Recent update caused Net connectivity problem using Firefox browser

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Strange problem. Yesterday (Feb. 19th), I noted Avast! Home updated itself on my computer. Not long after, I could not get out on the Net at all using my Firefox 1.0 web browser, which has worked perfectly for months. Called my ISP (Shaw cable in Calgary, Canada) who said my connection and cable modem were fine.

My computer is plugged stright into my cable modem, no router. Am running Firefox (1.0) on a Dell Dimension 4500S with XP Home, SP2, all latest patches/updates, 512MB RAM. I’ve had no problems with this computer and all other apps are working fine.

Every web site appears and works fine with IE6 (latest, with all patches). Only some web sites appeared with Firefox (though they all used to work fine with it) and Mozilla Suite 1.7.5. Both Mozilla Suite and Firefox had the same problems with the same web sites.

With Firefox, many web sites that used to work try to load, but time out. I go to them in IE6 and they work fine with IE.

On a hunch, I turned off On-access protection in Avast! Home, and Firefox is now working perfectly with all web sites. When I turn On-access protection back on, I have the same problems again in Firefox.

A check of my software firewall, (ZoneAlarm 5.5.062.011) shows the following Avast apps with the following types of program access (program access shown in brackets):

ashServ.exe (Trusted and Internet)
avast.setup (Trusted and Internet)
ashmailSv.exe (Trusted, Internet and Send Mail)
ashDisp.exe (Trusted and Internet)
ashWebSv.exe (Trusted and Internet)

My version of Avast! Home is: 4.6.6.03
Latest VPS: 0507-4

Any ideas as to how I can get Firefox working with On-access scanning?

Thanks in advance.

2

Hi BigMur, and welcome to the avast forum.

Are you saying that some sites work OK (even if you completely refresh them - to prevent loading the data from local cache) and some don’t?? Can you give an example of a website that doesn’t load properly?

Interesting… btw what does it look like when a site times-out? I mean, which message do you get, exactly? (can you e.g. post a screenshot).

Thanks
Vlk

3

Hi Vlk,

I have the cache turned off in Firefox, as my broadband connection is fast enough to not require it. Refreshing the site that work ok, of course, has no effect on them; they still work fine.

The following sites do not work in Firefox with On-access protection:

www.microsoft.com
www.avast.com
www.bbc.co.uk

RE: time-out. No error message. (Not sure how to send a screen dump in this forum) It’s just that at the bottom left of the Firefox screen, it says “Transferring data from www.avast.com” and then nothing happens. It just sits there forever and never does load the site. If I refresh it, of course the browser window just goes blank for the refresh and the message in the bottom left still says “Transferring data from www.avast.com” and continues to sit there.

If I then turn off on-access protection, suddenly the avast web site loads up instantly.

Hope this helps.

Murray

4

About the ZoneAlarm you’re using - is this the brand new build (released about a week ago)?

www.microsoft.com www.avast.com www.bbc.co.uk

Thanks for puting us to such a respectful company ;D

If I then turn off on-access protection, suddenly the avast web site loads up instantly.

Hmm, strange indeed. So you don’t have to refresh the view - it really loads just after you stop the avast on-access scanner?
Can you confirm that it’s the WebShield provider that is causing this?
Or maybe the Standard Shield?
BTW is it enough if you pause the provider (instead of actually stopping it)?

Thanks
Vlk

5

All three sites loading fine with firefox and web shield. Dial-up connection with a browser cache, would it be worth trying a small browser cache in firefox?

6

Hi again,

Hmm, strange indeed. So you don’t have to refresh the view - it really loads just after you stop the avast on-access scanner?

Yes. I just tried it again. I clicked on the bookmark for your web site, then turned off the on-access scanner. First a dialogue box appears (avast! Stopping on-access Protection). It asks if I want to really do this. I click on the Yes button, then in the bottom right corner of my screen, I see all the scanners being loaded. Then, after the last one (Web shield) loads, a small alert dialog box appears (The document contains no data). Then behind this alert, the web site appears.

Can you confirm that it’s the WebShield provider that is causing this?
Or maybe the Standard Shield?

I tried turning each of these off while trying to access your web site, in order from top to bottom of the list, with Web shield turned off last. Nothing happened. It was only when I clicked on Stop On-Access Protection that the process I outlined above happened.

BTW is it enough if you pause the provider (instead of actually stopping it)?

No, the only thing that works is clicking on Stop On-Access Protection.

DavidR: I tried all this with and without a cache (default Firefox cache size). No difference.

Hope this helps.

Murray

7

Forgot to respond to the ZoneAlarm question: Yes, my build is the latest, and it was recently updated, though I can’t recall how long ago. Recently.

Murray

8

Hi

i tested this with a XP Pro SP2 (all Patches), Zonealarm Free (5.5.0.62.011 thats the latest) and with a Firefox 1.0+ and Mozilla 1.8b2 and have no problems with this 3 Sites (bbc.co.uk was the fastet Site :slight_smile:

Settings of Webshield and on-access is on “high”

Riker

9

Just did a test whereby I shut down ZoneAlarm Pro 5.5.062.011, but kept Avast! Home’s on-access protection active. I was able to surf to any web site I wanted. When I launched ZoneAlarm Pro again, I was back to not being able to surf many web sites.

So I think there is a conflict between ZoneAlarm Pro and the on-access protection.

Murray

10

ZA is known for this. Normally removing ZA, rebooting and reinstalling solves the problem.

11

I’m using ZA and have no problems accessing any of those sites in either Firefox or IE ???

12

Please see the second similar thread http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=11338.15
Maybe we should lock this thread and proceed with discussion in that one?

Thanks
Vlk