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Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: Chim on February 08, 2013, 09:15:08 PM

Title: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly? (RESOLVED)
Post by: Chim on February 08, 2013, 09:15:08 PM
Okay, it is of course common knowledge that the absolute ideal situation is to have SP3 on Windows XP installed AND to keep Windows XP completely updated ... for optimum protection.

So, my question does NOT have to do with that.
My question is specific.

DOES avast NEED for Windows XP to HAVE SP3 installed in order for it to work properly?

Again, my question does NOT have anything to do with getting optimum protection.

What I'm getting at is ...  can or will avast malfunction and even cause Windows XP NOT to Boot Up if a computer only has SP2 installed?

The past week I've been having some serious problems with my computer.
Three Windows Reinstalls didn't fix the problem.

Today I've had avast completely disabled and so far my computer has been working great.
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly?
Post by: Chim on February 08, 2013, 09:20:49 PM
I USED to have SP3 installed, but I eventually disabled the Windows Automatic Updates because otherwise I was going to run out of Hard Drive FREE Space.

Recently little by little I started getting little problems.
They then got worse until I started getting Failures to Boot Up.

Sometimes BSODs.
Other times "Operating System cannot be found."

Or whenever my computer did Boot Up, in a couple of minutes, it'd get a BSOD and lock up.
The Hard Drive would turn off for about 3 seconds and then turn back on.

Today with avast disabled, my computer has behaved fine.
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly?
Post by: vsub on February 08, 2013, 10:39:09 PM
No idea if not having SP3 installed is the cause but since Avast 1426(anything newer)often gives me blue screens,problems with programs and sometimes fatal errors(that looks scarier than BSOD).

I removed avast last month because till couple of days ago I didn't have internet so I didn't needed the protection but now I'm wondering what I should install...either 1426 again,the newest version or wait for Avast 8.

I use WinXP pro SP2 and till Avast 1426 I didn't have any Avast related problems
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly?
Post by: Dch48 on February 08, 2013, 10:59:08 PM
How can you run out of HD space just from Windows Updates?  If you have a really small HDD, you can use the option in CCleaner to remove all the update installers and then run the registry cleaner feature to remove the references to them. I do that all the time on my XP machine. Of course you have to wait a few days after updating to make sure there are no problems (I have never experienced any problems due to a Windows update) because when you remove the installer files, you lose the ability to remove the update.

 This option is only present in CCleaner if you are running XP.

You should have SP3, XP runs much smoother with it.
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly?
Post by: timcan on February 08, 2013, 11:14:22 PM
According to Avast, the minimum requirement is SP 2.

Quote
To run avast! Free Antivirus, your PC must meet the following criteria:
Operating Systems Supported

    Windows 8 (any Edition, 32-bit or 64-bit)
    Windows 7 (any Edition, 32-bit or 64-bit)
    Windows Vista (any Edition excl. Starter Edition, 32-bit or 64-bit)
    Windows XP Service Pack 2 or higher (any Edition, 32-bit or 64-bit)
    Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Service Pack 4 (incompatible with avast! Account)

http://www.avast.com/en-us/free-antivirus-download#tab4 (http://www.avast.com/en-us/free-antivirus-download#tab4)
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly?
Post by: Chim on February 09, 2013, 01:35:38 AM
Trust me, Dch48, I WAS heading towards running out of HD Space.  Those monthly Windows Updates are HUGE.  Remember ... my Hard Drive is only 10 Gig.

I already did that Windows Updates Installers Removal bit with CCleaner last year.

I perform frequent cleanings with CCleaner, Glary Utilities and JetClean.  So yeah, I squeeze out as much junk as I can often.

If it hadn't been for a LOT of periodic File Compressions during the routine Free Up Space Maintenance bits all this time, my Hard Drive most assuredly WOULD have run out of Space a long time ago.

And that is considering that ALL of my Stuff is kept on my Flash Drives, NOT on my Hard Drive.
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly?
Post by: Chim on February 09, 2013, 01:47:28 AM
Thanks for that Info, RNfromTN.
According to that, my computer is fine as far as the Windows XP SP2 criteria.

What is NOT out of the question that could be causing a failure to communicate between my computer and avast is my OLD Hardware.  Maybe as more changes are made to avast ... maybe it no longer works well with REALLY old Hardware like my computer.

I say this because a very similar situation happened to me years ago when I used to have McAfee on my Gateway computer with Windows 98SE.  It used to work fine for a couple of years.  Suddenly one day I just up and encountered a failure to Boot Up.

Long story short ... 3 Windows Reinstalls later, I had confirmed that for some reason, McAfee no longer worked with my computer.  McAfee was now for some reason causing my computer NOT to Boot Up even fresh after Windows Reinstalls.

So, I had no choice, but to stop using McAfee.

So, that's why even though avast has served me VERY well since I believe 2008, I don't rule out that MAYBE it might no longer play well with my old computer.  But, the Smoking Gun is NOT yet on the table.  At this point, it's just the theory I'm studying as per the fact that today my computer has worked fine ALL day ... after giving me fits the past several days.
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly?
Post by: Chim on February 09, 2013, 01:51:58 AM
Well, vsub ... depending on whether you have a sort of old computer like I do ... that SP2 COULD possibly be why you're experiencing a similar situation to my current situation.

How old IS your computer?
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly?
Post by: vsub on February 09, 2013, 02:35:09 AM
Pentinum 4 2.8Ghz
1GB ram
6600GT

I'm not sure when was the last time I did a hardware update...maybe 4 or 5 years(maybe more)
Everything else works fine but just avast anything newer than 1426 gives me problems at random
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly?
Post by: Chim on February 09, 2013, 02:58:29 AM
You definitely have a more formidable computer than what I have, vsub.

Well, after having worked fine with ALL the avast Shields disabled ALL day ... my computer finally exhibited the same friggin' symptom a while ago.  The Hard Drive started making its CLICK CLICK CLICK sound and would turn of and back on.  And then the BSOD.

I guess then that probably rules out avast.
Unless avast is still doing SOMETHING in the system even with ALL the Shields disabled.

Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly?
Post by: vsub on February 09, 2013, 03:12:31 AM
Did you check your HDD for bad sectors?
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly?
Post by: Ddm5 on February 09, 2013, 03:34:08 AM
You definitely have a more formidable computer than what I have, vsub.

Well, after having worked fine with ALL the avast Shields disabled ALL day ... my computer finally exhibited the same friggin' symptom a while ago.  The Hard Drive started making its CLICK CLICK CLICK sound and would turn of and back on.  And then the BSOD.

I guess then that probably rules out avast.
Unless avast is still doing SOMETHING in the system even with ALL the Shields disabled.

HDD noise out the ordinary sounds odd and is probably one of the symptoms of an imminent HDD failure.
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly?
Post by: Dch48 on February 09, 2013, 07:26:00 AM
I agree. It sounds like the HDD is about to give up the ghost. It might be a good time to look into getting a used larger one. They can be had cheaply.

You also may have a weakening power supply.
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly?
Post by: Dynaheir on February 09, 2013, 09:51:13 AM
Just to add to the discussion - On table pc (where I am currently) I too have XP SP2 and not keen to make it SP3. So far I didn't suffered any major problem with avast so it must be really individual.
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly?
Post by: Asyn on February 09, 2013, 10:33:58 AM
I strongly suggest to update to SP3..!!
SP2 doesn't get any security updates anymore.
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly?
Post by: SpeedyPC on February 09, 2013, 10:36:52 AM
I strongly suggest to update to SP3..!!
SP2 doesn't get any security updates anymore.

+1 and keep in mind MS XP support and receive updates end until April 8, 2014 ;)
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly?
Post by: Dynaheir on February 09, 2013, 10:44:42 AM
I strongly suggest to update to SP3..!!
SP2 doesn't get any security updates anymore.

I respect your opinion, but no, thanks. It's old machine and hard drive is very slow. This would kill it.
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly?
Post by: Asyn on February 09, 2013, 10:47:17 AM
I strongly suggest to update to SP3..!!
SP2 doesn't get any security updates anymore.

I respect your opinion, but no, thanks. It's old machine and hard drive is very slow. This would kill it.

Well, it's up to you anyway. ;)
But keep in mind that even the best AV can't protect you, if there are holes in your OS..!!
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly?
Post by: SpeedyPC on February 09, 2013, 12:47:47 PM
I strongly suggest to update to SP3..!!
SP2 doesn't get any security updates anymore.

I respect your opinion, but no, thanks. It's old machine and hard drive is very slow. This would kill it.
But keep in mind that even the best AV can't protect you, if there are holes in your OS..!!

This why you must update to SP3 because they plug more holes than SP2 version, as Asyn said it's up to you anyway and it you're computer.
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly?
Post by: bobo1 on February 09, 2013, 01:53:04 PM
Hi,
Have you done CHKDSK /R to check and locate bad sectors. As you have a click click sound from the hard drive. Could be sector failure causing BSOD.

Your drive must be an ide type and are common to replace to a larger size. 10gb is small depending what your swapfile size is.
Download HDTUNE FROM HDTUNE WEBSITE TO TEST THE HARD DRIVE?
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly?
Post by: Chim on February 09, 2013, 02:57:55 PM
Yeah, because of the slow clicking noise, way in the beginning I did lean towards thinking it was the Hard Drive likely giving out.

I just tried to explore all options since I was trying to connect the dots of whether other problems were connected .

Like for example ... when that mysterious problem of my Flash Drive suddenly showing up as Drive F: instead of the usual Drive E:  Then I started getting a message informing that New Hardware had been found and Drivers were attempting to be found.  I had NOT installed any Hardware.

Bob, if that computer decides to work this morning, I'll run that CHKDSK /R.

Actually, I already TRIED to change to another Hard Drive the other day.  Let me start another topic on that later this morning.  I'll explain what I did and maybe you all can HOPEFULLY have some insight to some key step that I might have NOT done ... which resulted in the HD Upgrade not working.

Thanks for all the input and suggestions, guys!
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly?
Post by: Dch48 on February 09, 2013, 03:18:37 PM
I strongly suggest to update to SP3..!!
SP2 doesn't get any security updates anymore.

I respect your opinion, but no, thanks. It's old machine and hard drive is very slow. This would kill it.
SP3 runs smoother than SP2
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly?
Post by: Chim on February 09, 2013, 03:25:50 PM
As I type this ... CHKDSK /R is at Stage 5 running on my other computer.
We'll see in just a bit what the results are.
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly?
Post by: Chim on February 09, 2013, 03:34:24 PM
What the ???
After it finished Stage 5, it just displayed the results for like 2 seconds, not exactly allowing me to read them.
I THINK I might have vaguely caught that is said 0 in Bad Sectors or something like that.
But, I can't say  with 100% certainty that that's what I saw.

Then after another slight Boot Up, it paused to inform me that it had finished checking my Disk.

Then regular Boot Up ensued.

Is there anyway I can find the results of that CHKDSK somewhere somehow?
Otherwise I won't know whether it did find any Bad Sectors and whether it repaired them.
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly?
Post by: SpeedyPC on February 09, 2013, 03:46:20 PM
I'm not 100% sue if this will help you :-\
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/chkdsk.mspx
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly?
Post by: Para-Noid on February 09, 2013, 04:42:36 PM
Just wondering if anyone noticed that Chim has only a 10GB HDD and 256MB RAM?
Space seems to be his biggest problem.  ???
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly?
Post by: DavidR on February 09, 2013, 04:45:49 PM
Yes, and he is addressing that in another topic.
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly?
Post by: Chim on February 09, 2013, 05:03:27 PM
Speedy, I looked at the Info in your link.
I then ran CHKDSK again ... this time with the /r /v /f  parameters instead of just the /r  parameter.

It was odd that as per what I thought I understood in the Info, with the /v  parameter, all the Filenames were supposed to be visible as they were checked.  That didn't happen.

Nevertheless, this time I DID manage to catch at the end of the Disk Check that there were 0 bytes in Bad Sectors.
And it also indicated "System clean."
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly?
Post by: SpeedyPC on February 09, 2013, 05:54:37 PM
Nevertheless, this time I DID manage to catch at the end of the Disk Check that there were 0 bytes in Bad Sectors.
And it also indicated "System clean."

Chim in this case you just save you're own hairy cheesy bare arse with extra smelly garlic now upgrade that bastard RAM it won't kill you for another year ;D
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly?
Post by: Chim on February 09, 2013, 06:39:47 PM
Well, for starters, from what I've found on the Net, 256 Meg of RAM IS the Max that this HP Pavilion 6730 will take.

Then, until if and when the specific problem is found as to what's causing this intermittent problem, it wouldn't be a good idea to waste money on more RAM if the problem gets worse and I eventually have to finally retire the computer.

For example, there in the beginning of the year, I had already bought a TigerDirect.com Gift Card so as to buy a CPU Fan from their website.  At first I just simply procrastinated ordering the Fan.  But, then the problems started cropping up.  I then went, "Okay.  I'd better hold off on ordering that CPU Fan cuz if this computer bites the dust, I will have wasted $12.00 for a CPU Fan that I won't be able to use."

So yeah, for now I''m holding off on that CPU Fan until I see which direction this mystery is going to take.
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly?
Post by: vsub on February 09, 2013, 07:39:37 PM
About the chkdsk,are you directly typing the command in run(Start=>Run)or you open the command prompt and then type it?

All commands that run dos programs if not started from the cmd will immediately close after they did what you told them to do(unless the program is maded that way to not close the cmd window but those programs are rare)
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly?
Post by: bobo1 on February 09, 2013, 09:00:34 PM
If he types CMD in the run box by clicking on Start.
Then type CHKDSK /r on (CMD) Black window the computer will say then the drive is in use by another program etc. Would you like to shedule when system restarts etc!

Anyway as he has done scandisk the results of the scan will be in the Event view log under application tab (winlogon)event

As in the original post if his computer is limited to 256mb of ram then xp will be slow. I am on 512mb of ram and is fine with only 25 processes running in taskmanager. If he is using a 10gb hard drive and the free space is below 18% then windows will stall and bsod regular swap file will grow and take up space. The windows update service will hold many files in C:\windows folder SOFTWARE DISTRIBUTION inside that folder the dowloads files can be removed from there (Will contain several MBytes) related to windows update to free up hard drive space!
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly?
Post by: Chim on February 09, 2013, 09:36:05 PM
What I did was Boot into Safe Mode with Command Prompt.

THEN I typed in - chkdsk /r /v /f

Yes, like Bob said, at first I was informed that the Drive was in use by another program or something and that if I wanted to schedule the Disk Check to take place after the next Restart.  So I typed in "y" and it ran thoroughly after the next Reboot.
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly?
Post by: bobo1 on February 09, 2013, 11:00:12 PM
How Many background processes are running when you are running normaly?? Try trimming it down if you have more than 30+ Have you done a test for spyware?
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly?
Post by: Chim on February 10, 2013, 12:11:37 AM
Malware, Spyware and Adware are really NOT a factor in the equation.
I've done 3 Windows Reinstalls since the problems started.

And I checked my Flash Drive with avast, SAS, MBAM and it came out clean.

For whatever reason, it's worked a lot better yesterday and today versus the beginning of the week.

A while ago I even opened it up, took out the CPU Fan and cleaned thoroughly with WD40.  I carefully dried it out with compressed air.  And I lubricated it.  It had started getting a little noisy again.  At first I was afraid to power down the computer.  I was, "MAN!  What if after I power it down to clean and lubricate the CPU Fan, then it won't Boot Up?"  ;D  But, while the noise was not yet horrible, it was annoying me.  So, I decided, "What the heck.  Power it down and take care of that Fan."

Now it's quietly humming and the computer is so far running fine.

Hopefully SOMEHOW the CHKDSK I ran this morning helped it.

Since the question in my Topic Title has been answered, I'll consider this topic RESOLVED.
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly? (RESOLVED)
Post by: Dch48 on February 10, 2013, 01:14:53 AM
You don't need to go into safe mode to run Chkdsk. You just right click on the C: drive in My Computer and then on Tools. Select to check the disk for errors and tell it to automatically fix any. It will then tell you that it needs to reboot to perform the check. Let it reboot normally and it will run Chkdsk, close it before you can really see what it did, and then reboot again and load Windows. To see what actually happened and what problems were actually fixed you then have to open up Event Viewer in Administrative tools, select the Application log and then double click on the most recent entry called Winlogon.
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly? (RESOLVED)
Post by: Chim on February 10, 2013, 04:52:13 PM
Ohhh, Okay, Dch48 ... Good Info!

It's that when I originally went to go perform the CHKDSK, I could have sworn that I recalled there being an Icon in the Control Panel to go into MSDOS.  I went and checked and there was nothing.  I figured maybe it was on Windows 98 that that existed.  I then went, "NOW what?"  Then I remembered that Booting into Safe Mode had some option about Command Prompt.  So, I went with that.

After the fact, I now see that I can get to the Command Prompt via :  All Programs > Accessories

But yeah, I'll certainly try to remember the Right Click on C: Drive tip.  Thanks.

The computer ran fine ALL DAY yesterday.
And it Booted Up fine this morning and is running fine.

Odd.  Must have been one of those problems that sometimes come out of the blue ... and then go away on their own.
That happened to me a couple of years ago on my other computer.  One afternoon, the CD ROM just suddenly came to a terrible Screeching halt!  Screeeeeeeeeech!  It sounded horrible, like something had gotten stuck and the Drive had bit the dust.

It then didn't want to work even after a couple of Reboots and powering the computer down for 10 minutes.
I resigned myself to that the CD ROM had been FUBARed.
But, after 30 minutes of the computer being down, I gave it one more shot and the CD ROM Drive worked again all on its own.
Title: Re: Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly? (RESOLVED)
Post by: Dch48 on February 10, 2013, 10:58:16 PM
Those intermittent problems can often be caused by a power supply that is getting ready to bite the dust.