Cannot edit configuration on Windows Vista

[bjorn44]

Hello all,

Have searched the forums but have not found any thread about my problem.

Vista Business SP1 32-bit + all patches
ESET NOD32 Antivirus Business Edition 3.0.672.0


We are evaluating NOD32 for our corp network. I run it on my workstation with a eval license. No central server is in place.


Problem:

When I try to edit the configuration file to I get following error:

"An error occurred while saving the configuration. For more information about the configuration, click here" (nothing happens when I click the link)


I have tried to open the antivirus as administrator, same problem. No settings can be made at all.


Any suggestions?

Thanks

/Björn

[Capp]

Do you happen to have any other security software running or anything that would disable access to the Registry?

Configurations are saved to the registry so if it is telling you that you cannot save the config, something is preventing access to the registry.

[bjorn44]

{QUOTE-> Do you happen to have any other security software running or anything that would disable access to the Registry?

Configurations are saved to the registry so if it is telling you that you cannot save the config, something is preventing access to the registry. <-QUOTE}

Hello and thank you for your reply.

No security software or policies restricting the registry. This problem appears on all our machines, all domain joined Windows Vista. We do have have UAC enabled of course. Unfortunately our security policy does not allow us to disable UAC. (besides, if an application is not "UAC-aware" it's not Vista compatible in my opinion and therefore would be discarded as an new antivirus-suite-candidate)

Thank you

BR

Björn

[Capp]

What are the permissions set on the c:\program files\eset folder?

I personally have not run into this issue unless it was a permissions problem somewhere on the system. Not that this a guarantee of what the problem is, but worth looking into.

[doktornotor]

Hmmm, IIRC similar stuff happens when you install something via "Run as Administrator" instead of clicking a couple of times on the UAC prompt, results in screwed registry/folder permissions... For sure have seen this a couple of times with other applications.

[bjorn44]

Hello all,

Thanks guys. I used Sysinternals procmon and found no access problems. To be sure I edited filesystem and registry for full control on relevant folders/keys. Still the same problem.

End of mystery, I logged on as local administrator (which has UAC disabled) and was able to change settings: When UAC is active, settings cannot be changed... O-M-F-G!




Seriously, how the f**k can ESET develop an application for Windows Vista that is goes so "deep" without being fully Vista-compatible?

Let me tell what it looks like to me:

1) Still running XP or Vista with UAC disabled

2) Logged in administrators and run dev tools as administrators

3) Conducting tests as local administrators

4) Apparently NOT up to date on secure coding and best practices (which is scary for a security company)



I know that it's possible to change the settings from an central console, but we don't have that yet - we are evaluating if NOD32 is our new antivirus solution. Right now it looks really bad...

[doktornotor]

{QUOTE-> H
Seriously, how the f**k can ESET develop an application for Windows Vista that is goes so "deep" without being fully Vista-compatible?
<-QUOTE}

As I've noted in my previous post, that's your mishandling of Vista "security" features during install, not ESET's fault in any way. Your thanks for the UAC junk go to MS, not to ESET. IOW, this works just fine unless you install this w/ UAC disabled and switch UAC on later or, or unless you install this as administrator w/ UAC enabled. That's the whole idea of MS security.

[Marcos]

The next version (beta announced for Q4) will be improved in this regard.

[ASpace]

{QUOTE-> The next version (beta announced for Q4) <-QUOTE}

announce or planned ?

[bjorn44]

{QUOTE-> As I've noted in my previous post, that's your mishandling of Vista "security" features during install, not ESET's fault in any way. Your thanks for the UAC junk go to MS, not to ESET. IOW, this works just fine unless you install this w/ UAC disabled and switch UAC on later or, or unless you install this as administrator w/ UAC enabled. That's the whole idea of MS security. <-QUOTE}

I can't fully understand what you are writing... But NOD32 is an application for Windows Vista, then it should be able to install with the given features enabled wheter you like them or not. If an application does not install correctly with UAC enabled it is something wrong imo. Period. I have run Windows Vista since beta1 and has only seen similar problem on apps not fully compatible.

Besides, UAC is not an security feature (http://blogs.technet.com/markrussinovich/archive/2007/02/12/638372.aspx)


Marcos, thank you for the info. We might do a new evaluation on the next version.


/Björn

[doktornotor]

{QUOTE-> I can't fully understand what you are writing... But NOD32 is an application for Windows Vista, then it should be able to install with the given features enabled wheter you like them or not. If an application does not install correctly with UAC enabled it is something wrong imo. <-QUOTE}

It does install and work perfectly fine w/ UAC enabled, unless you mess it up by doing one of the things I've described above. That's not an installer fault, that's how UAC in Vista works. End of story. So, just normally install it under normal account with normal UAC enabled, agree on all those stupid prompts UAC asks you and move on, it will work just fine.