Some settings lost after AVG virus scan
I run Firefox 19.0.2 on Windows XP SP3. I use AVG Internet Security 2013.
Normally, Firefox runs fine and opens my chosen Home Page every time I open the program. However, the first time I open Firefox AFTER the daily complete PC virus/trojan scan by the AVG software, Firefox opens 5 tabs:
- Welcome to Firefox - Mozilla Firefox Start Page - Flash Got best FF download - AVG Secure Search enabled - IE View.
It has forgotten my home page. So I go to Tools, Options, General tab, re-enter my home page, and everything is then fine. And it is fine every time I open FF again until the next day when the AVG scan runs and the same thing happens again.
What is happening and how can I stop this?
Many thanks in advance for all advice given.
All Replies (6)
Can you block AVG from scanning the Firefox profile?
Um, not sure that I can. no. It is a scheduled daily whole 'computer scan' and there doesn't seem to be the option to exclude certain files from that type of scan - only with a user defined one-off scan. I am guessing that the problem is with AVG, not Firefox, but is annoying because it has only started happening in the last 10 days to two weeks. So it seems to me that there must have been something in one of the latest Firefox or AVG updates (not major ones, just the small occasional ones) that has caused this issue to arise. Thanks.
It might be a false positive in the scan. Is there any way to contact the AVG database managers?
I have raised the issue with the AVG support team. Their process includes their own diagnostic software which takes details form my PC and then they will get back to me - may take a couple of days for action though. In the meantime I will just have to keep resetting my Home Page etc after each daily scan - I would rather do that and feel safer re viruses and trojans than not do the scan at all!
It sounds like AVG is corrupting some Firefox data files when doing that scan.
Learn how to not scan Firefox files with that daily scan, by reading the AVG manual or ask AVG support how not scan your Firefox Profile folder.
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profiles-where-firefox-stores-user-data#w_windows-xp
Thanks for this. Sorry for the delay in responding, but I have at long last got information from AVG Support as to how to exclude a file /folder from my scans. I have set this up so as to exclude the Firefox profile folder from the scan and, fantastic news, the profile is not changed and Firefox opens 'properly' after the scan. So this seems to confirm that this is a problem for the AVG boys to sort out, not you guys! Thanks for all your help anyway.
Modified by Bolehill