Avast WEBforum
Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: psiegel on January 11, 2006, 01:11:45 PM
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I've been using Avast for some time now and have been very happy with it. Just recently though for reasons unknown Windows Security Center has stopped recognizing avast. When I boot up, I get the little red shield icon in my task tray with the message "Antivirus software might not be installed." Avast has been running fine on my machine for months. What's changed?
The machine in question is running Windows XP Home, and Avast version 4.6.744. It has all the latest Windows updates, and I can see the following running in the task manager: ashDisp.exe, ashMaiSv.exe, ashServ.exe, ashWebSv.exe, and ashUpdSv.exe. I have another machine running Windows XP Pro which also uses Avast and is not experiencing the problem.
I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling Avast a couple of times to no effect. Any ideas what the problem might be?
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Are your system time and date correct? Can you check, specially the year?
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Does this relate to your problem http://www.avast.com/eng/faq-other-questions.html#idt_1539
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@Tech: System date and time are correct, including the year.
@DavidR: No, that's unrelated. As I said, Avast is running just fine. In fact, I just got notification that the virus database was updated. It seems only that Windows Security Center is not detecting that I've got Avast installed. Especially odd being that it used to detect it just fine.
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Occasionaly this is a windows related problem in the WSC, so long as avast is working correctly you can chose for WSC not to monitor it.
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Well, I guess if that's the only work around it'll have to do. It's a shame though. It struck me as odd that it worked just fine for so long and then just suddenly stopped working. I suppose it was likely due to a recent Windows or Avast update. If that's true, maybe a subsequent update down the line will solve the problem.
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If it were a recent avast update then more would be suffering the effect, which doesn't seem to be the case.
You could try 'System File Checker Utility - sfc' which checks for file corruption, etc., Start, Run, type "sfc /scannow" without the quotes. You will need your windows CD.
The other option of a Windows Repair install may be even less palatable than the work around.
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Hi psiegel ... welcome to the forums! :)
I have a similar set-up to what you have mentioned about your computer and WSC is regonizing Avast on my computer with the recent Avast updates. So, there must be something in your computer's WSC that is not working correctly. You may have to try one of David's 3 solutions.
I wonder, though, if maybe a repair or re-install of Avast might help WSC recognize Avast? I know Avast is working correctly for you but it wouldn't hurt to try a repair (or re-install). Be sure to be on-line if you decide to try the repair.
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Hi psiegel...
Have you find the cause of your problem? Because I'm having exactly the same thing happening in my computer and I don't know how to fix it. ???
Thank you for your answer.
Pampas :)
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Have you tried the various options suggested in this thread?
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Yes! Nothing seems to work.
????
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So your ran sfc /scannow and you did a repair install of windows?
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So your ran sfc /scannow and you did a repair install of windows?
I have exactly the same problem. Yesterday everything works fine, today windows security center does not recognize avast antivirus program installed. I have already reinstalled program with no success.
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DavidR
Yes, I've run "sfc /scannow" and I have window opened and very fast closed, so I can't really say if the repair it's done or not. I've got to say also that I don't know very much of computers. ::)
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Run 'cmd' without the quotes first that will open a dos window, type the sfc /scannow from the dos prompt > that should work. It will certainly take a little time.
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Boys, did you try disabling the Security Center Service (stopping it) and then enabling it again (or booting).
(Let the Service to Automatic start).
Maybe something is in the 'memory' of WSC that should be restarted...
Sorry for the old suggestion, stop and start, boot... sometimes works ;D
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Boys, did you try disabling the Security Center Service (stopping it) and then enabling it again (or booting).
(Let the Service to Automatic start).
Maybe something is in the 'memory' of WSC that should be restarted...
Sorry for the old suggestion, stop and start, boot... sometimes works ;D
Thank you, that realy works for me. :D :D
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I've tried everything and nothing seems to fix my problem. :-[
The message I've got is something like this: (in french)
"avast! antivirus 4.6.744[VPS 0603-0] notifies that it is problably out of date"
but avast is working perfectly!
So any suggestions will be welcome.
Thanks a lot!
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I've tried everything and nothing seems to fix my problem. :-[
This seems a problem with the date and time of the system, but you're saying that you've done everything, so I don't know ::) ???
Any other antivirus in your system?
Answers for XP Security Center not detecting anti-virus program could be found here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/883792 (the link was kindly found by David...).
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I've tried everything and nothing seems to fix my problem.
Can you clarify the everything that you have tried?
Then perhaps we may see if there is something that you haven't tried.
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OK, I just want to add something from my point of view. Almost all of you are making an elephant from fly. I mean Security Center is not the main or very useful function of XP. So, if avast really works fine, but SC shows warnings, just do the following:
1. If it reports avast outdate - check computer clock at first and what avast is showing itself.
2. If it reports you don't have antivirus software installed, or it is outdated, but you know everything's ok - just disable antivirus monitoring in SC, and it won't give any warnings about it, even SC remains active and will give notifications about firewall or automatic updates status.
3. Just shut down Security Center service at all (note: Spybot S&D may give you a warning after scan, but in this case you'll be able to add it to it's exclusion list)
I'm writing it because I think it's useless to talk about the same thing again and again. If my memory not fails me, where were more than one thread about Win SC failures. It's Windows, not avast fault. Moreover, as I said, the SC service is almost useless and unimportant point in all Your's XP SP2 installations.
Regards,
Paulius
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Certainly not useless, if your firewall or AV just happen to be disabled by malware, the Windows Security Center may be the first indication you get.
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In some cases, usually malware kills SC at first. I had this situation. SC and all monitoring - killed, Windows Firewall - killed, even it was not turned on, Automatic Updates - killed. I had no warning about it, so don't rely on SC too much. ;)
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Yes i agree with Ylap's point there, i also think Security Center is pretty useless and i have it disabled since day 0 ;)
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Security Center is a service, a feature, and not a shield for protection.
It can not only be killed but even disabled... pretty easy.
It's sold as being protection but it is just a monitor of the system status.
The problem is that people think it is protection...
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As I said...
Almost all of you are making an elephant from fly.
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DavidR,
1. I've checked time and date : correct
2. I've been in faq-other-questions.html page
3. I've tried "cmd" and then "sfc/sannow": windows haven't asked me for the CDs.????
4. I've repaired Avast Installation, even I've unistalled it and reinstalled later.
5. I've tried disabling the Security Center and enabling it again (old suggestion: stop and start)
6. And then... when I thought that everything was lost... :'( I've gone to "System Tools", "System Restore" and I've restored the operating system to a previous state in wich I was sure Avast and the Security Center were working fine. ::)
The end of this story??? Everything is fine now!!!! ;D
Thanks a lot to everybody, anyway. I appreciate your help!
Just a note for =YLAP= : for me, a newbie with computers WSC lets me see whats going on with my protection software.
Thank you again! :D