Summary :
Is the only antivirus program that I had to use an elevated command prompt to fully remove after their removal tool failed on 3 occasions to actually remove the program. Not much of an issue since I finally made the decision to abandon avast! After having used since Avast was Alwil due to what I perceive to be irredeemable bloat. Avast Antivirus is a mostly-great product that will absolutely keep your computer secure. Its free version offers a huge amount of security, although usability issues make it difficult to access some of its more granular features without getting besieged by pleas for an upgrade. Being so ambitious to facilitate the readers, she intermittently tries her hand on the tech-gadgets and services popping frequently in the industry to reduce any ambiguity in her mind related to the project on she works, How Secure Is Avast Vpn Reddit that a huge sign of dedication to her How Secure Is Avast Vpn Reddit work. Is Avast safe to download? Yes, Avast is entirely safe to download as long as you are using the official site. Since it is a popular program, there are many chances that some unethical developers tweaked the code before uploading it for free. Therefore, we highly suggest you not to download any application from untrusted websites.
If antivirus software like Avast detects anything malicious, it will block the websites. But what if Avast starts blocking the safe websites that you used to access? Then you read this post written by MiniTool to get the solutions.
Quick Navigation :
The “Avast Blocking Websites” Issue
Is Avast blocking websites? Is Avast blocking Internet Windows 10? How to stop Avast from blocking a program? Maybe these three questions are what you want to ask. If a specific website has a history or phishing or has been blacklisted by Avast, the “Avast blocking websites” error will occur.
The specified error message is “avast! Web Shield has blocked a harmful webpage or file”. Why does the “Avast blocking your Internet access” issue happen? This happens because there are fewer applications in the Avast community. Therefore, Avast cannot understand whether the program is safe or not.
Avast will detect potentially unwanted programs, which in some cases are required. It can also detect threats that affect the program. In the process, Avast identifies websites as harmful and blocks them.
In addition, Avast blocks games, online services and launcher tools (which are usually updated to protect your PC from any threats). When Avast does these things, the “Avast blocking websites” issue will occur. Although the issue is annoying for you, this “false detection” only lasts for a few hours.
How to Fix The “Avast Blocking Websites” Issue
You always get a pop-up notification “threats blocked” on your screen when Avast blocks something. That can be a grave problem, thus, I will introduce how to fix the “Avast blocking websites” issue.
Method 1: Update Avast Antivirus to the Latest Version
You can try to update Avast antivirus to the latest version to fix the “Avast blocking Internet Windows 10” issue. Here’s how to do that:
Step 1: Open Avast on your Windows 10. Then click Menu and click the Settings tab.
Step 2: On the left pane, click Update under the General tab.
Step 3: Then you should click CHECK FOR UPDATES. If there is a new update, you just need to update it.
You can also update Avast in another method. It is also feasible.
Step 1: Right-click the Avast icon on your taskbar.
Step 2: Go to the Update option from the drop-down menu and then right-click it to choose Program.
Step 3: Then you just need to follow Step 3 in the previous method.
Once you have updated Avast antivirus, you can check if the Avast blocking websites issue has been fixed. If the issue isn’t solved, try the methods presented below.
Method 2: Disable Avast Webshield and HTTPS scanning
You will need to disable some of Avast protection protocols if it blocks the site. You can fix the issue by turning off HTTPS scanning and disabling Avast Web Blocking. Here is the tutorial:
Step 1: Open Avast on your computer. Then go to the Avast dashboard.
Step 2: Then click Menu and click the Settings tab. Then you should click Core Shields under the Protection tab.
Step 3: Next, under the Configure shield settings page, navigate to Web Shield. Then you should uncheck the Enable HTTPS scanning option.
Then you have disabled the HTTPS scanning process successfully and can access the Internet without Avast’s interference. If the Avast blocking your Internet access issue still exists, you can try the next method.
Method 3: Except URL from Avast Protection
If Avast blocks any website, you can except it from the blacklist to access it. Avast provides a whitelist. You can enter file paths, URLs, and specific applications into this list, and use Avast to exclude it from being scanned. To except URLs from Avast protection, you need to do the following steps.
Step 1: Open Avast on your computer and go to the Avast dashboard.
Step 2: Then click Menu and click the Settings tab. Click the Exceptions tab under the General tab
Step 3: Under this tab, click ADD EXCEPTION and a new window will pop up. Then you can type the URL that you want to add in it.
Step 4: Click ADD EXCEPTION to save the URL.
Then you should go back to your browser and try to access the URL to check if the issue has been fixed or not. If it still exists, try the next one.
Method 4: Temporarily Turn Off Avast Protection
You can also turn off Avast protection temporarily. Follow these simple steps to do that and see if you can access websites smoothly.
Step 1: Go to Windows 10 taskbar. Right-click the Avast antivirus icon and choose the Avast shield control option from the menu.
Step 2: Choose one option from the following options to disable Avast protection temporarily.
Step 3: This action opens the Avast security suite, and you just need to click Yes to confirm the temporary disabling.
You have turned off Avast, then you can try revisiting the blocked websites to see if the “Avast blocking Internet” issue is gone.
Method 5: Repair Avast Installation Program
For Windows 10, you can fix the Avast blocking websites issue by fixing the security program itself. You can configure Avast installation and stop it from blocking internet access on Windows 10. Here is how to repair the Avast installation program.
Step 1: Click the shortcut of Avast on the desktop to launch it.
Step 2: After entering its main interface, click the Menu button on the upper right corner to continue.
Step 3: Then click Settings. Click the Troubleshooting tab under the General tab and then click REPAIR APP to continue.
The repairing process will take some time and you need to wait patiently. After repairing, reboot the Avast antivirus program and check whether the issue of Avast blocking websites is solved. If this solution is not effective enough, try the following method.
Method 6: Reset the Antivirus to Default Settings
If you meddled with the implemented firewall on your own or a peculiar update changed something, as a result, Avast blocked the internet access. In this case, you should just reset Avast to its default values. That seems to be the best way to fix the Avast blocking your Internet access issue.
Reset everything to default values, restart your PC and look for changes. If the Avast is till blocking websites, here is the last method for you.
Method 7: Report a False Positive Detection to Avast
The last method for you is to report the detection you believe is a false positive directly to the Avast team. They will investigate it and finally confirm whether the website is clean or not. Here is how to it:
You should go to the official web form for reporting false positive detection. Then you just need to type the URL that you want to report and click SUBMIT.
The methods mentioned above can help you fix the Avast blocking Internet connection issue. However, your computer is exactly harmed by some websites. As a result, Avast blocks such websites to protect your data from cyber-attacks.
Is Avast Antivirus Safe Reddit
If you still can’t access these websites after you try these methods. I think you shouldn’t access them, especially there is some important data stored on your computer.
Make a Backup to Protect Your Computer
If you only use Avast to protect your computer, that is not enough. Just imagine such a scene – once your computer was infected by the virus and it destroyed your important files, what should you do?
If you back up your files in advance, then you can recover your data when your data gets lost. Thus, it’s essential to back up your important data after fixing the issue. It is recommended to make a backup for your computer. After that, you can keep your PC and data safe.
Meanwhile, how to back up your important data? To do that, you can use the professional Windows backup software – MiniTool ShadowMaker. It is designed to back up the operating system, partitions, disks, files, and folders.
It is also a clone tool that can help you to clone the OS from HDD to SSD without data loss. So, besides creating a system image, you can also choose to clone the OS disk to another hard drive so as to safeguard your PC.
This backup software offers a Trial Edition that allows a 30-day free trial for all backup features. If you want to use it permanently, get its Pro Edition. Now you can download and try MiniTool ShadowMaker to back up your PC.
Here I take file backup as an example:
Step 1: Decide a Backup Mode
- Launch MiniTool ShadowMaker and click Keep Trial to continue.
- Click Connect in This Computer to enter its main interface.
Step 2: Select Backup Source
- Go to the Backup page after you enter its main interface,
- Then click the Source module to choose the backup source.
- Choose Folders and Files and choose the files you want to back up.
Step 3: Select the Backup Destination
- After selecting the backup source, you need to select the backup destination to save the backup images. Click the Destination module to continue.
- MiniTool ShadowMaker provides four destination paths to be chosen. You can choose anyone based on your own needs. Here I take New Volume(E) as an example.
Step 4: Start to Back up
After selecting the backup source and destination, you can click Back up Now to perform system backup immediately. Or you can click Back up Later, but you need to restart the task on the Manage page.
After all of the steps are finished, you have successfully backed up your data. With MiniTool ShadowMaker, you can provide better protection for your computer and keep it safe.
Conclusion
It’s time to make a conclusion. This post has introduced several solutions to solve the problem of Avast blocking websites. If Avast on your computer has the same problem, try these solutions above.
To better safeguard your computer, it is recommended to back up your data with MiniTool ShadowMaker. Thus, if you have any problem with MiniTool ShadowMaker, please feel free to contact us via the email [email protected] and we will reply to you as soon as possible.
Many people are familiar with Avast Antivirus and Internet Security programs. The company behind those programs now offers its own VPN service. A VPN is useful when you want to remain anonymous online or when downloading torrents.
Avast VPN offers the basic security features of a typical VPN provider. It encrypts and routes traffic. Unfortunately, Avast VPN may not be the best option for torrenting.
What Is Avast VPN?
Avast SecureLine VPN is a paid service that offers standard VPN solutions. With Avast VPN, you connect to a server in a different part of the country or world. Through this connection, you access websites or P2P connections. The VPN also hides your IP address and encrypts any traffic to or from your computer.
The program is available on Windows and Mac computers. As with other VPNs, it allows you to bypass geolocation restrictions and privately browse the web. It also offers a secure way to access sites when connected to a public network.
Avast uses IPSec and OpenVPN on UDP with an AES 256-bit encryption cipher, which is the standard nowadays.
Does Avast VPN Allow Torrenting?
Some VPN providers restrict or block P2P connections, but Avast allows them. The company maintains several data center locations that permit torrenting. Unfortunately, only eight server locations are available.
Besides the limited number of servers, Avast lacks the additional features needed for anonymous torrenting with peace of mind.
What Should Avast Improve to Be a Good Torrenting Option?
To safely download torrents without having your activity tracked, you need a VPN service that offers the following:
- No logging policy
- A kill switch
- DNS leak protection
- IP masking
- Fast download speeds
- Quality encryption protocols
Out of this list of features, Avast VPN only provides IP masking, reliable encryption and DNS leak protection.
No Kill Switch is a Big Drawback
In the torrenting world, kill switches and DNS leak protection tools provide security when things do not work properly. If you lose a connection to a VPN server, a kill switch cancels your Internet connection before your ISP or watchdog groups can detect your activity.
Avast VPN does offer a DNS Leak protection, but it doesn’t have a kill switch. That’s one of the biggest problems with this VPN, in our opinion. It only takes a disconnection to leak your IP address. That being said, a DNS leak tool isn’t that great if there is no kill switch.
There is a reduced amount of servers and, at some point, each one becomes overcrowded. VPN disconnections are almost inevitable in such situations. Without a tool to protect the real IP when there is a disconnection, it’s just a matter of time until your identity and activity are exposed.
Does Avast VPN Have a No Logging Policy?
Avast VPN does not have specific logging policies. Encryption and IP spoofing are pointless if the VPN provider keeps track of your activity and can hand over the logs to government agencies.
When reviewing the Avast VPN website, the details of the privacy policy remain vague. The site claims that Avast only logs your name, zip code, email address, connection times, bandwidth, and server locations.
This is another disadvantage of this provider. A VPN that claims that allows torrent and P2P traffic should be very clear about what it logs and what it doesn’t. Ideally, they shouldn’t log anything at all.
The Location of the Company
The policy also states that Avast does not log websites visited. However, the company operates in countries with strict data retention laws. If a government agency were to request logs from Avast, the company would likely comply. Due to the vague privacy policy, it is hard to determine how much information the government may receive.
Avast is based in the Czech Republic. This country cooperates with the data retention laws of the Five Eyes countries.
Is Avast Secure Browser Safe Reddit
The vagueness of the privacy policy makes Avast VPN an unsecured solution for torrenting. The VPN you choose should specifically state that it has a no logging policy. It also helps if the VPN provider operates in a country with no data retention laws.
Does Avast VPN Provide Fast Download Speeds?
Avast offers relatively fast download speeds for normal Internet browsing, despite only having 55 servers. Unfortunately, you will experience much slower speeds when trying to download torrents through this VPN.
Avast VPN technically allows torrenting but limits P2P connections to a handful of servers. With fewer servers to choose from, you are more likely to experience slower speeds.
Taking longer to download files also increases the risk of overcrowded servers and dropped connections, as we discussed before.
Should You Use Avast SecureLine for Torrenting?
If you plan to download torrents through a VPN, there are more secure options than Avast VPN. While it offers a reliable service for secure connections, it is not suited for BitTorrent.
This VPN lacks the protection needed to safely download files through a BitTorrent client. The company’s policy on logging is unclear. They also do not provide a kill switch.
If you decide to use this service, you may also experience slower speeds, thanks to the limited number of servers.
Avast SecureLine Alternatives
In the end, there are many other VPN services with the features you need. Remember to look for a VPN provider that does not keep logs.
To save you some work, here are a few trustworthy VPN providers that provide safety when torrenting:
NordVPN
The best all-round VPN
ExpressVPN
One of the fastest VPNs
SurfShark
A great low-cost VPN