[Chimiti]

For a long time now, I have not been able to log in into the avast forums. I believe it is because of my Dial Up. So I cannot make any of these inquiries over there or comment or anything.  I then made these inquiries in another forum, but have gotten no hits so far after a day.  So, I thought I'd try my luck out here.

 

Has anyone tried avast SafeZone Browser? Anyone use it as their default browser?

Is it bad ... mediocre ... good ... great ... freakin' awesome? Is it slow ... average ... fast?

 

Yesterday I was just barely Googling up info on it. I found articles on Softpedia and PCWorld that mention that some Google Researcher found a serious security flaw in SafeZone Browser. However, these articles are from way back in February 2016. Anyone know if avast has already repaired this alleged monumental security flaw?

 

Also, given that from what I read, SafeZone is a Chromium fork based on Opera ... does SafeZone work on Windows XP?  You know ... given that Google Chrome, Opera, Vivaldi, Etc. no longer support Windows XP.

 

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Hi Chimiti,

How long do you mean by, "I have not been able to log in into the avast forums."? May be I can help figure out why you are unable to access the support forum. I don't see how dial up would make any difference.

I do have the Avast Safezone browser installed, though I am ashamed to admit that I have not taken the time to familiarize myself with it.

Yes, Safezone does work on Windows XP. Anything you need to know about Safezone can be found here, and the confirmation that Safezone works on XP can be found at the way bottom of the page under Conditions.

[DonnaB]

Hi Chimiti,

How long do you mean by, "I have not been able to log in into the avast forums."? May be I can help figure out why you are unable to access the support forum. I don't see how dial up would make any difference.

I do have the Avast Safezone browser installed, though I am ashamed to admit that I have not taken the time to familiarize myself with it.

Yes, Safezone does work on Windows XP. Anything you need to know about Safezone can be found here, and the confirmation that Safezone works on XP can be found at the way bottom of the page under Conditions.

[Chimiti]

Wooooooo, I believe it's going back to last year that I haven't been able to log in into the avast forums.  So it could easily be rounded off to around at least a year I would say.  The reasons that I say that it must be the avast forums no longer being able to or possibly not wanting to handle / deal with Dial Up are:

 

(1)  If I use someone's High Speed Internet like periodically when I go to my sister's house and use hers, I CAN log in into the avast forums.

(2)  I have tried different browsers with the same results.  (Opera, Firefox and my current Maxthon Cloud)

(3)  I have tried at least one other computer (Windows XP), possibly two besides the current computer that I'm using ... and the results are the same.  No log in into the avast forums with Dial Up.

 

In fact, the other day I cautiously got a little bit excited as a certain possibility entered my mind.  For the longest time, my Dial Up here would only log in at 26,000 KB / sec vs. the 44,000 KB / sec that it used to log in when I lived in another city far away.  Well, in recent times, some repairs and a sort of changeover / upgrade was done to the phone service in my neighborhood as room was being made for more Internet Service capability.  After that service, suddenly my Dial Up has been logging in at 53,000 KB / sec.  And interestingly enough, now that I can log in at 53,000 KB / sec, I can again download the MBAM Database Definitions that I had stopped being able to download when the new MBAM version (After 1.75) came out.

 

So, I thought, "Heyyy, if I can now download the problematic MBAM Definitions, maybe I can now log in into the avast forums."  But, No Dice.  No Go.  But, you're welcome to give it a go to try and figure out why I can't log in into the avast forums with my Dial Up.

 

I HAD loosely scanned through those SafeZone FAQs yesterday.  I'll read them more in detail now, but I somehow doubt it'll say in there, "Oh, BTW, we did already fix that monster security flaw that existed."   And thanks for the bit on the confirmation that SafeZone does work with Windows XP.

Edited by Chimiti, 11 September 2016 - 12:25 PM.

[DonnaB]

I believe it's going back to last year that I haven't been able to log in into the avast forums. So it could easily be rounded off to around at least a year I would say.

Hm? I was wondering maybe if it had been more than a year...

Back in May of 2014, Avast forum was offline due to an attack, and when you logged on after the issue was fixed emails were sent out instructing member to logon with email then select Forgot Password.

But, you're welcome to give it a go to try and figure out why I can't log in into the avast forums with my Dial Up.

Okey dokey. Here come the questions...

1.) When you go to your sisters, are you using her computer and not a laptop of your own that you use at home?

2.) What OS, other than Windows XP, have you tried to logon with?

3.) Do you have trouble logging into any other secure HTTPS sites, eg; banking, etc.?

4.) Have you tried to login using "privacy" browser options i.e. IE "InPrivate Browsing", Chrome "Incongnito", or FF "New Private Window" etc.?

5.) Are you able to access the forums without being logged in? Try the following topic:

https://forum.avast....?topic=174762.0

6.) Do you have a modem or router? Have you tried power cycling them to clear the memory by unpligging them from the wall socket for about 5 mins then plugging them back in?

7.) How about clearing out your browser cache's, temp files etc.?

[Chimiti]

Bingo!  That's it.  After my last comment and before yours, I did start recalling about that avast forum hacking attack and that it went off line for sometime and then came back eventually.  Yes, shortly after the forums' comeback whereby of course there had been changes made to the log in system among other areas ... that's when I then lost the ability to log in.  I just didn't remember the timeframe of when that was.  I figured if I said that it was over a year ago and then you went and checked and saw comments of mine way after that, I'd look bad. 

 

Okay, the answers:

(1)  When I use my sister's High Speed Internet at her house, I use HER laptop with currently Windows 10.  The last time I logged in into the avast forums with her laptop, it had Windows 7.

 

(2)  As far as another OS that I might have logged on to the avast forums with my Dial Up here?  If the avast forums hacking attack was in 2014, then Windows XP would be the only OS with which I have attempted to log on during this failure period.  Because I did have a computer with Windows Vista for about a year, but that was before my previous computer (Also with Windows XP), which I recall getting in March 2013.  So ONLY Windows XP.  Just keep in mind ... I WAS able to always log on with Windows XP before the hacking attack fix to the forums.

 

(3)  I don't use my computer for any secure HTTPS sites like banking sites, Etc.  But, if NON-banking type HTTPS sites count in the course of your question, then I AM able to log on into other regular HTTPS sites.

 

(4)  No, I have never made use of those Privacy Tabs / Options on browsers.  I guess I could try it a bit later this afternoon to see what happens and let you know.

 

(5)  Oh yes, I'm able to access / view the avast forums without any problem.

 

(6)  I have always used Modem PCBs inside whatever computer I've had.  So as for powering them down and back up and restarting them, that happens everyday.

 

(7)  As for clearing out the browser cache, temp files, private data, history, etc., that has happened an ultra mega thorough gazillion times during this failure to log on into the avast forums period.  I frequently clear all that stuff with CCleaner, Glary Disk Cleaner, Glary Tracks Eraser, Glary Utilities Slim, Wise Disk Cleaner, Wise Registry Cleaner, JetClean and the Browser Clearing Functions.  During this log in failure period, the Browsers have even been uninstalled and reinstalled many times.

[DonnaB]

Best Answer

Aha! Ok. So this "may" be associated with the new, updated security they have.

1 and 2.) So we can eliminate the fact that it is due to your OS being XP.

3 and 4.) Avast forums are now https secure. Go ahead and try using those Privacy Tabs/Options on your browsers to eliminate that possibility.

5.)

6.)

I have always used Modem PCBs inside whatever computer I've had.

I don't think that's the same type of modem I am thinking of. Those are to provide wireless access and attach to the mother board, aren't they? See here.

Way back when I had Dial Up, I just plugged a phone line into a port, which really made the kids mad because then they couldn't use the phone. Oh well, too bad. I paid the bill. Anyway, I was wondering if there was a standalone type of modem that you plugged your phone line into then into your computer. It has been so long since I had dial up, I am not sure how you connect to the computer. I now have satellite and a modem that sits on my desk that connects to my router so I can connect my laptop wireless. I can also connect an ethernet to the router for my Desktop.

How are you set up??

7.) Ooo. Overkill! I use Ccleaner myself, though have seen some real travesties due to registry cleaners and optimizing software. We advise not to use any registry cleaner\optimizing programs as there have been reports of them clearing out needed registry entries and messing up PCs. In addition, what they do clean up is so small that little or no advantages are noticed.

Modifying registry keys incorrectly can cause Windows instability, or make Windows unbootable. No registry cleaner is completely safe and the potential is ever present to cause more problems than they claim to fix.

Registry cleaners cannot distinguish between good and bad. If you run a registry cleaner, it will delete all those keys which are obsolete and sitting idle; but in reality, those keys may well be needed by some programs or windows at a later time.

Windows come with utilities built in that are pretty good, though on my XP I do prefer to use Auslogics defragger instead of the one that MS provides.

Check out those privacy options in your browsers and let me know the results.

[Chimiti]

OMG!  Woo Hoo!  You did it, Donna!  You're a Genius!  

I tried a Private Window on Opera Browser and I managed to FINALLY log in into the avast forums.

 

Ahhh, but that's the short version of my experiment.  The truth is that it wasn't THAT easy.  It wasn't a taking candy from a baby walk in the park.  Oh No.  I did immediately notice that the process got further than ever before.  Before, the Windows / Slots for inputting the E-mail Address and Password would never even remotely get displayed.  This time around, on the 2nd or so try, those Windows did display.  But, then when I input the pertinent info, for several tries I kept getting the message that - The Server is Not Responding.  Try Again Later. 

 

I did my best to keep from going REALLY unhinged.  So I kept trying and trying again.  And FINALLY log in success was achieved. 

I then checked to see that I COULD recreate logging in success again.  I did succeed again, but again, it was VERY inconsistent and tough.

I then tried it out on a Maxthon Cloud Browser Private Window.  There too, it took several grueling attempts before achieving log in success.

 

I tell you ... that new Loggin In setup that they installed on the avast forums after the hacking attack has got to be the slowest, most inefficient thing in the Solar System.  If it got in a race with a snail and a glacier ... the avast forums logging in setup would come in at a distant 3rd place.

 

Super Thanks for the Private Tab Tip, Donna!

That shaky success will very likely be the best that I can achieve on Dial Up.  But, it's better than nothing.  It's better than before.

I have gone ahead and marked the issue SOLVED.

Edited by Chimiti, 11 September 2016 - 06:38 PM.

[Chimiti]

As to my use of those various Cleaners being overkill?

Nnnnggg, well, believe it or not, they all find something that the others don't.  So, collectively they do a very thorough job.

 

Oh, you don't have to worry.  I am very much aware of the risks and dangers with those Apps.  I am very careful with what I allow them to remove.  I definitely do NOT do the ole ONE CLICK Green Light authorization for them to clean EVERYTHING they found.  Ohhh NO!  I actually look at and study / check out whatever items were found.  I then have a Golden Rule.  Whatever I don't know what it is and what the consequences of removing it would be ... I leave it alone.  Whatever just looks like Greek or Chinese writing to me, I just let it be.

 

And yes, the Modems that I have used are the type that is a little PCB that you just open up the computer ... slap it into one of the PCI slots and close the computer back up.  You then connect the phone line to one of 2 jacks at the back of the computer where the Modem is.  The Modem on my backup computer, I did buy that one.  So with that one I did get to install the official software / drivers from the CD that came with it.  The Modem on THIS computer, I got this one from another computer that bit the dust.  So, I didn't have the software / drivers CD for this one.  But, it's running just fine with I guess whatever generic drivers Windows XP uses for it.

Edited by Chimiti, 11 September 2016 - 06:33 PM.

[DonnaB]

Yippee yahooey! ACCESS! That is great news!

You are most welcome, Chimiti!

Now I want to know why you are/was having so much trouble getting in without the private options! I have no trouble without them. I wonder if it the versions of browsers, then again I am on W7 and use FF. I do believe that FF is not supported for XP any more, nor is Opera and most other browsers. You ought to try SafeZone and see if you have trouble getting logged in just for funsies.

Well, you know. The only time I would ever not preach about registry cleaners and optimizes are when I know the user has no clue when it comes to the registry, and I can tell you are a bit more qualified than most users.

Make sure to click on the Remember Me box when you log into Avast, that way you should be automatically logged in every time you visit the site.

[Chimiti]

I still think it is a strong possibility that somehow Dial Up is in the equation.

 

Cuz check this out ---

As King of the Browser Hill that Google Chrome is supposed to be ... it just does NOT work on my systems.  And I'm talking with having used Windows 98SE, Windows Vista and Windows XP.  And on 5 different computers throughout the last couple of years.  The common denominator?  Dial Up Internet.  Heck, and that includes 2 different Dial Up providers ... AOL and now NetZero.

 

One of two things will happen.  Either Chrome doesn't work PERIOD!  Or it might provide the Google Search Hits from which to select.  But, upon clicking on any Hit link, I always get that message that - Not connected to the Internet or whatever.  And I've definitely made sure the Windows XP Firewall is giving Google Chrome a clear path.

 

Yet all other Browsers that I have tried --- Opera, Firefox, SeaMonkey, IE, Maxthon Cloud and others that I'm forgetting ... WORK on my systems with Dial Up out of the box so to speak.  At different levels of satisfaction, but they work nevertheless.  And Google Chrome just doesn't.  I just shook my head when detractors of New Opera used to go, "WHY is New Opera needed when it is just a reskinned Chrome?"  I would think, "That couldn't be further from the truth."

 

So yeah, just like I'm convinced that somehow Google Chrome does not care to play well / deal with Dial Up, similarly the new avast forums log in setup does not care to deal with Dial Up.

[DonnaB]

Makes you wonder..

Do you have a link to where you got the above information? Out of curiosity, I would love to know the date that it was posted and the other comments in the topic.

Wow! Windows 98SE?! End of support for that OS was way back in 2006 and I believe the last version of IE for that OS was IE6. Was any other browser compatible with that version of Windows? I came in on the computer scene when Vista was the go to OS on the market and had to take a crash course on XP to familiarize myself with it.

[Chimiti]

Where I got the above information?  You mean the comments about New Opera?  That was over at the forum for New Opera:

http://forums.opera....era-for-windows

 

However, I wouldn't be able to remotely tell you on which specific thread that was.  That was sometime back.  I haven't even been to that forum again ever since I switched over to Maxthon Cloud 3 months ago.  After many years of Opera being hands down my browser of choice since I discovered it way back in version 9.27 ... unexpectedly Maxthon Cloud dethroned it.  No browser used to be able to touch Opera for functionality on Dial Up.  Then after a random checking out of Maxthon Cloud, I was surprised to see that it was actually beating Opera at displaying most websites.  Throw in that right around that time was when Opera had unceremoniously pulled the rug out from us Windows XP users with the bad news of No More Support for Windows XP without batting an eyelash ... and so I returned the favor.  I unceremoniously demoted Opera to 2nd string status.

 

But if things are like they used to be at that Opera forum, you should probably have no trouble finding similar shots taken at New Opera by its detractors.  There used to be plenty of mad users of Original Opera who felt betrayed.  There was the ubiquitous "Chopera" made up word for the accusation that it was just Chrome with an Opera skin.

 

Oh I haven't used my Windows 98SE Gateway desktop in quite a while.  In fact, I might even sell it at the next yard sale.  Through experimentation, I found out that the highest version of Opera Browser that would work on it was 9.64.  So there's NO way New Opera would work on it.  I'm sure none of the latest versions of ANY browser would work on it now.  It came with IE5.  The only reason it has IE6 right now is because the AOL software that I installed in it would update it to IE6 to assure that it would work properly.  I believe I recall Firefox 3.0 worked on it.  Oh ... v2.0 Flash Drives do not work on it.  Doh!  Then again, I also wonder whether I should keep it as a Collector's Item because of its Windows 98SE and Floppy Drive.

Edited by Chimiti, 11 September 2016 - 09:52 PM.