Possible fix for some failed pageload and timeout issues

User Help for Mozilla Firefox
Locked
Lost User 293953
Posts: 0
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 5:00 pm

Possible fix for some failed pageload and timeout issues

Post by Lost User 293953 »

Short version: Avast and Kaspersky anti-virus packages have started bundling web scanners that process all http traffic. They don't play nicely with Firefox 2+. If you want to keep your present AV software, try disabling the "scan all files" web protection option and enabling scan only for executables in web traffic.

Long version:

I've had the intermittent page load failure and timeout issues since installing Firefox and Thunderbird updates in July [Windows XP Media Center SP2, Gateway laptop w/ Intel 9345ABG onboard wifi], worse with each successive update. A desktop computer on the household network also had some Mozilla issues since the update, but the problems were resolved completely after switching to OpenDNS.

Having gone through all the proposed fixes in these knowledgebase entries and forum threads (e.g. using OpenDNS, disabling AV software, flushing cache, trying new profile, uninstall/reinstall, about:config settings, etc.), I achieved varying degrees of improvement, but no consistent resolution:


http://kb.mozillazine.org/Standard_diag ... Firefox%29
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Error_loading_websites

http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic ... 15&start=0
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic ... 62a268c82f
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=580851&
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?p=3026867&
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic ... &start=210
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic ... 5&start=75
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic ... b136846e13
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic ... 678acf79ac
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=574040
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic ... 136878040e

Diagnostic results:

This is an intermittent and difficult-to-reproduce problem. While the pageload failures seem like a DNS issue, it's local to Firefox (and Thunderbird!), since IE often loads the same pages without difficulty. Wdnslookup usually shows no appreciable slowness or name resolution failure on the same sites that don't load properly. Hardware firewall with UPnP, all appropriate ports opening and closing, no problem passing traffic for IE.

Things that didn't resolve the problem:

Disabling extensions;
Clearing cache, history and cookies;
Running Firefox in safe mode;
Flushing the DNS cache with ipconfig;
Resetting about:config modifications
Turning off IPv6 support;
Creating a new profile;
Antivirus and malware scans;
Uninstall, removal of all registry entries with a cleaner, followed by reinstall of Firefox to a new directory;
Updating router firmware and network drivers;

Things that provided improvement:

Using OpenDNS. [My ISP, Comcast, is notorious for DNS problems.]
Disabling my antivirus software (Avast 4.6) [The other household computer uses TrendMicro]***

Both Kaspersky and Avast anti-virus packages have started to incorporate web scanners that inspect all http traffic (Avast 4.6, Kaspersky AV 7). Avast's Web Shield component uses a "transparent proxy" to permit on-access scans of http-requested data. According to Avast's knowledgebase, some situations [Zone Alarm w/ Privacy Control, non-NT OS's --- see http://support.avast.com/index.php?_m=k ... ticleid=22] require this proxy to be manually bypassed in Firefox. This wasn't applicable in my situation, but I was able to keep my anti-virus software running and eliminate the slow page load/timeout problem by turning off the Web Shield ==> Web Scanning ==>Scan All Files option, and instead scanning only web-based and downloadable executable files [ADE,ADP,BAS,INF,INS,MDB,MSI,JS,EXE,ZIP,RAR,ASP,ASPX,COM,BAT,PIF,VB,WS,VBE,VBS].


***The EnumProcess utility detects the Avast engine, but does not detect AshWebSv.exe, the Web Shield service.

Best of luck to all!
VanillaMozilla
Posts: 13808
Joined: November 7th, 2005, 11:26 am

Post by VanillaMozilla »

Thanks for posting. I'm sure a lot of people will be checking for that now.
User avatar
trolly
Moderator
Posts: 39851
Joined: August 22nd, 2005, 7:25 am

Re: Possible fix for some failed pageload and timeout issues

Post by trolly »

patienceltd wrote:...
***The EnumProcess utility detects the Avast engine, but does not detect AshWebSv.exe, the Web Shield service.
...
EnumProcess was intended to find firewalls. If you can give me the complete output line of enumprocess i can add it to the suspicious processes. At the moment i have added it to the firewall processes. I think i have to sort the processes a bit better. ;-)

Edit:
I still need some reports for Kaspersky and Avast to get the company information.
Think for yourself. Otherwise you have to believe what other people tell you.
A society based on individualism is an oxymoron. || Freedom is at first the freedom to starve.
Constitution says: One man, one vote. Supreme court says: One dollar, one vote.
VanillaMozilla
Posts: 13808
Joined: November 7th, 2005, 11:26 am

Post by VanillaMozilla »

EnumProcess should list all running processes, and it shows firewalls in red. It <i>detects</i> AshWebSv.exe if it's running. It just doesn't show it in red because it's not actually supposed to be a firewall. Isn't this what you mean, patienceltd?
Lost User 293953
Posts: 0
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 5:00 pm

Post by Lost User 293953 »

An addendum: I _did_ need to update the proxy settings in Firefox per the Avast instructions; I made the change (redirecting localhost to port 12080), then forgot that I had made it. When I undid it, the problem recurred.

trolly: EnumProcess output ====>

[System Process]
System
\SystemRoot\System32\smss.exe
csrss.exe (Microsoft Corporation / Client Server Runtime Process)
\??\C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe (Microsoft Corporation / Services and Controller app)
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe (Microsoft Corporation / LSA Shell (Export Version))
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe (Microsoft Corporation / Generic Host Process for Win32 Services)
svchost.exe (Microsoft Corporation / Generic Host Process for Win32 Services)
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe (Microsoft Corporation / Generic Host Process for Win32 Services)
svchost.exe (Microsoft Corporation / Generic Host Process for Win32 Services)
svchost.exe (Microsoft Corporation / Generic Host Process for Win32 Services)
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\aswUpdSv.exe (ALWIL Software / avast! Antivirus updating service)
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashServ.exe (ALWIL Software / avast! antivirus service)
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe (Microsoft Corporation / Spooler SubSystem App)
C:\Program Files\Ashampoo\Ashampoo Magical Defrag\bin\aDefragService.exe ( / Ashampoo Magical Defrag)
C:\WINDOWS\eHome\ehRecvr.exe (Microsoft Corporation / Media Center Receiver Service)
C:\Program Files\Ashampoo\Ashampoo Magical Defrag\bin\defragActivityMonitor.exe
C:\WINDOWS\eHome\ehSched.exe (Microsoft Corporation / Media Center Scheduler Service)
C:\WINDOWS\System32\GEARSec.exe (GEAR Software / gearsec)
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe (Microsoft Corporation / Generic Host Process for Win32 Services)
C:\Program Files\Intel\Intel Matrix Storage Manager\iaantmon.exe (Intel Corporation / RAID Monitor)
sqlservr.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE (Microsoft Corporation / Windows Explorer)
C:\Program Files\Symantec\Norton Ghost\Agent\PQV2iSvc.exe (Symantec Corporation / Service Module)
C:\WINDOWS\ehome\ehtray.exe (Microsoft Corporation / Media Center Tray Applet)
C:\Program Files\Common Files\New Boundary\PrismXL\PRISMXL.SYS (New Boundary Technologies, Inc. / PrismXL Service)
c:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Shared\sqlwriter.exe (Microsoft Corporation / SQL Server VSS Writer)
svchost.exe (Microsoft Corporation / Generic Host Process for Win32 Services)
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe (Microsoft Corporation / Generic Host Process for Win32 Services)
mcrdsvc.exe
C:\Program Files\Synaptics\SynTP\SynTPLpr.exe (Synaptics, Inc. / TouchPad Driver Helper Application)
C:\Program Files\Synaptics\SynTP\SynTPEnh.exe (Synaptics, Inc. / Synaptics TouchPad Enhancements)
wmpnetwk.exe
C:\Program Files\Intel\Intel Matrix Storage Manager\iaanotif.exe (Intel Corporation / Event Monitor User Notification Tool)
C:\WINDOWS\system32\igfxtray.exe (Intel Corporation / igfxTray Module)
C:\WINDOWS\system32\hkcmd.exe (Intel Corporation / hkcmd Module)
C:\WINDOWS\system32\igfxpers.exe (Intel Corporation / persistence Module)
C:\WINDOWS\system32\igfxsrvc.exe (Intel Corporation / igfxsrvc Module)
C:\WINDOWS\stsystra.exe (SigmaTel, Inc. / Sigmatel Audio system tray application)
C:\WINDOWS\system32\PuXpMan2.exe (ashampoo GmbH & Co. KG / Ashampoo PowerUp XP Platinum 2)
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashDisp.exe (ALWIL Software / avast! service GUI component)
C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_02\bin\jusched.exe (Sun Microsystems, Inc. / Java(TM) Platform SE binary)
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe (Microsoft Corporation / CTF Loader)
C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\WMPNSCFG.exe (Microsoft Corporation / Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service Configuration Application)
C:\Program Files\BitTorrent_DNA\dna.exe
C:\Program Files\DynDNS Updater\DynDNS.exe (Kana Solution / DynDNS Updater)
C:\Program Files\Ashampoo\Ashampoo Magical Defrag\bin\aDefragCtrl.exe ( / Ashampoo Magical Defrag)
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashMaiSv.exe (ALWIL Software / avast! e-Mail Scanner Service)
C:\Program Files\Sony Handheld\HOTSYNC.EXE (Palm, Inc. / HotSync® Manager Application)
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashWebSv.exe (ALWIL Software / avast! Web Scanner)
C:\Program Files\Ashampoo\Ashampoo UnInstaller Platinum 2\UIWatcher.exe (ashampoo GmbH & Co. KG / ashampoo UnInstaller Watcher)
C:\WINDOWS\qmc.exe (QuickMonth Calendar executable)
C:\WINDOWS\system32\dllhost.exe (Microsoft Corporation / COM Surrogate)
C:\WINDOWS\eHome\ehmsas.exe (Microsoft Corporation / Media Center Media Status Aggregator Service)
alg.exe (Microsoft Corporation / Application Layer Gateway Service)
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe (Mozilla Corporation / Firefox)
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Thunderbird\thunderbird.exe (Mozilla Corporation / Mozilla Thunderbird)
C:\Documents and Settings\Owner.NameRose\My Documents\My Downloads\EnumProcess.exe (Me, myself and I / EnumProcess)



VanillaMozilla: My apologies --- EnumProcess does detect the AshWebSv.exe process, without highlighting it as an anti-virus program component. Perhaps this and the AshMaiSv.exe (Avast mail scanner) component can be added to the suspicious processes list?

Thanks again for your hard work and assistance with this problem.

~patienceltd
Old Ardon
Posts: 0
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 5:00 pm

Post by Old Ardon »

If you want to keep your present AV software, try disabling the "scan all files" web protection option and enabling scan only for executables in web traffic.


At the moment, I haven't Avast, but I've been meaning to download it. If I get it and disable that, will I be guaranteed to not have any problems?
User avatar
trolly
Moderator
Posts: 39851
Joined: August 22nd, 2005, 7:25 am

Post by trolly »

If i add "ALWIL Software" as manufacturer all processes which has that company information will be shown as suspicious.
I'll upload a newer version later. I can only do that at home.
Think for yourself. Otherwise you have to believe what other people tell you.
A society based on individualism is an oxymoron. || Freedom is at first the freedom to starve.
Constitution says: One man, one vote. Supreme court says: One dollar, one vote.
spuddro
Guest

Re: Possible fix for some failed pageload and timeout issues

Post by spuddro »

I saw where Lost User 293953 suggested "disabling the 'scan all files' web protection option and enabling scan only for executables in web traffic." I'm using Avast 4.8 Home Edition (free) and can not figure out how to disable "scan all files." Can anyone help? I'm not a computer whiz, so step-by-step would be helpful.

Thanks much.
User avatar
LIMPET235
Moderator
Posts: 39932
Joined: October 19th, 2007, 1:53 am
Location: The South Coast of N.S.W. Oz.

Re: Possible fix for some failed pageload and timeout issues

Post by LIMPET235 »

Spuddro...
Please check the date before posting. ;)
This thread died in 2007.
Start a new thread, stating your problem.
Locking this relic.


Oh, you might try right clicking the little blue Avast tray icon for it's options.
[Ancient Amateur Astronomer.]
Win-10-H/64 bit/500G SSD/16 Gig Ram/450Watt PSU/350WattUPS/Firefox-115.0.2/T-bird-115.3.2./SnagIt-v10.0.1/MWP-7.12.125.

(Always choose the "Custom" Install.)
Locked