ESET causing problems wile browsing internet

Discussion in 'ESET Smart Security' started by jonathjon, Dec 12, 2008.

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  1. jonathjon

    jonathjon Registered Member

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    Ever since i installed ESET on my computer no pictures on any websites display. i can right click on the picture and click show picture and it will come up but not on its own like it did before i installed the software. how do i fix this problemo_O
     
  2. proactivelover

    proactivelover Registered Member

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    what version of ESS you install?
    and your browser?
     
  3. zeromaster

    zeromaster Registered Member

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    I see no one has commented further in this thread. For my part I have seen some similar problems, so here goes, with versions.

    I have recently purchased a 4-user and 2-user license of ESET SS (3.0.684) for use on some systems at my home (4-user) and my parents' (2-user). This was based on various reviews on the web, and not (alas) rfom perusing this forum.

    Previously I have been running ZoneAlarm's commercial product which did reasonably well but for occasional update problems on one system that I thing may have been due to the user's browsing habits :(

    Two of these systems I rebuilt from scratch, so the first two installs (2-user and 4-user) had no previous AV product to deal with. Here are their details:

    2-user target system:
    P4 2.4GHz, 2GB memory
    Win2k SP4

    4-user target system:
    P3 1GHz 1GB memory
    Win2k SP4

    A third previously had ZoneAlarm 7.x's security offering:

    2-user target system:
    P4 1.8GHz, 1.5GB memory
    Win2k SP4

    NOD32 3.0.684 info:
    Virus signature database: 3709 (20081220)
    Update module: 1024 (20080514)
    Antivirus and antispyware scanner module: 1164 (20081204)
    Advanced heuristics module: 1084 (20081202)
    Archive support module: 1085 (20081106)
    Cleaner module: 1037 (20081209)
    Anti-Stealth support module: 1002 (20080723)
    Personal firewall module: 1040 (20080924)
    Antispam module: 1008 (2008070:cool:

    These were performed as a typical installation; the third system had ZA removed in safe mode, rebooted, and no evidence of ZA folders under Program Files or WINNT\System32.

    What I have noticed in each case is that the update to the latest signatures is not an issue, but that web browsing often is. I began in automatic mode, with frequent lookup timeouts. After switching to interactive, the expected prompting about allowing outgoing access appeared, was allowed, and slight improvements were noted, typically for the same problem url, which I attribute to caching effects. In going to advanced mode to allow incoming as well, some additional improvement was seen.

    However after rebooting, I find that some sites (google, ESPN, yahoo, etc), that previously worked, still have issues unless I disable web access protection, which immediately fixes the problem. As an alternative, marking IE and Firefox as exempt form content scanning does not always give the same result, although the GUI is consistent in showing the user's selections.

    I am a software developer by trade, and have a good deal of network experience, dating back to the early 90's when getting a business on the Internet was not the register/godaddy handslap it is today. I've also used open-source offerings with a great deal of success, with the understanding that they are best-effort development, and are bound to suffer from some flaws owing to the resources that can be brought to bear.

    While I realize that site and carrier congestion is unavoidable, and carries with it similar symptoms, it is equally undeniable that disabling the firewall produces an immediate improvement in all cases, so I have problems avoiding the conclusion that ESS is more at issue than forces beyond its control.

    I must say I am quite disappointed in a commercial offering behaving in this fashion (Microsoft being a notable exception), considering the reputation that the AV portion of the offering enjoys. I don't find the "try the beta" recommendations to be terribly comforting, given that major releases often have their own quirks, as re-architecting portions of a product is often needed to address deficiencies found in prior versions.

    The system requirements listed (once I found them) seem to be far below what I've listed here. I would be more interested in recommended, rather than minimum, requirements. In particular, I expect the P3 system listed above to be drastically slower by nature, but it too also shows marked improvement when the firewall is turned down.

    Are there some additional settings that can be checked/applied to improve the content scanning, given the information I've provided? This sort of information seems to be lacking in the knowledgebase. There is plenty of helpfile-style "how to" content, but no checklist per se.

    Alternatively, can some of the posters that claim they have no problems provide additional detail as to their settings, perhaps in a sticky thread, so that I might have a chance at duplicating their success? Likewise, is it possible to download an earlier build that may have been less susceptible to the issues that several of us have mentioned. Is it possible to permanently disable the content scanning if that is the only recourse, or can that only be done with an uninstall/reinstall customization?

    Thanks very much in advance. If my tone seems a bit tight-lipped, try and understand that I am dealing with a certain amount of frustration.
     
  4. zeromaster

    zeromaster Registered Member

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    Oh, and as to browsers: IE6 and Firefox 3.
     
  5. Waterfox

    Waterfox Registered Member

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    Sweden
    Maybe you have checked to filter your data in active mode?
    To see if this is the case go to "web access protection - web browsers - active mode" and look if you have any checked boxes there.
    If you do then try to uncheck them to bring your browsers back to passive mode.

    And why use IE6 when IE7 is much better way to go (from security aspect).
     
  6. zeromaster

    zeromaster Registered Member

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    I willl check the active vs passive aspect, though I do not recall having turned it on (a default?); thanks for pointing that out.

    At one point in my company (EMC) IE7 was still not being rolled out based on IT security's analysis. Interestingly, though Firefox is considered more secure in some circles, it's performance on the systems I listed, compared to IE, with web access enabled was noticeably slower.

    I'll try to look into this tonight and post the results. With luck, it may be the silver bullet I'm looking for. ;)
     
  7. zeromaster

    zeromaster Registered Member

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    Posts:
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    followup on active vs. passive settings

    I've checked for any applications set to active filtering, and none were in that condition (all unchecked).

    I also worked with my brother over the phone for about 30 minutes with his system, as my parents' system (the other 2-user license) will have similar behavior. We've tried the following:
    • changing browser checking to 'x' (not 'v' or ' '): generally helps after a url failure, but not necessarily after the system is restarted
    • disabling HTTP checking: somewhat better, but still some failures (usually as partial content followed by page can't be displayed; refresh usually fixes the content)
    • disabling firewall: temporary, but always works

    What is the difference between a checkbox blank and one with an X?

    I noticed that changing to no HTTP checking looks very much like disabling the firewall temporarily, as both report in the summary screen as web access protection disabled. In the former case, this does persist through system restarts, but some portion of the firewall must still be present, based on the intermittent nature of the browsing.

    I saw in the knowledgebase that automatic mode overrides any rules setup, but do interactive and policy-based protection both use the same set?

    Does anyone know if some of the user setting changes require restarting ESS? Or is there a 'better' approach to take, such as the knowledgebase's suggestion of an "allow all" rule?

    Thanks in advance for any help.
     
  8. Waterfox

    Waterfox Registered Member

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    Posts:
    118
    Location:
    Sweden
    Well since you have issues with firewall, I've stumbled upon this blog:
    http://blog.bitcomet.com/versant/post_43453/

    there it explains how to setup firewall in policy-mode, so it might help you too... if not, then maybe you're better of with EAV (instead of ESS):D

    Cheers
     
  9. agoretsky

    agoretsky Eset Staff Account

    Joined:
    Apr 4, 2006
    Posts:
    4,033
    Location:
    California
    Hello,

    Prior to installing ESET Smart Security, did you reset the network stack per Microsoft KB article #299357, "How to reset Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) in Windows XP"? It has been my experience that even after removing previously-installed anti-malware software, the network stack is not restored to its previous state, and this can cause trouble with the NDIS and TDI portions of ESET's software. Performing this operation and then rebooting prior to the installation of ESET's software often seems to resolve issues relating to slow data transfers and network time-outs.

    Regards,

    Aryeh Goretsky
     
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