User's FAQ

General Topics
41

ADWARE Thanks to Eddy ;D

  1. Generically, adware (spelled all lower case) is any software application in which advertising banners are displayed while the program is running. The authors of these applications include additional code that delivers the ads, which can be viewed through pop-up windows or through a bar that appears on a computer screen. The justification for adware is that it helps recover programming development cost and helps to hold down the cost for the user.

Adware has been criticized because it usually includes code that tracks a user’s personal information and passes it on to third parties, without the user’s authorization or knowledge. This practice has been dubbed spyware and has prompted an outcry from computer security and privacy advocates, including the Electronic Privacy Information Center.

  1. AdWare is also a registered trademark that belongs to AdWare Systems, Inc. AdWare Systems builds accounting and media buying systems for the advertising industry and has no connection to pop-up advertising, spyware, or other invasive forms of online advertising.
42

SPYWARE Thanks to Eddy ;D

Spyware is any technology that aids in gathering information about a person or organization without their knowledge. On the Internet (where it is sometimes called a spybot or tracking software), spyware is programming that is put in someone’s computer to secretly gather information about the user and relay it to advertisers or other interested parties. Spyware can get in a computer as a software virus or as the result of installing a new program.

Data collecting programs that are installed with the user’s knowledge are not, properly speaking, spyware, if the user fully understands what data is being collected and with whom it is being shared. However, spyware is often installed without the user’s consent, as a drive-by download, or as the result of clicking some option in a deceptive pop-up window. adware, software designed to serve advertising, can usually be thought of as spyware as well because it almost invariably includes components for tracking and reporting user information.

The cookie is a well-known mechanism for storing information about an Internet user on their own computer. However, the existence of cookies and their use is generally not concealed from users, who can also disallow access to cookie information. Nevertheless, to the extent that a Web site stores information about you in a cookie that you don’t know about, the cookie mechanism could be considered a form of spyware.

43

WORM Thanks to Eddy ;D

In a computer, a worm is a self-replicating virus that does not alter files but resides in active memory and duplicates itself. Worms use parts of an operating system that are automatic and usually invisible to the user. It is common for worms to be noticed only when their uncontrolled replication consumes system resources, slowing or halting other tasks.

This term is not to be confused with WORM (write once, read many).

44

TROJAN Thanks to Eddy ;D

In computers, a Trojan horse is a program in which malicious or harmful code is contained inside apparently harmless programming or data in such a way that it can get control and do its chosen form of damage, such as ruining the file allocation table on your hard disk. In one celebrated case, a Trojan horse was a program that was supposed to find and destroy computer viruses. A Trojan horse may be widely redistributed as part of a computer virus.

The term comes from Greek mythology about the Trojan War, as told in the Aeneid by Virgil and mentioned in the Odyssey by Homer. According to legend, the Greeks presented the citizens of Troy with a large wooden horse in which they had secretly hidden their warriors. During the night, the warriors emerged from the wooden horse and overran the city.

45

VIRUS Thanks to Eddy ;D

In computers, a virus is a program or programming code that replicates by being copied or initiating its copying to another program, computer boot sector or document. Viruses can be transmitted as attachments to an e-mail note or in a downloaded file, or be present on a diskette or CD. The immediate source of the e-mail note, downloaded file, or diskette you’ve received is usually unaware that it contains a virus. Some viruses wreak their effect as soon as their code is executed; other viruses lie dormant until circumstances cause their code to be executed by the computer. Some viruses are benign or playful in intent and effect (“Happy Birthday, Ludwig!”) and some can be quite harmful, erasing data or causing your hard disk to require reformatting. A virus that replicates itself by resending itself as an e-mail attachment or as part of a network message is known as a worm.

Generally, there are three main classes of viruses:

File infectors. Some file infector viruses attach themselves to program files, usually selected .COM or .EXE files. Some can infect any program for which execution is requested, including .SYS, .OVL, .PRG, and .MNU files. When the program is loaded, the virus is loaded as well. Other file infector viruses arrive as wholly-contained programs or scripts sent as an attachment to an e-mail note.

System or boot-record infectors. These viruses infect executable code found in certain system areas on a disk. They attach to the DOS boot sector on diskettes or the Master Boot Record on hard disks. A typical scenario (familiar to the author) is to receive a diskette from an innocent source that contains a boot disk virus. When your operating system is running, files on the diskette can be read without triggering the boot disk virus. However, if you leave the diskette in the drive, and then turn the computer off or reload the operating system, the computer will look first in your A drive, find the diskette with its boot disk virus, load it, and make it temporarily impossible to use your hard disk. (Allow several days for recovery.) This is why you should make sure you have a bootable floppy.

Macro viruses. These are among the most common viruses, and they tend to do the least damage. Macro viruses infect your Microsoft Word application and typically insert unwanted words or phrases.

The best protection against a virus is to know the origin of each program or file you load into your computer or open from your e-mail program. Since this is difficult, you can buy anti-virus software that can screen e-mail attachments and also check all of your files periodically and remove any viruses that are found. From time to time, you may get an e-mail message warning of a new virus. Unless the warning is from a source you recognize, chances are good that the warning is a virus hoax.

The computer virus, of course, gets its name from the biological virus. The word itself comes from a Latin word meaning slimy liquid or poison.

46

DSO EXPLOIT Thanks to Eddy ;D

A data source object (DSO) exploit is a form of spyware that takes advantage of data binding to gain access to the hard drive of a computer connected to the Internet. Such spyware can be difficult to detect and eradicate, and if it is successfully removed, it often returns.

DSO exploits can affect Microsoft Internet Explorer, Outlook, and Outlook Express. In Internet Explorer versions 5.5 and later, a DSO exploit can operate even when ActiveX controls have been disabled.

47

[tr][td]avast! error codes[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]

[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42000[/td][td]UnknownError[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42001[/td][td]License is valid/expired[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42002[/td][td]License is valid/expired[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42003 AVAST_UNWANTEDEXCEPTION[/td][td]Exception found in code[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42004 AVAST_FOLDERISFILE[/td][td]Can not create folder > same file exist[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42005 AVAST_COMPRESSIONERROR[/td][td]Error while compressing data[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42006 AVAST_OFFLINEFILE[/td][td]File is not present on drive > migrated to offline device !!![/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42007 AVAST_UNKNOWNOBJECT[/td][td]Object if unknown in current context[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42009 AVAST_INVALIDINSTALL[/td][td]Avast is not installed as expected[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42010 AVAST_NOTPACKED[/td][td]File is not packed[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42011 AVAST_OPSTOPPED[/td][td]Operation was stopped[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42016 AVAST_FILENOTSELECTED[/td][td]File was not tested due engine configuration details[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42017 AVAST_INVALIDLICENSE[/td][td]License string is not valid[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42018 AVAST_INPROGRESS[/td][td]Operation in progress[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42019 AVAST_FILEEXCLUDED[/td][td]File was not tested due to excluded areas[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42030 AVAST_SCAN_UNKNOWN[/td][td]Unknown scanner error[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42031 AVAST_OT_UNKNOWN[/td][td]Unknown internal object type[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42040 AVAST_VPS_INVALIDCOMPRESSION[/td][td]VPS file was destroyed[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42043 AVAST_VPS_ILLEGALVPS[/td][td]VPS file is valid, but updated ilegaly - not using ALWIL Software algorithm[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42050 AVAST_PACK_UNKNOWNERROR[/td][td]Unknown packer error[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42051 AVAST_PACK_UNKNOWNVERSION[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42052 AVAST_PACK_CORRUPTED[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42053 AVAST_PACK_UNKNOWNCOMPRESSION[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42054 AVAST_PACK_DECOMPRESSFAIL[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42055 AVAST_PACK_COMPRESSFAIL[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42056 AVAST_PACK_ENCRYPTED[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42057 AVAST_PACK_FILETOOBIG[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42058 AVAST_PACK_NOTEMPSPACE[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42059 AVAST_PACK_DELETEPARENT[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42060 AVAST_REPAIR_NOTREPAIRED[/td][td]File was not repaired[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42061 AVAST_REPAIR_MAYBEREPAIRED[/td][td]We are not sure if file was repaired (WORD97)[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42070 AVAST_MAPI_ATTSKIP_REFERENCE[/td][td]MAPI attach skipped beause unknown store method[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42071 AVAST_MAPI_ATTSKIP_REFRESOLVE[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42072 AVAST_MAPI_ATTSKIP_REFONLY[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42073 AVAST_MAPI_ATTSKIP_EMBEDDEDMSG[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42074 AVAST_MAPI_ATTSKIP_OLE[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42075 AVAST_MAPI_ATTSKIP_UNKNOWN[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42100 AVAST_POLYVIR_EXCEPTION[/td][td]Exception in polymorphic viruses code[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42101 AVAST_POLYVIR_ERROR[/td][td]Error in polymorphic viruses code[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42102 AVAST_MACROVIR_EXCEPTION[/td][td]Exception in macro viruses code[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42103 AVAST_MACROVIR_ERROR[/td][td]Error in macro viruses code[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42120 AVAST_PACK_ARJ_CORRUPTED[/td][td]ARJ is corrupted[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42121 AVAST_PACK_EXEC_CORRUPTED[/td][td]DosExec[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42122 AVAST_PACK_MAPI_CORRUPTED[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42123 AVAST_PACK_MIME_CORRUPTED[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42124 AVAST_PACK_STREAMS_CORRUPTED[/td][td]NTFS Streams[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42125 AVAST_PACK_ZIP_CORRUPTED[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42126 AVAST_PACK_RAR_CORRUPTED[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42127 AVAST_PACK_CAB_CORRUPTED[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42128 AVAST_PACK_TAR_CORRUPTED[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42129 AVAST_PACK_GZ_CORRUPTED[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42130 AVAST_PACK_BZIP2_CORRUPTED[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42131 AVAST_PACK_ACE_CORRUPTED[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42132 AVAST_PACK_EXEC_UPX_CORRUPTED[/td][td]WinExec/UPX[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42133 AVAST_PACK_ARC_CORRUPTED[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42134 AVAST_PACK_ZOO_CORRUPTED[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42135 AVAST_PACK_LHARC_CORRUPTED[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42136 AVAST_PACK_CHM_CORRUPTED[/td][td]Windows Help File[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42137 AVAST_PACK_CPIO_CORRUPTED[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42138 AVAST_PACK_RPM_CORRUPTED[/td][td]RedHat archive[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42139 AVAST_PACK_7ZIP_CORRUPTED[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42140 AVAST_PACK_DEB_CORRUPTED[/td][td]Debian archive[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42141 AVAST_PACK_ISO_CORRUPTED[/td][td]ISO + NeroBurning Rom Image[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42149 AVAST_PACK_DECOMPRESSIONBOMB[/td][td]File is a decompression bomb[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42150 AVAST_KEY_EXPIRED[/td][td]registration key expired[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42151 AVAST_KEY_INVALID[/td][td]invalid key[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42152 AVAST_KEY_INSUFFICIENTCOUNT[/td][td]insufficient number of licenses[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]42400 - 415 AVAST_RSA_*[/td][td]RSA errors[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr]

48

E-mail Clients that Store Messages in a Single File

Some e-mail clients (e.g. The Bat!) store all messages in a single file. Others store each e-mail as a separate file. If avast finds a virus attached to an e-mail, it will consider the entire file (i.e. all the e-mails in that file) to be infected. Therefore, the entire file will be removed or moved to Chest.

Take care!

This could happen with Thunderbird too.

49

Sometimes, Windows Security Center stop recognizing your antivirus or firewall… The fix could be fairly easy for the most part.

  1. Go to control panel and open Administrative tools.
  2. Click on services.
  3. Go down to Windows Managament Instrumentation.
  4. Stop this service. Stop Security Center service too.
    Let them to Automatically start.
  5. Exit out of this area to your desktop.
  6. Right click Start and choose Explore.
  7. Go to c:\windows\system32\wbem\repository.
    Delete this subdirectory ONLY. Let the others there.
  8. Exit back to your desktop and reboot your computer (maybe you need to boot twice).

This will rebuild the deleted folder and the database. Once restarted, Windows Security Center should show the correct info and antivirus and firewall should now be recoginized :wink:

Other answers for XP Security Center not detecting antivirus or firewall program could be found here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/883792.
Other users thik that Windows Security Center should be entirely disabled based on the security flaw in the WMI (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1639276,00.asp).

50

So where is the getting started for dummies link?

51

I read in this forum that many people are having problem with using Zone Alarms firewall. I decided to use Comodo Firewall. So, I would like to know if Avast is compatible with Comodo?

I read in the forum about On-access scanner and Resident Scanner. What is the different between them?

In the Links section, there are likes to Anti-spyware programs. From what i know some of these program have resident scanners. Can these anti-spyware program contradict with Avast? Is Avast compatible with them?

52

Right now, no problems.
From time to time could have be some problem so, before updating Comodo, search to know if the new version has any problem with avast.

Shortly, no one. The resident scanner is the on-access one.

No problems with resident antispywares and avast. The problem is only another antivirus software.
Do you want to use any particular antispyware with avast?

53

Hi All,

Another new user here. I’m trying to stop the scanning message from displaying itself evertime I do a web search. I use pro4.7.

Please help!

Thanks,
rhino

54

This really should have gone in its own topic in the avast 4 home/pro forum, but better still would have been a forum search as it is frequently discussed.

This option, ‘Show detailed info on performed actions’ is off by default, so it would appear you have been tweaking avast without knowing the effect it will have.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v325/for-dwr/ShowDetailedAction.jpg

55

rhino, welcome.
Next time, it’s better to start your own thread that using an ‘old’, informative, one 8)

56

good job!
I like this article :wink:

57

Not sure I should post here or start a thread.

Newbie ?, so beware! :o I’m confused by your post on Page 1 " Mail Protection Wizard ". Maybe its outdated, as the post was made in 2004, in which case I suggest the post be updated. I don’t see such a wizard anywhere.

In setting up my wife’s computer settings, she uses Incredimail and I want to be sure Avast! is “on the job”. How can I be sure?

And the various “sensitivity” settings, all of which are normal by default. Is it recommended to increase any of these to high or some custom configuration in any specific module(s). (Sorry I guess that should have been a separate post?)

58

You should start a new topic, but first do a forum search for Incredimail as there have been many posts about Incredimail. The MPW is only required for those with win9x, winME OSes, you won’t see it in the win2k, winXP, Vista as it isn’t required to set-up the email scanning provider. I suggest a browse of the avast help file.

59

Hello,
I’ve been using avast! with Windows Vista for several months and everything was OK. Now the green information tab does not pop up any more AND the woman voice telling me “The database has been updated” does not work either. However, “auto update” is still checked for the database update and the program update as well. I have set up the brand new version of avast! (4.7.1085) manually but it is still not working. I’ve tried to update the database manually, but I don’t know whether it is successful for nothing is reported in the “visulalisateur de journeaux avast!” (French wording)

60

Again this should be in a new topic of its own in this forum, http://forum.avast.com/index.php?board=2.0 (click the New Topic button) and we can try to resolve it.