Firefox Conflict (Firefox 2.0.14)

[ledunch]

I have been using Firefox for several version now and it has met all my needs with no problems of substance. A few weeks back I started to have Firefox crashes. They happened unpredictably and did not happen frequently so I simply kept an eye on the problem and suspected that the cause might have been related to my installation of NoScript, which was installed around the time that the problem first surfaced. The real cause of the problem, however, turned out to be the installation my AVG Free 8.0 upgrade. The AVG 8.0 link scanner component in AVG 8 has some serious conflict with Firefox. One solution is to click on Tools in Firefox and then click Add-ons. Select "AVG Safe Search 8.0", click disable and shutdown and restart Firefox.

There may be more to the problem than I mentioned here, but this has been my experience so far. I suppose this posting could be in the computer security forum as it seems to be an AVG generated problem, but the consequence is a Firefox crash so I placed it here. I did a quick search and did not see this problem mentioned, so I am assuming this is new news - my apologies if I am wrong about this.

Paul

[Argus]

There has been some reports, but I think it is good of you to mention this (with all the add-ons out there it can be a good idea to take a closer look sometimes before adding another [then of course one needs to know that the AV program are going to add an extension to the browser]). As I understand it you have done the right thing, if one don't want the AVG Search-Shield part of the LinkScanner component (only one available in AVG Free). Since some has complained that disabling Search-Shield inside AVG puts an exclamation point in the tray icon. Better is to disable the Fx add-on as you did. (There is also an alternative to install AVG without LinkScanner, or uninstall it, but the add-on alternative gives the option to enable/disable, and end result should be the same.)

The AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 8.0 user manual can be found here.

Since we are in the Other Browsers forum, and Fx is the topic; have you any other add-ons that could conflict with the AVG?

Anyhow, you may have seen this at the AVG Free forum: Link Scanner crashes Firefox 2.0.0.14

I am following the LinkScanner (Search-Shield part in AVG Free) development, since it do come with some consequences: it do probe the sites in the search result, to be able to give advice. We have this situation, as you maybe know, either check links against a database (possibly old), or probe the site at present time.

It is possible that not every user would have even thought about clicking every link in the search result, and thus make a connection to the site. Potentially adding to the traffic etc. There seems to be some discussions going on.

NB: at the time of the first posts they are talking about the non Free AVG and Fx 2.0.0.13, should be the same anyhow.
AVG 8 with LinkScanner enabled intermittently crashes FireFox. Mozilla support

[PaulB]

Thanks for pointing out that AVG 8 installs the Safe Search add-on. I was not aware of this. Unlike you however, this has not been a problem for me (so far... knock on wood!).

I would like to hear the opinions of others on this add-on: keep it or lose it, causes problems or not, etc.

Cheers,

[TonyE]

The Link Scanner is one of the known problematic extensions that causes Firefox to crash. It is listed on both the Mozilla support articles and MozillaZine knowledge base as causing crashes. This has been the case since it was a standalone product before being included in AVG 8.

[ledunch]

Argus,
Thanks for all the follow up information relating to this problem. Since I was unaware that AVG was the source of my problem I had not searched their site or anywhere looking for AVG issues. My prime suspect was NoScript and the Firefox window which allows you to disable it is the same place to disable AVG Search Shield. So quite by accident my problem got solved. The real lesson for me is to pay attention in the future to the content of new versions of old software, which I had not done in the case of AVG 8.0.

Paul