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Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: idleracer on July 08, 2012, 09:35:18 PM

Title: Something Unusual In My Registry
Post by: idleracer on July 08, 2012, 09:35:18 PM

My operating system is Windows XP. I frequently clean up my registry manually. This is the first time my Registry Mechanic software has ever detected anything specifically related to Avast. Here is what it is telling me is "Invalid." All seven entries are located in:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\AppEvents\Schemes\Apps\Avast\

Automatic VPS update\.default
(Default) = C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\English\vpsupd.wav

Detection of suspicious message\.default
(Default) = C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\English\suspic.wav

Mouse over the simple user interface button\.default
(Default) = C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\English\hover.wav

Other malware found\.default
(Default) = C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\English\malfound.wav

Simple user interface button pressed\.default
(Default) = C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\English\press.wav

Task done\.default
(Default) = C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\English\ready.wav

Virus found\.default
(Default) = C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\English\virfound.wav

In other words, it is asking me to delete everything in the .default folders,
leaving the very similar looking Dfault0□ folders in their place. Before I
delete anything, I want to make sure that there isn't something fishy
going on here. Thanks in advance.  ???

Title: Re: Something Unusual In My Registry
Post by: DavidR on July 08, 2012, 09:50:30 PM

They are invalid only if they are for avast4 sound files and you don't have avast4, so the files wouldn't be present in those locations (the registry entry would effectively be an orphan).

Registry tools are double edged swords and at times do more harm than good.

So what avast version are you using, latest is 7.0.1456 ?

Title: Re: Something Unusual In My Registry
Post by: idleracer on July 08, 2012, 09:56:37 PM

That is indeed the version I am using!

Title: Re: Something Unusual In My Registry
Post by: DavidR on July 08, 2012, 10:10:19 PM

You mean you are using avast 4 or the latest version.

If the latest avast 7 version then they are orphans if the sense there is no parent program/folder/file, but they wouldn't be harming anything by being there. If you chose to remove them take care that there aren't any other sub-keys relating to the current version.

Then this is the double edged sword of registry cleaners as these would be valid, without those keys you would have no avast 4 sounds for those actions.

Title: Re: Something Unusual In My Registry
Post by: idleracer on July 08, 2012, 10:16:34 PM

I have the latest (avast7) which I guess is why those things have shown up. I was just a little suspicious because nothing from avast has ever shown up in my registry previously (which would lead me to assume that avast usually automatically deletes the "orphans" on it's own). Thanks for the information!  ;)

Title: Re: Something Unusual In My Registry
Post by: igor on July 08, 2012, 10:32:50 PM

I guess the updater didn't remove those entries when avast! 4 was updated to a higher version.
avast! version 5/6/7 uses its own sound handling, doesn't register the events in sound schemes - so there shouldn't be any related subkeys.

Title: Re: Something Unusual In My Registry
Post by: DavidR on July 09, 2012, 12:18:11 AM

Quote from: idleracer on July 08, 2012, 10:16:34 PM

I have the latest (avast7) which I guess is why those things have shown up. I was just a little suspicious because nothing from avast has ever shown up in my registry previously (which would lead me to assume that avast usually automatically deletes the "orphans" on it's own). Thanks for the information!  ;)

You're welcome.

Igor's post should clear up my misconception that there might have been sub-keys.