Avast needs to restart

[Metallo]

Hi,

I have Avast Home edition on WXP Pro.

Since some weeks, when "A new version of virus DB has been installed" appears, I get the restart pop up window.

How can I solve this? 

Thank you
Alex

[Lisandro]

Which is your avast and VPS (virus signatures) version?

Operating system restart needed by avast message could be solved, in some systems, by deleting the file <avast>\setup\reboot.txt

If deleting reboot.txt doesn't stop the requests for reboot check this:
Check this registry entry (right after computer restart):
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager, if it contains "PendingFileRenameOperations".
Check its contents and if there's only "reboot.txt" from avast4\setup folder, delete PendingFileRenameOperations, don't delete any other key.
Back-up (export) the registry key before you edit/delete, just in case.

Not sure what the problem with your shutdown might be (does this happen every time?), there could be something running that isn't ending correctly. Hopefully something may be in the windows event logs.

Igor said:

The virus database updates normally don't require computer restart. However, in very special cases, a virus database update might actually include a program update as well (in which case, the computer restart would indeed be required). I believe it was your case.

I should probably explain what "in very special cases mean". Some time ago, we have found some limits (you can call it "bugs") in avast! code which would make avast! stop working when the number of records in virus database reaches specific number (well, it's a bit more complicated than that, but it doesn't really matter now). We fixed the problems, of course, and included the fix in one of the program updates.
Right now, we are very close to this "limit" (regarding the number of viruses). Even though the fixed version of the program has been available for quite some time now, however, there are still quite a lot of users who use older versions; so, we can either stop adding new viruses (which wouldn't be very wise), or somehow make the users of old avast! versions - that are still out there - to update to the fixed one. So, that's what happening right now... some of the old versions were updated during an ordinary virus database update.

Hope this explains it.

If that still does not solve the problem, check http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=28199.0

[wmplpi]

Every day when when my virus database is updated..i get a message that it needs to restart...this never happened until i downloaded advast 4

[DavidR]

Have you not tried the above suggestion and if so what was the outcome ?

Especially the link Tech gave to the other topic. The suggestions given above and or the link have resolved this problem in the past.

[Undertoad]

I've had exactly the same problem. If I delete the reboot.txt file, it reappears next time I use my computer, and avast still wants to restart after ever update.

When I look in the registry, I don't have PendingFileRenameOperations in the key HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\SessionManager.

Can someone please explain how I run the registry fix at http://public.avast.com/~forejt/Enable8dot3Name.reg ? It just looks like a string of test to me.

Apologies if I'm asking this in the wrong place.

[Lisandro]

Can someone please explain how I run the registry fix at http://public.avast.com/~forejt/Enable8dot3Name.reg ? It just looks like a string of test to me.

Right click it and merge (import) it to the registry.
If doing (or trying to do) this you can't manage, post again and I'll show you a utility to do that...

[DavidR]

I suspect you are clicking on the link and it is being displayed in your browser, see image. If so you need to right click on the link and select save as or save link as (depending on your browser), this will allow the file to be downloaded to a location of your choosing no your hard disk.

Once you have it downloaded on your system then follow Tech's instruction to Merge it into the registry.

[Undertoad]

Thanks for the replies.

I think the problem was something to do with Firefox, as it worked fine in IE.

I downloaded the fix and merged it into my registry, but Avast still wants to reboot after every update.

Here are the last 100 odd lines of my setup log.

07:30:50 min/gen  Started: 07.07.2007, 07:30:50
07:30:50 min/gen  Running setup_av_pro-3e9 (1001)
07:30:50 nrm/sys  Operating system: WindowsXP ver 5.1, build 2600, sp 2.0 [Service Pack 2]
07:30:50 vrb/sys  Computer WinName: L-EEVN3JKOAGQU5
07:30:50 min/sys  Windows Net User: SYSTEM
07:30:51 min/gen  Cmdline: /downloadpkgs /noreboot /updatevps /verysilent  /limitcpu 
07:30:51 vrb/gen  DldSrc set to inet
07:30:51 vrb/gen  Operation set to INST_OP_UPDATE_GET_PACKAGES
07:30:51 min/gen  Old version: 3e9 (1001)
07:30:51 nrm/gen  SGW32P::CheckIfInstalled set m_bAlreadyInstalled to 1
07:30:51 vrb/sys  Computer DnsName: l-eevn3jkoagqu5
07:30:51 vrb/sys  Computer Ip Addr: 121.210.122.143
07:30:51 nrm/int  SYNCER: Type: use IE settings
07:30:51 nrm/int  SYNCER: Auth: another authentication, use WinInet
07:30:51 vrb/pkg  Part prg_av_pro-3e9 is installed
07:30:51 vrb/pkg  Part vps-75403 is installed
07:30:51 vrb/pkg  Part news-4b is installed
07:30:51 vrb/pkg  Part setup_av_pro-3e9 is installed
07:30:51 vrb/pkg  Part jrog-c is installed
07:30:51 min/gen  Old version: 3e9 (1001)
07:30:51 vrb/fil  SetExistingFilesBitmap: 1024->145->81
07:30:51 min/gen  GUID: 1a43d6b2-8f1e-433f-b7cb-110169a035c0
07:30:52 nrm/gen  Server definition(s) loaded for 'main': 125 (maintenance:0)
07:30:52 nrm/gen  SelectCurrent: selected server 'Download66 AVAST server' from 'main'
07:30:52 min/pkg  GetPackages - set proxy for inet
07:30:52 nrm/int  SYNCER: Type: use IE settings
07:30:52 nrm/int  SYNCER: Auth: another authentication, use WinInet
07:30:52 vrb/gen  Used server: http://download66.avast.com/iavs4x
07:30:53 nrm/gen  Server definition(s) loaded for 'main': 125 (maintenance:0)
07:30:53 nrm/gen  SelectCurrent: selected server 'Download26 AVAST server' from 'main'
07:30:53 min/pkg  GetPackages - set proxy for inet
07:30:53 nrm/int  SYNCER: Type: use IE settings
07:30:53 nrm/int  SYNCER: Auth: another authentication, use WinInet
07:30:53 vrb/gen  Used server: http://download26.avast.com/iavs4x
07:30:53 vrb/gen  Used server: http://download26.avast.com/iavs4x
07:30:53 min/pkg  Load C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\Setup\prod-av_pro.vpu
07:30:53 vrb/pkg  LatestPartInfo: jrog = jrog-c
07:30:53 vrb/pkg  LatestPartInfo: news = news-4b
07:30:53 vrb/pkg  LatestPartInfo: program = prg_av_pro-3e9
07:30:53 vrb/pkg  LatestPartInfo: setup = setup_av_pro-3e9
07:30:53 vrb/pkg  LatestPartInfo: vps = vps-75404
07:30:54 vrb/gen  Used server: http://download26.avast.com/iavs4x
07:30:54 vrb/pkg  Part vps-75404 was set to be installed
07:30:54 vrb/pkg  Removed obsolete file part-vps-75403.vpu
07:30:54 min/gen  Part of license key: W39278848H4400A1106
07:30:54 vrb/pkg  IsFullOkay: vpsm-75404.vpu - not okay
07:30:54 vrb/pkg  IsFullOkay: vpsm-75404.vpu - not okay
07:30:55 vrb/pkg  IsFullOkay: vpsm-75404.vpu - not okay
07:30:55 vrb/pkg  IsFullOkay: vpsm-75404.vpu - not okay
07:30:55 vrb/gen  Used server: http://download26.avast.com/iavs4x
07:30:55 nrm/pkg  DldPackage: C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\Setup\vpsm-75404.vpu, returned 0x00000000
07:30:55 vrb/pkg  Removed obsolete file vpsm-75403.vpu
07:31:08 min/pkg  vps: needs to be updated [075404]
07:31:08 vrb/pkg  FilterOutExistingFiles: 145 & 81 = 64
07:31:08 nrm/pkg  Transferred files: 5
07:31:08 nrm/pkg  Transferred bytes: 13202
07:31:08 nrm/pkg  Transfer time: 2078 ms
07:31:09 vrb/int  Sending stats 'http://download26.avast.com/cgi-bin/iavs4stats.cgi': 00000000 204
07:31:09 vrb/fil  NeedReboot=false
07:31:09 min/gen  Return code: 0x20000000 [Something done]
07:31:09 min/gen  Stopped: 07.07.2007, 07:31:09


07:31:09 min/gen  Started: 07.07.2007, 07:31:09
07:31:09 min/gen  Running setup_av_pro-3e9 (1001)
07:31:09 nrm/sys  Operating system: WindowsXP ver 5.1, build 2600, sp 2.0 [Service Pack 2]
07:31:09 vrb/sys  Computer WinName: L-EEVN3JKOAGQU5
07:31:09 min/sys  Windows Net User: SYSTEM
07:31:09 min/gen  Cmdline: /refresh /noreboot /updatevps /verysilent  /limitcpu 
07:31:09 vrb/gen  Operation set to INST_OP_UPDATE_INSTALL_PACKAGES
07:31:09 min/gen  Old version: 3e9 (1001)
07:31:09 nrm/gen  SGW32P::CheckIfInstalled set m_bAlreadyInstalled to 1
07:31:09 nrm/int  SYNCER: Type: use IE settings
07:31:09 nrm/int  SYNCER: Auth: another authentication, use WinInet
07:31:09 vrb/pkg  Part prg_av_pro-3e9 is installed
07:31:09 vrb/pkg  Part vps-75404 is installed
07:31:09 vrb/pkg  Part news-4b is installed
07:31:09 vrb/pkg  Part setup_av_pro-3e9 is installed
07:31:09 vrb/pkg  Part jrog-c is installed
07:31:09 min/gen  Old version: 3e9 (1001)
07:31:10 vrb/fil  SetExistingFilesBitmap: 1024->145->81
07:31:10 min/gen  GUID: 1a43d6b2-8f1e-433f-b7cb-110169a035c0
07:31:10 vrb/gen  Entering:UpdateInstallPackages
07:31:10 min/pkg  Load C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\Setup\prod-av_pro.vpu
07:31:10 vrb/pkg  LatestPartInfo: jrog = jrog-c
07:31:10 vrb/pkg  LatestPartInfo: news = news-4b
07:31:10 vrb/pkg  LatestPartInfo: program = prg_av_pro-3e9
07:31:10 vrb/pkg  LatestPartInfo: setup = setup_av_pro-3e9
07:31:10 vrb/pkg  LatestPartInfo: vps = vps-75404
07:31:10 vrb/pkg  ArePartsInstallable: 1
07:31:23 min/pkg  vps: updated [075404]
07:31:23 vrb/fil  Fix security on: C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\*.*
07:31:24 vrb/fil  Fix security on: C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ENGLISH\*.*
07:31:24 vrb/fil  Fix security on: C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ENGLISH\HELP\*.*
07:31:24 vrb/fil  Fix security on: C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ENGLISH\HtmlData\*.*
07:31:24 vrb/fil  Fix security on: C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\images\*.*
07:31:24 nrm/pkg  Transferred files: 0
07:31:24 nrm/pkg  Transferred bytes: 0
07:31:24 nrm/pkg  Transfer time: 0 ms
07:31:24 vrb/fil  NeedReboot=false
07:31:24 min/gen  Return code: 0x20000000 [Something done]
07:31:24 min/gen  Stopped: 07.07.2007, 07:31:24


07:31:24 min/gen  Started: 07.07.2007, 07:31:24
07:31:24 min/gen  Running setup_av_pro-3e9 (1001)
07:31:24 nrm/sys  Operating system: WindowsXP ver 5.1, build 2600, sp 2.0 [Service Pack 2]
07:31:24 vrb/sys  Computer WinName: L-EEVN3JKOAGQU5
07:31:24 min/sys  Windows Net User: SYSTEM
07:31:24 min/gen  Cmdline: /stopstat /verysilent /noreboot 
07:31:24 vrb/gen  Operation set to INST_OP_[16]
07:31:24 min/gen  Old version: 3e9 (1001)
07:31:24 nrm/gen  SGW32P::CheckIfInstalled set m_bAlreadyInstalled to 1
07:31:24 nrm/int  SYNCER: Type: use IE settings
07:31:24 nrm/int  SYNCER: Auth: another authentication, use WinInet
07:31:24 vrb/pkg  Part prg_av_pro-3e9 is installed
07:31:24 vrb/pkg  Part vps-75404 is installed
07:31:24 vrb/pkg  Part news-4b is installed
07:31:24 vrb/pkg  Part setup_av_pro-3e9 is installed
07:31:24 vrb/pkg  Part jrog-c is installed
07:31:24 min/gen  Old version: 3e9 (1001)
07:31:24 nrm/pkg  Transferred files: 0
07:31:24 nrm/pkg  Transferred bytes: 0
07:31:24 nrm/pkg  Transfer time: 0 ms
07:31:24 vrb/fil  NeedReboot=false
07:31:24 min/gen  Return code: 0x20000001 [Nothing done]
07:31:24 min/gen  Stopped: 07.07.2007, 07:31:24

[Undertoad]

I just realised that I screwed up before. I had checked the registry for "PendingFileRenameOperations" after my computer had been on for a while. After checking it immediately after restart, I do indeed have  "PendingFileRenameOperations" in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager entry.

However, it contains many more lines than just "reboot.txt".

Sorry for the mistake, I'll make sure I read the instructions more carefully in future.

[Lisandro]

Your log seems clean.
I suggest that you backup you registry key before deleting any part of it.
After booting, the key "PendingFileRenameOperations" should be empty.

[Undertoad]

The problem seems to have been solved, thanks for the help.

[Lisandro]

The problem seems to have been solved, thanks for the help.

What did you do?