vista and avast

[damo]

so.
i'm trying to uninstall avast to reinstall avast.
it's not working. even with the avast cleaner available on the webpage.

i'm getting all sorts of funky messages about the gui not working. i've been back to two different restore points the only other option is go back to one from yesterday.
all this after updating.

grr.

advice on getting avast off?

[Lisandro]

We will need more information to be able to help you:
- What avast! version and VPS file (virus database) number?
- Do you use a firewall? Which one?
- Do you have any other antivirus installed in your system?
- Any other security programs that could interfere? Like Spyware Doctor.
- Any useful information into Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Events, specially 'Errors'.

[DavidR]

i'm getting all sorts of funky messages about the gui not working.

The full text of these funky messages might help us to help you, please post or a screenshot of them.

Can you explain exactly what you have done ?

i'm trying to uninstall avast to reinstall avast.
it's not working. even with the avast cleaner available on the webpage.

What was the original reason for wanting to uninstall/reinstall ?

[damo]

avast version was 4.7.942


windows vista firewall
i think i uninstalled norton (i'm fairly certain i did, but for some reason its my internet malware according to vista -odd i uninstalled using add/remove programs).

i have spyware doctor and spybot. and again i thought i removed spyware doctor -am doing so now...as i prefer spybot. also have windows defender....


i originally got microsoft updates updated and then it all went bent.

i've got nowhere to host the images but they start off with program cannot load c: etc\data\inews.html

so you click ok and you get

the scan completed with error:
2= the system cannot find the file specified

ok
unknow error
skin cannot load

x that box
choose skin
cancel that box
avast!
skin selection not completed program will beterminated

this isn't the same error i've been getting.

i can't delete avast, i can't uninstall to reinstall.
i've gone back to a restore point of this morning, before the funkiness started, and it's still not working.

[damo]

the original error messages, i've just found them through the error log:
Entry point AavmStop not found in module C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashSimpl.exe.   
Entry point AavmPwdCheck not found in module C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashSimpl.exe.   
Entry point AavmStop not found in module C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashSimpl.exe.   
Entry point AavmPwdCheck not found in module C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashSimpl.exe.   



i registered this morning and that was pretty much when it all went down....

[DavidR]

Two things.

1. Norton can be a real pig to get rid of and this can impact on any AV installed later.

A link worth looking at, which is a program removal tool that can remove the remnants of a number of different Norton Programs:
Removing your Norton program using SymNRT

2. Spyware Doctor has been causing havoc recently, with it OnGuard effectively blocking avast services/providers from running and also interfering with avast Updates.

There have been a couple of topics reporting problems that have been attributed to Spyware Doctor and its OnGuard function.

http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=27992.0
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=27915.msg228456#msg228456
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=27981.msg228545#msg228545

Options:
It would probably be best to download the latest version of avast http://www.avast.com/eng/programs.html and save it to your HDD, somewhere you can find it again. Use that when you reinstall.

1. First disable the OnGuard function.
2. Try disabling the OnGuard part of spyware doctor and then try to uninstall/reinstall or run the uninstall utility. Once you manage to get it uninstalled, reboot and install.
3. If you are still experiencing any problems once you manage to get avast installed, check out the Norton removal link above.

[damo]

killed pc doctor, killed norton, re-installed avast. about to register.
things look good so far.

thanks for all your help!

[Lisandro]

killed pc doctor, killed norton

Do you mean 'uninstalled'?
Indeed, it will be good if at least Norton is fully removed of the computer.
Don't believe only in Control Panel uninstall, follow David's advices.

[damo]

yep uninstalled using the advice from david.

man, why do Norton insist on embedding things? i want it removed, i'm capable of making that decision, it actually harms their brand name. rant rant rant.

[DavidR]

The suggestion was to disable the OnGuard function of spyware doctor as there was a bug in that causing an issue. The remainder should have been OK, however there has been and update for spyware doctor to fix that bug.

I don't know why the Norton remnants issue is by design or just bad programming as far as the uninstall routine goes. By design, as in if you experience problems with AVs you install after Norton, there is a likelihood you might well stick with it. The main thing is it is gone completely.

Welcome to the forums.

[nweissma]

sorry to ask this dumb newbie question: how do i start a new thread?

let me state now what is on my mind, and the moderators can remove it if they wish.

i just installed the free home avast! 4.7.942.

it preliminarily scanned for FOUR HOURS!!! i have a 677 MHz ram speed, an fsb speed 1066MHz, and only 232GB hdd. it appeared to me that the scan was viewing the same files over and over and over! i will assume that this is a bug.

after the four hours, i pressed 'escape'; according to the scanner's page, this should have ceased the scan. the 'escape' key was worthless (as was ctrl+alt+del.) i pressed the tower's reboot button; this succeeded. i will assume(!) that the scan was completed successfully and correctly, and that the avast! installment was successful (?).

nevertheless, a green popup, emanating from the tray, immediately arose, telling me that there is a new version of avast! available on the network, and do i want to install it?  of course i answered 'yes,' and the system promptly rebooted. 1 minute after reboot, the same popup appears. i will assume that this too is a bug.

why would i want avast's vrdb, given vista's system restore scheme (such as vista's restore points, shadow files, etc - that have this far claimed a staggering 46 GB of hdd)? is vrdb superior to vista's system restore scheme?


thanks for everything, and i hope all is well with my avast! installation.

[DavidR]

By clicking the 'New Topic' button at the Top of each Forum, the location here you see the list of Topics, one of which you chose to get to this Topic.

So please create Your New Topic for this and paste the content of this post, so as not to have multiple different questions in one topic.

[Lisandro]

it preliminarily scanned for FOUR HOURS!!! i have a 677 MHz ram speed, an fsb speed 1066MHz, and only 232GB hdd. it appeared to me that the scan was viewing the same files over and over and over! i will assume that this is a bug.

It's not the best, indeed, the on-demand scanning speed, but after all, why are you so worried about on-demand scanning. The problem is how much resources are used on-access (resident). The scanning speed depends on the number of the files, the number and size of archive files, etc.

after the four hours, i pressed 'escape'; according to the scanner's page, this should have ceased the scan. the 'escape' key was worthless (as was ctrl+alt+del.)

Are you using an USB keyboard?

nevertheless, a green popup, emanating from the tray, immediately arose, telling me that there is a new version of avast! available on the network, and do i want to install it?  of course i answered 'yes,' and the system promptly rebooted. 1 minute after reboot, the same popup appears. i will assume that this too is a bug.

Well... could be. Which is your avast version now? Are the computer asking for reboot infinitely or just twice?

why would i want avast's vrdb, given vista's system restore scheme (such as vista's restore points, shadow files, etc - that have this far claimed a staggering 46 GB of hdd)? is vrdb superior to vista's system restore scheme?

Is it used to repair infections on executable (.exe, .com, etc.) files. Without it, you won't be able to repair quite some kind of infections.

Oh, please, open a new thread as David asked...

[nweissma]

it preliminarily scanned for FOUR HOURS!!! i have a 677 MHz ram speed, an fsb speed 1066MHz, and only 232GB hdd. it appeared to me that the scan was viewing the same files over and over and over! i will assume that this is a bug.

It's not the best, indeed, the on-demand scanning speed, but after all, why are you so worried about on-demand scanning.

"worry"? this word is not relevant. what if the scan protracted to 24 hours?  or 100 hours? or all year? why "worry"?!

after the four hours, i pressed 'escape'; according to the scanner's page, this should have ceased the scan. the 'escape' key was worthless (as was ctrl+alt+del.)

Are you using an USB keyboard?

Yes. why is this significant?

Well... could be. Which is your avast version now? Are the computer asking for reboot infinitely or just twice?

version= 4.7.942....green popup 1-2 times per day (i can live with it!)

why would i want avast's vrdb, given vista's system restore scheme (such as vista's restore points, shadow files, etc - that have this far claimed a staggering 46 GB of hdd)? is vrdb superior to vista's system restore scheme?

Is it used to repair infections on executable (.exe, .com, etc.) files. Without it, you won't be able to repair quite some kind of infections.

firstly, how do i  use vrdb to restore to "repair infections" (what do you mean by "repair infections"? how, exactly, does vrdb work?)

secondly, i still don't understand what i can accomplish with vrdb that i can't accomplish with vista's system restore features. what infections can be treated that cannot be treated with vista's system restore capability?

thirdly, how much storage does vrdb occupy?

Oh, please, open a new thread as David asked...
[/quote]

 a new thread HAS been opened.

[Lisandro]

Are you using an USB keyboard?

Yes. why is this significant?

The USB keyboard must be activated into BIOS settings, before Windows load.
Otherwise, the keyboard won't be available BEFORE Windows loads its drivers (necessary for it to work).

firstly, how do i  use vrdb to restore to "repair infections" (what do you mean by "repair infections"? how, exactly, does vrdb work?)

It stores the necessary info to restore executables (*.exe, *.com) files.
VRDB is not a backup system, the stored information is very small (not the whole files).
Besides, only Win32 executables are processed.

VRDB is a generic method, storing file parts that are often target of virus infections. So, it is capable of fixing even some brand new virus infections. However, it also means that it fails on some others  (that use special infection methods, for example). So, it's possible that VRDB doesn't work for this particular virus....

secondly, i still don't understand what i can accomplish with vrdb that i can't accomplish with vista's system restore features. what infections can be treated that cannot be treated with vista's system restore capability?

Any... Vista restore system has backup features, VRDB is a repair feature of avast.
So it's not a backup utility, but a restore feature of avast.

thirdly, how much storage does vrdb occupy?

The VRDB data are stored in <avast>\Data\Integ\avast.int