It's the dreaded AAVM subsystem / RPC error, but after following many different methods of fixing it, it still does not work.
If I remember, this started happening after one Windows Automatic Update where I shut down my computer instead of doing the install-updates-and-then-shutdown thing (and installed the updates later).
I've uninstalled Avast, and reinstalled the latest version from avast.com, but it won't work at all. First it loads up, but very soon it just stays there with a red circle on it. If I click the icon, I get the "AAVM subsystem detected a RPC error" message. When I check in services.msc, none of the Avast services are running:
avast! Antivirus = stopped, Automatic
avast! iAVS4 Control Service = stopped, Automatic
avast! Mail Scanner = stopped, Manual
avast! Web Scanner = stopped, Manual
When I try to start them, I get the following:
avast! Antivirus = Windows could not start the avast! Antivirus service on Local Computer. Error 1053: The service did not respond to the tstart or control request in a timely fashion.
avast! iAVS4 Control Service = Windows could not start the avast! iAVS4 Control Service service on Local Computer. Error 1053: The service did not respond to the tstart or control request in a timely fashion.
avast! Mail Scanner = Windows could not start the avast! Mail Scanner service on Local Computer. Error 1068: The dependency service or group failed to start.
avast! Web Scanner = Windows could not start the avast! Web Scanner service on Local Computer. Error 1068: The dependency service or group failed to start.
All the avast dependencies - Remote Procedure Call (RPC) and DCOM Server Process Launching - are running.
In the registry, the following is set to start:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
avast! | C:\PROGRA~1\Avast4\ashDisp.exe
And Windows Security Center reports avast as Not Found (!)
I've tried installing avast many times, but the result is always the same.
I've never had another antivirus program installed either. My firewall is Comodo (without the antivirus component).
The system is HP 8710p laptop with Windows Vista Business SP1.