Avast WEBforum
Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: Blaine B. on March 29, 2014, 01:07:27 AM
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I have a problem here between Avast Free Edition and XP Service Pack 3
Windows XP will freeze at the loading screen. The loading bar stops moving, so I have to do a hard restart and then select "use last known good configuration" for Windows to boot up. Once Windows boots up and Avast loads, it says that my system is not protected because the Avast service has stopped. I cannot turn the service back on.
If I restart, everything is fine, and Windows loads properly. If I go into add/remove programs and REPAIR the Avast installation, it will start working once again, along with the Avast service. But if I restart again, Windows will once again freeze during the loading screen. So I have to then do the "use last known good configuration" all over again, which will then disable the Avast service.
Any idea about what is going on? I am running XP Service Pack 3 fully up to date. Fresh full installation of XP from a few days ago on a formatted drive. I downloaded Avast directly from the Avast web site. There are not viruses or malware on my system as well.
Thanks.
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Install the shields which you skipped.
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/528978/leanest-least-resource-using-free-real-time-virus-protection-for-xp/page-2#entry3327957
Good luck, and enjoy :)
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Why does XP not boot without these shields?
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Mind you, I have Avast installed on another Vista system this sytem is not experiencing the problem that my XP machine is.
Same installation file, same installation settings.
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Any ideas? Is anyone else with XP SP3 experiencing the same type of issue?
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Any ideas? Is anyone else with XP SP3 experiencing the same type of issue?
I have been running Avast on xpSP3 for years, right up to latest version and have NO issues. :)
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Well then what could it be? It is a fresh virgin installation of XP3 that is fully updated with all windows updates. No other running conflicting virus scanners or anything like that.
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Well then what could it be? It is a fresh virgin installation of XP3 that is fully updated with all windows updates. No other running conflicting virus scanners or anything like that.
The cause is a ??
As I've never experienced the symptoms you describe I've had no call to investigate.
Possibly a Driver conflict but who knows as I don't know your OS and frankly wouldn't know where to begin
Good luck. :-\
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@schmidthouse,
Is it OK to have Avast installed but without checking the shields on the Custom installation? I never did, so probably should not have an opinion :)
I know we can temporarily disable one or all shields, but installing with none seems not right to me.
@Blaine B,
From your post over at bleepingcomputer:
Of course, when I installed, I unchecked all of the extra stuff in the center column. I also unchecked the three things in the left column.
Did you install the file shield or are you still trying to run with incomplete, IMO, installation?
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@schmidthouse,
Is it OK to have Avast installed but without checking the shields on the Custom installation? I never did, so probably should not have an opinion :)
I know we can temporarily disable one or all shields, but installing with none seems not right to me.
@Blaine B,
From your post over at bleepingcomputer:
Of course, when I installed, I unchecked all of the extra stuff in the center column. I also unchecked the three things in the left column.
Did you install the file shield or are you still trying to run with incomplete, IMO, installation?
The software wasn't designed, I don't believe to be installed without the core components installed, This means ther'e installed but can be disabled. Just spitballing.
Also, given "fresh install" and all updates, well the room for error there is possible. So extremely hard to tell what's going on.
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I would install it on my second XP SP3 system but I am afraid that I won't be able to boot then.
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I suppose I will have to continue searching for a virus scanner, as there is no solution being provided here by the Avast staff. Oh well.
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Blaine B : I have been using Avast 8.0.1497 and everything is tickety boo. Why don't you give it a try ?
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Latest version of Avast working fine on my Windows XP SP3. Best version yet. Updated via gui.
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I've had a few issues since the latest program update running XP. I also had the boot-up issue and had rebooted the computer in safe mode and ran Ccleaner with the prefetch box checked, then ran Bitdefender rescue CD to rule out the possibility of virus/malware (as I couldn't opt for the Avast Rescue CD), it found nothing- but for some odd reason the computer started to boot without issue (toss-up between the Ccleaner and Rescue Cd working). The next issue I faced was AIS calling up svchost.exe to run at 100% causing the computer to freeze up. This was resolved by booting up while the network was up, apparently Avast's update has to have a connection on start-up. I'm upgrading to Windows 7 soon so I didn't choose to do the repair install option as it may be likely I'll have to re-install the Avast after the update. But for now I have absolutely no issue with Avast or its bells and whistles as long as my network is up on boot.
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I do not recall if I am able to boot into safe mode or not. I know the using "last known good configuration" will allow the computer to boot, but will cause the Avast service to become enabled. And then it cannot be enabled unless I do a repair installation.
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@Blaine B,
Can you answer the question I asked you on page 1 in reply #8. Simple Yes or No will do.
If No, a reason why would be interesting to hear, but you don't have to tell.
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It is the same installation I installed on my Vista machines. No boxes checked except for English.
So you are saying this is an "incomplete" installation? Do I need all of the 3 check boxes in the left column checked to be full? What if I don't want web protection?
There are three choices, for web, file, and email protection.
What is required for a bare minimum installation?
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When you install no shields - I consider it incomplete. But I'm not the authority here.
Three shields are: File shield, Web shield, Mail shield.
IMO File shield must be in. It's the main antivirus thing for real time watch and/or for scans.
Web shield protects you from bad URLs and trojans and junk on a web page.
Mail shield is only for when you use email client (Outlook, Thunderbird...). If you only use web mail (yahoo, google ...) you can uncheck it.
Browser protection is one of the Tools - not relevant here.
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I will install on my own XP SP3 machine right here. With nothing checked in center column, only file shield checked in left column, and english checked in right column.
Oops, sorry, I didn't mean browser protection "tool"....I meant the web shield....in my previous message.
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Take a look here how you can later manage those shields when you need to enable, disable etc
http://www.getavast.net/support/turn-off-shields
Screenshots in the web page are current.
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I installed Avast on my own XP system. I only selected the file shield protection.
I restarted twice and did not have any issues.
The only thing is that it looks like Avast is scanning every time I open a program. I can see the little Avast logo's animation every time I open something.
This may slow things down a little bit.
But overall the program is still very light. Only two open services. Less than 47 mb of memory utilized, though.
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It may be light BUT you only have "extremely limited" protection.
Why only lock 1 door in a house that has 3 doors to lock(the Shields) ???
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Well, you have convinced me to install the most basic protection.
I don't use an email client. And I don't want another layer "protecting" me from my browsing.
Which is why I oped out for those two. But I also added the file protection service to my Vista lap top as well.
on Sunday I will add this protection to my Father's lap top and I will tinker around with his XP desktop.
When I uninstalled Microsoft Security Essentials and Avira I used both of their respective registry cleaners. But I did not use them in safe mode. Perhaps leftover files are conflicting with Avast and causing Windows not to load???
I am unsure what else it could be on his system, considering that Avira does not conflict with my own XP SP3 system.
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Web shield stopped trojans few times for me before they had a chance to infect. That was on my safe sites, which happened to get infected. I'd use it if I were you. And DavidR mentioned once that Mail shield makes sense for an event when some trojan wants to start mailing out things even if you don't have a client.
Uninstalling AV stuff
Stay away from registry cleaners, unless you really must use.
For most AVs, uninstalling by the product's uninstall in Add/Remove is not enough. If you need clean uninstaller use these links. Also read their instructions as they tell if need to be done in safe mode. And many give you no feedback for many minutes before the final success and a reboot request.
Avast uninstaller - you may need to use it if the original installation got really messed up
http://www.avast.com/en-us/uninstall-utility
Other AV uninstallers
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=46021.0
http://kb.eset.com/esetkb/index?page=content&id=SOLN146
I used MSE only once for few days, and it uninstalled cleanly in Add/Remove. Not a trace in the registry when I checked against this list which also includes their uninstaller
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/protect/wiki/mse-protect_start/uninstalling-microsoft-security-essentials/316493c2-8885-46b0-afba-28ebd45c0838
Avira safe mode uninstaller did an excellent job.
Norton/Symantec from OEM installations always leaves some junk behind, but is harmless junk.
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It is the uninstaller utilities that I am referring to when I talked about a registry cleaner to remove traces of my previous MSE and Avira installations.
The Avira tool is called "avira_registry_cleaner_en" and the MSE tool is called "MicrosoftFixit50535."
I can try running them again in safe mode.
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http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=137154.0
This sounds similar to my issue.
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No luck. I uninstalled Avast through add/remove programs.
Then I booted into safe mode and ran both the Avira and Avast uninstaller tools.
Booted back up in normal mode, re-installed Avast. Rebooted
Stuck on the loading screen.
Exactly the same symptoms as before.
Restart, "use last known good configuration," then boots back up to the desktop, but Avast complains that the service is disabled.
What could this be? I find it odd that Avast works fine on my XP machine, but not my Father's. Both have fresh installs of XP SP3 after a complete format from nearly the same time (only a few days apart.)
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?
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Perhaps if you describe more clearly how it's "stuck on the loading screen" and for how long, and does it end up in BSOD if so what's the message.
Maybe even run OTL and essexboy or Eddy might take a look and see some driver conflict on that machine.
How do you get to last known config? Does Windows suggest it? Do you get in somehow or other?
After you do last known config have you tried just clicking on the avast icon on the desktop or from Start>ProgramFiles>Avast... and perhaps then Avast will start its service after a bunch of updates.
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The service cannot start. The only way to have the service start is to do a "repair" installation.
I never get a BSOD. The XP loading bar will just freeze indefinitely. I have to force the computer to shut down by holding the power button. Then when it boots back up, it automatically shows me the menu for selecting safe mode, last known good configuration, and normal boot.
If I do a repair installation in add/remove programs, it will do the exact same freeze when I restart. Just on that one particular system.
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What are the makes of both of those XP computers?
What disk did you use to reinstall Windows? Common, universal clean XP or disk(s) specific to the computer manufacturer?
Does your father's computer work ok other than the avast issue?
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It was a full installation CD for XP SP2 that I slip-streamed SP3 onto. I have the exact same installation CD that I bought at the same time from the same vendor, and I also slipstreamed SP3 on top of my SP2 installation. On my system Avast works, on his it does not. We have unique XP keys, by the way, it is not a shared installation.....even though the XP CDs were identicle, because they were both purchased from the same place at the exact same time.
They are both home-built systems.
Father's system specs:
Asus K8V SE Deluxe motherboard
AMD 3400+ single core processor
1.5 gb DDR RAM
ATI Sapphire X800 Pro 256 mb video
Creative Audigy 2 ZS audio
Dual Seagate 300 gb 7200 rpm SATA drives
My system:
Asus A8N 32 SLI Deluxe motherboard
AMD FX-60 dual core processor
2.0 gb DDR RAM
ATI Sapphire X1950 XT 256 mb video
Creative X-FI Xtreme Music audio
Dual Seagate 320 gb 7200 rpm SATA drives
As you can see the builds were very similar, just a few years apart.
Also, everything else works on his system (and mine)
The only issue is, Avast prevents his system from booting up. And then when I use last known good configuration, Windows is able to boot, but them Avast complains that its service is not running.
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Hi, can you try the following?
1) Get procexp.exe tool (Sysinternals Tools).
2) Disable self-defense in avast! settings.
3) Set registry HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\avast! Antivirus\Start to 3 (by default it's 2).
4) Restart computer, it should start normally.
5) Start ProcExp.exe
5) On command line, type net start "avast! Antivirus"
6) Look if it freezes and if so, create a process dump of AvastSvc.exe.
7) Send this dump to me.
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I will be able to try during this upcoming weekend. That is the next time I will have access to the system.
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Just let me know. Cure to deadlocks is only a process dump so we can see where exactly it hangs.
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So I should do a repair installation of Avast so that the service will be re-enabled while I am logged in, before I change the registry start from 2 to 3? Or should I just change that as-is with the service currently disabled?
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Any idea how I should restore the Avast service for proper testing? Should I do a repair installation to get it fired up again or what?
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Re-enable the service and set it to 3 (to be able to do a manual start from services.msc).
Set it back to 2 (Auto) if you want it make automatically started again.
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Running Win XP and ever since updating to 9.0.2016 (AIS), I've had the issue of having to waiting at least 10 minutes from boot to login, and then allowing another 5 minutes for Windows to load. I've disabled as many processes as possible (leaving only 25 processes running with 2gb ram) and an AMD Sempron 3400+ processor. Before the last Avast program update there were no issues whatsoever. If I don't wait that 10 minutes from boot to login, Avast will not load at all. I've run process hacker and Avast is calling up svchost to run 100% of CPU, something in that last program update is not sitting well with XP. I can have the computer up and running smoothly for hours and then all of a sudden Avast calls up svchost to eat up 100% of CPU resources. I've performed a repair install, reset settings to default and there's no change. I boot up, and the Hard Drive continuously works (scanning) for at least 10 minutes (did NOT do this before last program update). I've ran full scans after the latest updates of Avast, ran a Rescue Disk to rule out any type of virus or malware causing the issue along with Spybot S&D (NOT resident in memory), and Malwarebytes. I have no doubt this lays with Avast's latest update as I had this installed on 2 other (customers) computers with XP having this same issue. I'll be the guinea pig in helping Avast sort this out, unless Avast decides not to support XP anymore. Just let me know what it is you want me to try so I can not give these 2 people reasons to keep complaining about having to wait when starting their computers.
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@Ironic - For what it's worth, I've been having the same problems on a laptop and the only build that still works on that system is the 9.0.2008.
However, I've reported this problem several times in the last months to no avail - basically I was ignored, so at this point I don't really care any more about reporting things to the developers.
I just wanted to let you know that you're not the only one experiencing those issues - Hope you could solve them soon, though.
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Ironic and Tetsuo,
I have a hunch you hijacked this thread and it might not be related to what Blaine B needs. Still,
Perhaps this will help you two where DavidR showed a great solution, though my bootup time wasn't as severe as yours
post #1 and on page 2, post#17 and few that follow here
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=147753.0
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Ironic and Tetsuo,
I have a hunch you hijacked this thread and it might not be related to what Blaine B needs. Still,
Perhaps this will help you two
Sorry for the thread hijacking - in my defence I'd say that this is the only one about XP issues where apparently I can see the presence of a member of the Avast Team.
I'm a power user and I've been using and supporting Avast since v4.5 - there's no known solution to this problem - trust me, I know what to do/try etc...
Probably the issue resides in some changes in the code of one of the recent ultra-bloated Avast builds (let's say post 9.0.2008). I will not continue hijacking this thread, though. Thanks
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We have this problem with 2 of our PCs, but apparently not others. The only specifc similarity between them is that they have an ATI Radeon series X300 graphics adaptor installed, in addition to the one on the motherboard - both use the motherboard's adaptor as default.
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Any ideas? Is anyone else with XP SP3 experiencing the same type of issue?
I am using XP SP3. And I experienced the same type of problem, until I have to uninstall AVAST today after many days trying.
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We have this problem with 2 of our PCs, but apparently not others. The only specifc similarity between them is that they have an ATI Radeon series X300 graphics adaptor installed, in addition to the one on the motherboard - both use the motherboard's adaptor as default.
that is interesting.... my pc is also using ATI. And face problem while startup.
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I was finally able to stop by my Father's place tonight. I am here right now.
I used the Avast uninstaller to fully uninstall Avast, restarted, then download and installed the latest version. I know there has been at least one program update since then, because I updated my Avast software at home.
Same problem.
So I created the "feedback" problem report and eMailed the .zip file to Avast customer service.
By the way, my XP system that Avast works flawlessly on is using an ATI Sapphire X1950 XT graphics card. On the XP system that Avast has issues with, it uses an ATI Sapphire X800 Pro graphics card.
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Well, the Avast team doesn't seem to know what is going on, nor do they seem to have much motivation to diagnose an issue on an XP machine.
There are plenty of other virus utilities out there and I am tired of dealing with this issue. If the staff doesn't care, I certainly don't.
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You are using an OS that is vulnerable to all sorts of stuff. MS is not even supporting it. I would try to update at least to Vista.
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How does that even relate to this issue?
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After recently updating my own system to Avast 2015, I also tried to install Avast 2015 on my father's system running XP Home. The same thing occurs. After installation, the system must be restarted, and then it gets hung up on the loading screen. Turn system off, restart, "use last known good configuration," system boots up properly, but the Avast service is disabled.
Completely removed Avast with the Avast Uninstall Tool and everything is back to normal.
The developers STILL do not know why it only affects this one system? The system I am using Avast on as well is very similar in terms of specs and also is running XP Home!
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What other security based software is installed (firewall, anti-malware, etc.) as this sounds more like a conflict or we would be likely to see much more on the forums.
As you can see from my signature, I'm using winXP and the latest avast version without problem on boot.
Have (or did) your father have another Anti-Virus installed in his system, if so what was it and how did you get rid of it ?
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I had such a problem once. I believe it was when i was using XP machine. The problem then indeed was with Avast and i was able point the problem to rootkit scan at bootup. When unchecking this feature, PC booted fine.
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I am not sure but I may have already tried disabling that.
In order to get Avast running, I have to do a "repair install" which enables Avast during that session, but as as soon as I reboot, it brings it back to the halted Windows loading bar. It halts and the animation just stops, and it will hang there at the stalled loading bar for eternity unless I do a hard reboot and select "use last known good configuration," in which it disables the Avast service and all is well again, but with a disabled Avast.
As for conflicting software - This system has Malwarebytes, Super Anti Spyware, as well as Spyware blaster installed. None of these are set to run full-time. I have the exact same slew of programs installed on my own person machine running XP Home and Avast functions properly and does not stop my system from booting up.
Before Avast, the system had Microsoft Security Essentials installed for real-time protection, but that was completely uninstalled using the uninstall tool from Microsoft.