Avast Online Security add-on not working with new Firefox 64-bit
G'day,
Yesterday, I installed the latest version of Firefox. Since I am running Windows 7 64-bit, I decided to switch from the 32-bit version to the new Firefox 43.0.1 64-bit version.
Every other add-on/plugin works just fine, but for some reason the Avast Online Security add-on does not load into Firefox.
I tried everything, doing a fresh install of both Firefox AND Avast (deleting all existent folders on C:), but I still don't get the Avast Online Security add-on loaded into Firefox.
I also tried these solutions:
https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=180681.0
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1096227 (however, AOS is not showing up in my new Firefox at all to begin with, so I can't deactivate it there)
Nothing is working. I also cleaned the registry using CCleaner, but there are still so many Mozilla related entries in my registry, I wouldn't know which ones to delete manually without messing up my whole system.
Please help, I don't want to browse the web unprotected.
Thanks in advance,
Doc
Okulungisiwe ngu DocCovington
All Replies (4)
Did you install Avast, and then Firefox?
If Avast is using a true Plugin, it won't work in the Win64 Firefox. Only Flash and Silverlight are "whitelisted" - Mozilla is moving away from NPAPI type Plugins over time and the release of Win64 Firefox was the first stage.
Now if Avast needs to install an extension in Firefox, maybe that extension wasn't "signed"? https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/add-on-signing-in-firefox
I am a former Avast user and my guess is that an extension not being signed if your probable issue. I stopped using Avast because they insisted their extension be installed - no opt-out offered as I recall.
FYI, a Firefox add-on not working, whether it is an extension or a plugin, won't impact your "security" - add-ons only provide "bells and whistles" type features or duplicate features that Firefox probably already has like anti-malware and anti-phishing protection.
My advice is to contact Avast support and ask for help with their product. But if they use a Plugin you're probably SOL with Win64 Firefox, but if they use an extension they probably need to get it "signed" by Mozilla to allow it to be installed in Firefox.
FredMcD said
Did you install Avast, and then Firefox?
The order didn't matter.
@the-edmeister: The Avast extension is not stored in any Firefox folders, it's automatically plugged into any browser when you have "Browser Protection" activated in Avast.
I already contacted Avast Support (it was the first thing I did), but to no avail.
I solved the issue by going back from Firefox 43.0.2 to Firefox 42.0 (the 32-bit version, too, since many plugins don't work with 64-bit) and everything is in order now.
I hope that both Mozilla and Avast will come up with a working solution for this problem in the near future.
Cheers!
That was very good work. Well Done. Please flag your last post as Solved Problem so others will know.