Premium Security 24.3.6108 Unable to restore quarantine file.

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Looking at past posts on the net it seems this has been a problem since 2017 if not before.

Problem is whatever file is in quarantine I am not able to restore or restore and add exception, The only thing I can do is delete it.

This was with either a .txt, .dll or .xlsm file so not just one extension.

To date I have repaired it 3 times and rebooted after repair,
Reset setting to default thinking just maybe,
Uninstall using Avast Uninstall tool and then Reinstall.

All lead to the same results it will not restore anything in quarantine.

So anyone successfully resolved this issue as 7 years is a long time to have the same issue.

Thanks

2

The fact that there are posts recalling this from 2017 doesn’t mean they are/were all the same.

There is no way to determine the cause in every instance.

You say: Uninstall using Avast Uninstall tool and then Reinstall.
Then surely there should be nothing in Quarantine ?

  • I have left an old detection in Quarantine, I use for testing purposes, now I extracted it to a different location (and one that I have excluded from scans) as I wouldn’t want it it back in the original location. That succeeded, see attached screenshot.

I just wonder if this AvastTest.txt file designed test the Avast Alert function is being bounced back to the Quarantine.

you have done there

3

I created that blank file and just named it to show Avast what it is not doing correctly.

The searches I have done with users all had the same exact issue, Could it vary from system to system? Sure it could but being both AVG and Avast have/had the exact same issue is odd.

You are correct that on a uninstall there would be nothing in quarantine but that doesn’t mean it can’t go back in there again. I added the file to quarantine and of course the behavior monitor tagged one and stuck it there and the only way to get that file back was reinstall the program it quarantined from in the first place.

4

Mine worked on what was a live file, so I can’t understand why yours didn’t.

5

I agree there is zero reason why it should not work and that is what is really odd.

6
I created that blank file and just named it to show Avast what it is not doing correctly.

Going back on your earlier post.
If you created this blank file how did you get it into Quarantine in the first place ?

7

Just added the file.

8

Well I just repeated what you did and the file was sent to Quarantine, confirmed in first image.
I then sent it back, Restored it image 2 and 3.

It is back in the original location, so working for me.

9

Hmmm now I need to find out what commands it is using to restore the file, It would be nice if I had some type of error message but Avast doesn’t give any.
At least yours is working well.

10

Strange - I too hate mysteries.

11

Interesting find today, I can restore to any drive as long as it does not have windows on it.

I have a couple drives just for data (No OS) and I created the file there and then restored it w/o issue.

I checked permissions for my OS drive and all is correct.

So on the hunt now to find why it is not able to restore the file back to a OS drive.

Heck for that matter Avast is not able to write the quarantined file to the chest as it shows in the db but not physically there, Only index.xml.

12

Well I can sort of understand if Windows were protecting a system drive, but I wouldn’t think C:\Temp would fall into the OS category.

Also lets assume you got an avast alert on a file in a system directory and you elected to send it to Quarantine.
If in the future it was considered an FP or you decide to risk it, you should be able to 1. Restore, 2. Restore and 3. Add Exception or Extract, which did you use ?

Also if this was a live detection from a system folder (not just a dummy file) then Avast would have been able to remove it from a system folder (Administrator privileges). So in case it should have been able to send it back. But since you used the Add File option to import to Quarantine, I honestly don’t know if the same would be correct.

So what you are experiencing I haven’t seen in regard to a live detection by Avast on my system and or in the Forums. But I have only been using Avast for 20 years.

Heck for that matter Avast is not able to write the quarantined file to the chest as it shows in the db but not physically there, Only index.xml.

I really have no idea what it is you are trying to do here (live detection avast alert would send it to Quarantine) and how you are going about it.

13

But I have only been using Avast for 20 years.

Just to let you know, in the last 20 years a lot of performant antiviruses came to the market…

.

14

So what, we aren’t talking about them but Avast and I haven’t had an issue in regard to what you are talking about in ‘this’ topic.

15

Got a email from support and they said the file was not in the folder which I had confirmed, It says it has quarantined it but removes it from the source folder but never gets put in the chest. Only in the db does it show it’s present.

However they gave me zero reason or information on WHY or WHAT would stop the Avast quarantine process from actually placing the file in the chest folder on any OS drive.

I know this sounds crazy but need to download one of those actual malware file and see what Avast does with it on a OS drive.

I have about 10 days using Avast and came over from competitor E which restored the file fine so doubt it is permissions. Damn shame as I like the layout and simplicity of Avast and I am not saying this is their issue as we don’t know what the issue is yet.

16

Anyone know which log would be written when the restore from quarantine fails?

17

Found issue,

Dual boot system you cannot assign a drive letter using a partitioning tool or the disk management to the NON Avast OS partition.

I have verified this by switching the assigned letter to another letter and then none on the NON Avast OS and the issue follows the addition of the assigned letter.

18

Thanks for the confirmation, that was something that I wasn’t aware of.

19

Assuming Avast Support reads these posts it would be nice if you would address this issue, Windows has no issues with windows when drive letter is assigned and competitors of yours have no issue with a assigned drive letter.

When you told me you could not offer any assistance and the issue is the process restoring the quarantined file by your software was a cop out as it your software but now that I found the issue for you maybe you could address it now.

20

Just as a note if anyone runs into this issue as I did.

The work around although not ideal is mount the non Avast drive using volume ID as opposed to drive letter.

I just verified that I had access to the non Avast drive through a folder and restore still worked fine on the Avast program.

You can use diskmgmt.msc to add it to the mount list but as stated it is a little hokey that one would need to do this in the first place.