I’m running a stock Windows XP SP3 Home with Avast Home and Windows Firewall. Just did a full system factory settings recovery from the hidden partition.
With Avast Web Shield running, opening any web pages either does not work at all or the pages do not load open; the status bar takes forever after about 80-90% of the page load. This happens on Firefox and IE.
The system originally had McAfee preloaded. Before installing Avast for the first time, I removed McAfee with Add/Remove, then followed up with MCRP.exe.
I tried disabling the Windows Firewall to no effect.
Last night I did a full uninstall of Avast with the Avast Removal Tool; then a fresh install with a freshly downloaded package. No effect.
The only way for me to have Avast ON and browse the web is to stop the Web Shield and turn the Regular Shield to Max sensitivity.
The search results tell you is that using MCRP.exe does not necessarily solve your problem. I would add particularly if McAfee had been installed as part of factory package.
Thanks! You see how this response was much more constructive and actually told me something useful. Can’t say that for a google search result. But google is promising intelligence in their searches soon, fingers crossed!
I should have mentioned that I did a significant amount of research on this issue; I read through dozens of relevant threads on this forum; performed about 4 complete factory settings restores, trying to get this to work.
In this last instance I tried Revo Uninstaller before MCRP as well. Removed only relevant registry keys, selecting them individually by drilling down.
After all that I still can’t get proper browsing performance out of my browsers, not with Web Shield running.
I’ve done restores to factory settings on early IBM laptops and more recently a Compaq laptop (UK model) and both went okay with one run. I am left with the impression that this is a good option and I would not hesitate to do it again. The IBMs had 40GB HDD with 10GB of that an IBM tools package which I left alone and they had Norton lifetimes (so far, a year has passed) which are still updating and running fine. But the web link to IBM support is defunct. The Compaq was reset with another six months Norton as part of the restore process and I havent seen it since. So as far as uninstalling antivirus, I didn’t get to do it on any of these jobs, and unfortunately I cannot really help you there.
Just a thought. Did you run the Evidence Remover in Revo UnInstaller tools. It takes ages to complete its cycle so it must do something. If I’m really having trouble bringing up a good defrag, I resort to Evidence Remover and it works. (Have to say, though, I do worry about it a bit, but so far so good).
It appears that there is no real solution for the dismal performance of web browsers due to the Web Shield slowdown issue.
Someone, please answer me: by disabling the Web Shield and switching the sensitivity of the regular shield to Max, am I still being safe? What other alternative configurations could I try?
Personally I wouldn’t want to disable the webshield component. Avast scores very highly for prevention, and well for removal. My point being that prevention is better than cure, and the webshield a significant part of that prevention.
There must be something else at play; the presence of the webshield doesn’t seem to affect my browsing speed perceptibly.
System, RAM and CPU might be factors.
Pre-loaded applications that might also be connecting might be factors, I guess. Depends what has been loaded at the factory, and how that might interface with the web. PCDecrapifier might be some use, but it’s totally a stab in the dark.
You might want to consider posting a HijackThis log, it might give the experts here (or even me) an idea of what is at play.
-Uninstall Avast via the control panel.
-Download and run the avast! uninstall utility.
-Download and run CCleaner.
-Download a new installation file and install avast! again.
-Then post back the results, please.
Kudos to Acer for shipping only a moderately “crapified” system. Other than McAfee, Google Desktop/Bar and eSobi, everything else is legit.
I personally removed all so-called crap with Revo + CCCleaner, further scans with Spybot S&D, AdAware, HijackThis.
I set a virtual memory static paging file to 2,048MB; processor resources allocated for Background Services (I tried Programs too, no effect). Visual Effects set for Best Performance. Error Reporting and Desktop Cleanup services turned off.
I’ve been an Avast Evangelist in my professional career as an IT Consultant for many years now. Believe me, I understand. This is the only reason I am still trying to find a solution. Any other person would have switched products by now.
This machine however is useless with the Web Shield on!
You sure have to wonder why this issue does seem to affect what seems to be a relatively small number of computers.
Can’t be just luck.
Anyone who finds the common factor would probably be promoted to Uber-something.
I know you’re an IT consultant, but what do you think about the idea of a HJT posting? Worth it or waste of time?
No probs with the HJT, just need to get my hands on that machine - it’s my neighbors, he just bought it and gave it to me to set it up for him; i spent 3 days trying every single iteration of this avast issue; this whole ordeal makes me feel bad about taking his time and recommending a product that hinders his experience
You say this affects a very small amount of users… do a search on this forum for Browsing. Dozens of threads, lots of blame on Zone Alarm or McAfee or AVG; no effective solutions If there was one, I am sure you’d proudly tag it FIXED and make it sticky!
An average user just gives up and switches products, only 0.01% can be bothered with seeking help on the forums, of those maybe 10% are patient enough with the “remove this, clean that, reinstall, reformat…” back and forth, that doesn’t seem to lead anywhere.
If multiple scanners detect this and avast doesn’t - Send the sample to virus@avast.com zipped and password protected with the password in email body, a reference to this topic (give URL) and undetected malware in the subject.
Or you can also add the file to the User Files (File, Add) section of the avast chest (if it isn’t already there) where it can do no harm and send it from there. A copy of the file/s will remain in the original location, so you will need to take further action and can remove/rename that.
Send it from the User Files section of the chest (select the file, right click, email to Alwil Software). It will be uploaded (not actually emailed) to avast when the next avast auto (or manual) update is done.
Did that. One was sitting in %windir%\system32\ and was running too. Removed, afterwards my Broadcom wifi connects but can no longer negotiate an IP address. HJT log attached.
