worries! glad that you’ve got your computer running well again and that you found the notify button 
all the best