Windows 7 - Avast IS 5.1889 blocks web browsers

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Hi all,

I’m having the same problems others have reported. I updated the Avast IS to program 5.1.889 okay - all was well; then I updated the virus engine and definitions to 110222-1 and since then I can’t connect a web browser to any site unless I disable webshield realtime scanning.

I’ve tried the winsock repairs suggestion - no help
I’ve removed in safe mode with the Avast utility and re-installed 3 times - the problem persists
I don’t run any other virus / malware programs
I don’t run any other firewall programs beyond Windows standard program

I am not aware of any other change on my PC - was working fine at 2am this moring - 6 hours later after the Avast update none of my browsers can connect.

I can confirm the rest of my network is fine (all PCs not running Avast are fine) - I can ping my DNS and ping www.google.com.au fine - its just browsers that have stopped working since a few hours ago

Await your thoughts!

PS

One change that did help

I just then went into Web shield - expert settings → Actions and changed the default action on Virus , Pup and Supicious Tabs from Abort connection to ask

Since then I can get to google fine. I then went back to expert settings and changed these values one at a time back to abort connection and re-tested. Appears working

2

I’m having the same issue with Avast free, same defs. Are you running Windows 7 SP1?

3

I wasn’t - am just downloading it now. But seriously - doesn’t look like a service pack issue - this looks like a wrongly constructed update somewhere.

4

No same result under W7 SP1 - just noticed Firewall isn’t running (says Shield unreachable), nor is spam blocker active - won’t start.

Updating a simple security framework regularly really shouldn’t be this hard :frowning:

5

I’m still having the issue, I have to disable and enable the web shield to access the internet.

6

I am still having this problem - quite a while now and no formal reply from Avast technical folk yet I see!

7

Three weeks - still broken - still no technical support - poor show Avast! :frowning:

BTW

Same issue with Version 6 - intalls fine, updates fine - but unless Web shield is disabled all browsers are blocked!

8

boy_from_oz, connection issues are referred to:

  1. Bad uninstallation of previous antivirus or firewall.
  2. Another web filter installed (proxy, parental control, etc.) that is conflicting or bad configurated.
  3. avast bad installation and not done from scratch.
9

Tech - thanks for your reply.

  1. I did the standard uninstall - no errors reported
  2. No other web filters other than whatever Windows 7 uses - I’m totally trying to rely on Avast
  3. The second install appeared to go cleanly - no problems noted installing the latest version 6 - just doesn’t work when it comes to the web shield.
10

I suggest an installation from scratch:

  1. Download the latest version of avast! Uninstall Utility and save it.
  2. Download the latest avast! version and save it.
  3. Uninstall avast from Control Panel (if possible). If, for any reason, you can’t run it, try booting in Safe Mode and doing it from there. Anyway, boot after that.
  4. Run the avast! Uninstall Utility saved on 1. If, for any reason, you can’t run it, try booting in Safe Mode and doing it from there. Anyway, boot after you’ve run it.
  5. Install avast! using the setup saved on 2. Boot.
  6. Register your free copy or add the license key for Pro.
  7. Check and post the results. If, for any reason, you did not solve, try doing the step 3 in Safe Mode anyway.
11

Okay - did it again - didn’t work - saw the very latest release - downloaded that and reinstalled - it worked - after 3 re-bbots?

First re-boot - all shields were off and wouldn’t turn on. Second re-boot shields on except for IM and mail worked and web sites could be reached - 3rd re-boot everything but anti spam shield working? It says under maintenance press fix now to fix fix - but nothing appears to happen?

So bascially with 6.0.1021 the key things I want are functioning finally, puzzling it was that hard and time consuming - over 54 re-installs and multiple re-boots to get to here…

12

boy_from_oz, something is fishy in your computer… Seems old installations (antivirus, firewall, security programs) are messing the avast installation.

13

Hi,

Sorry for my poor english :-\

I had exactly the same problem with Avast 6 free.

I have followed all your steps,
but nothing new… the problem is still here :-[

I work under Windows 7 Pack 1,
my firewall is PC Tools Firewall Plus.

I can add that I use Avast since version 3,
and I never had problems until version 6…

14

Well another reboot and now Avast reports everything is working correctly…

I’m curious as to why - what changed - how did multiple (5) re-boots (and no software or configuration changes from me) eventually allow Avast 6 to alter things so everything now works?

I must say for over a year Avast gave me no problems - and no other protection programs were loaded - then from the last update about a month ago until yesterday - everything went beserk.

Wish there was an integrity checker that determined if it was working (for example testing it could connect to web sites - say www.google.com and download mail etc) and if not performed a diagnostic saying what’s right or wrong - versus re-install it 5 times and do alot of re-boots before the problem simply diminishes then dissappears!