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Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: louisemains on August 26, 2004, 10:05:33 AM

Title: Scan Local Disks Hang-Up
Post by: louisemains on August 26, 2004, 10:05:33 AM
Hi Everyone:

I have an external hdd (drive f), and when I set Avast to scan local disks, it scans C, then hangs up when it gets to F.  I tried to exclude F in the exclusions section, but same thing.  It says it's still running, but it hangs and doesn't give me a report on C.  I have to close the program then, and it doesn't register than a scan was done at all. Can anyone help? :)
Title: Re:Scan Local Disks Hang-Up
Post by: igor on August 26, 2004, 10:14:36 AM
A couple of questions: :)
What is your operating system?
How do you "close" the program when it hangs?
What exactly did you put to the list of exclusions?
Can you scan the drive F: alone?
What happens when you choose to scan selected areas (instead of local hard disks), and select all the drives (including F:)?
Is there anything special about this F: drive?
Title: Re:Scan Local Disks Hang-Up
Post by: louisemains on August 26, 2004, 10:26:12 AM
Wow! - didn't expect a reply this soon - another night owl?

OS is XP Pro
I closed once with the 'x" on the interface and once with Windows Task Manager
I excluded F:\
I didn't try F alone, because hard disks automatically includes C and F
I didn't try selected areas (duh - maybe I will now) I saw the word "folders" and disregarded it
The F is a backup external hard drive, so theoretically everything is clean before it goes there

Thanks so much for your fast reply!!
Title: Re:Scan Local Disks Hang-Up
Post by: Eddy on August 26, 2004, 10:31:20 AM
Quote
Wow! - didn't expect a reply this soon - another night owl?
Welcome to this board.
Get used to fast replies if you hang out here. ;D
Night owl? hmm it is 10.30 am here ;D Don't forget the internet is worldwide.

Have you tried chkdisk before running Avast to see if there are any problems?
Title: Re:Scan Local Disks Hang-Up
Post by: igor on August 26, 2004, 11:54:36 AM
Wow! - didn't expect a reply this soon - another night owl?

Night? Not anymore... around noon here :)

I closed once with the 'x" on the interface and once with Windows Task Manager

If it can be closed by the 'x' from the interface, it's not really frozen...

I excluded F:\

Try to put F:* into the list of exclusions.

I didn't try F alone, because hard disks automatically includes C and F

Well, I meant scanning F: using the "Folders" option.

The F is a backup external hard drive, so theoretically everything is clean before it goes there

I didn't mean viruses... I was rather asking if there's anything special about the drive F: that it may not be scanned correctly (filesystem, special hardware, special content... don't know exactly).
Title: Re:Scan Local Disks Hang-Up
Post by: louisemains on August 26, 2004, 12:24:09 PM
I just tried using the folders, selected the C drive, and it worked fine - sorry for being so stupid!  This forum was down for awhile, so I'm just now getting back.

I had just run a chkdisk and it was fine.

Yes, worldwide - isn't it wonderful?  I used to be a Napster user before they started suing everyone, and I am a night owl - up at nights, sleep during the day like a vampire (lol).  Anyway, I was amazed at the people I was getting chatty comments from were from the other side of the globe until I figured out everyone was asleep here (USA).  I'm a little slow - it takes me awhile (lol). I'm a little embarrassed these days to admit I'm an American.

Where are you all from?  Everyone writes English so well.  Embarrassingly, I don't do so well in other languages.

Another question since I seem to have an audience:  At the end of my scans I always get about 350 or so files that couldn't be scanned - password protected - they are from docs and settings, sb recovery.ini. It's looks like spyware or adware, but I'm afraid to delete it, thinking it may be from one of the spyware programs I have installed: Adaware and Spybot S & D.  Any ideas?
Title: Re:Scan Local Disks Hang-Up
Post by: igor on August 26, 2004, 04:49:07 PM
I just tried using the folders, selected the C drive, and it worked fine - sorry for being so stupid!

The program certainly shouldn't behave as you described... if it does, it's a bug that should be fixed.
Could you please try the previous suggestions (e.g. running a scan of F: drive only) to see if the problem appears as well?

Where are you all from?  Everyone writes English so well.  Embarrassingly, I don't do so well in other languages.

We (i.e. the company - ALWIL Software) are from the Czech Republic, located in Prague. The users of this forum, however, are from everywhere :)

Another question since I seem to have an audience:  At the end of my scans I always get about 350 or so files that couldn't be scanned - password protected - they are from docs and settings, sb recovery.ini. It's looks like spyware or adware, but I'm afraid to delete it, thinking it may be from one of the spyware programs I have installed: Adaware and Spybot S & D.  Any ideas?

Yes, you'd probably find lots of posts on the forum about it. Some programs, especially anti-ad/spyware programs, keep their data files in password-protected archives (ZIP, usually). avast! isn't able to scan these files (that's why the password protection is there) and it notifies you about it. You don't have to worry about them - it's absolutely normal.
Title: Re:Scan Local Disks Hang-Up
Post by: MikeBCda on August 26, 2004, 06:30:18 PM
Where are you all from?  Everyone writes English so well.  Embarrassingly, I don't do so well in other languages.

Off-topic with regard to your "main" concerns, but in reply to this specific question ...

I don't think we ever did anything similar here, but over at the Wilders Security forums there's a "Where's everyone from?" poll with fascinating results.  And I imagine if we did something similar here (in "Off Topic" -- but I don't YaBB supports polls), the results would be at least roughly similar.

Over there, N. America plus Europe combined account for about 85 percent of members who responded, with the others literally all over the world including no less than 2 in Antarctica.
Title: Re:Scan Local Disks Hang-Up
Post by: louisemains on August 26, 2004, 06:31:37 PM
Apparently, the problem is with the F Drive.  I tried scanning it, and it just hangs there.  When I try to stop the scanning process, it locks in limbo.  If I use the "x" to close, it says a scan is running.  It's scanning the C Drive properly, though.

Thank you for all your help.  I am amazed that your understanding of English is so flawless - better than many here!
Title: Re:Scan Local Disks Hang-Up
Post by: louisemains on August 26, 2004, 06:37:56 PM
Hello, Mike.  I was always amazed at the places I would chat to people from:  USSR, New Zealand, England, Ireland, Australia, etc. - none from Anarctica (lol) that I know of.  Everyone did a good job with English as well - amazing (to me at least).
Title: Re:Scan Local Disks Hang-Up
Post by: igor on August 26, 2004, 07:06:02 PM
Could you try to go to the program settings, turn on the creation of the report file and set everything to be included there? (all kind of errors and OK files). Then, run the scan of the F: drive again... when it "locks" and you stop it, check the report file - maybe it tells us something useful.

Btw, what are your settings (sensitivity) of the scan? Do you have the "Scan archive files" option checked?
Title: Re:Scan Local Disks Hang-Up
Post by: louisemains on August 26, 2004, 07:33:13 PM
I set the report to check all, but it didn't generate anything but start, stop, and run times.

I have it set for a thorough scan and the scan archive file is enabled.

I have to go to bed now - I can't even see straight anymore.

You don't need to spend any more of your time on this - the C drive is all I really need to check.  I thank you heartily for all the time you HAVE spent with me.
Title: Re:Scan Local Disks Hang-Up
Post by: igor on August 26, 2004, 09:07:35 PM
I set the report to check all, but it didn't generate anything but start, stop, and run times.

It seems that the scanner simply didn't find any files on the F: drive and just quitted...
I know it's a stupid question, but is there anything on the F: drive?
Title: Re:Scan Local Disks Hang-Up
Post by: Gene Johnson on August 27, 2004, 01:46:44 AM
OK guys, now I need the same help. Mine hangs up everytime I do a scan. It stops somewhere (not always the same number) in the Windows\system32\drivers scan and just hangs. When I eventually try to click off with the "X" in the right hand corner I get the "program not responding" note coming up. I went online and did a Panda Active Scan 5.01 scan and nothing showed up. Also Ad-AwareSE and Spybot S&D show clean so I am relatively sure it is not something bad on the machine. Could it be related to the SP2 or Yahoo! upgrades that I have installed? I am running avast the same way I always do: Scan c: drive in thorough scan mode without scanning archives.
Title: Re:Scan Local Disks Hang-Up
Post by: Gene Johnson on August 27, 2004, 02:14:52 AM
additional info: Restarted in safe mode. Still hangs up some where near file 280 in "drive programs". Task manager shows 100% usage. 98% ashSimpl.exe and 2% taskmgr.exe.

Also, Windows Firewall is popping up wanting to deny access to VisualZone even though Windows Firewall is turned off. Could this be related?
Title: Re:Scan Local Disks Hang-Up
Post by: louisemains on August 27, 2004, 02:31:57 AM
That's amazing, Gene, that the windows firewall is trying to interfere even after it's activated!

The difference in your problem and mine, is that my scan never starts (0 scanned), but when I hit the "x" to close it indicates (and shows on the interface) that it IS running.  I can leave it indefinitely, and it just stays like that.

Igor - yes, my f drive is full of a ghost hard drive backup (maybe the ghost is hiding - lol) and backup files from the C drive.
Title: Re:Scan Local Disks Hang-Up
Post by: Gene Johnson on August 27, 2004, 07:08:54 AM
Well, I finally got it to function properly. I first went to repair in the Add/Delete section of Control Panel. Did not solve the problem. It still hung up after a few files. So, I uninstalled and reinstalled avast! from my "security" CD. Now it runs fine. Must have been a corrupted file. When I ran my first scan I did find a Win32:Kuang2 trojan in imscan.dll however, and sent it to Virus Chest.

Maybe this will help you, louisemains.

Gene.........
Title: Re:Scan Local Disks Hang-Up
Post by: louisemains on August 27, 2004, 08:13:31 AM
Thanks, Gene.  That might be an option after I download SP2.  I think I'm going to leave it alone for now.
Title: Re:Scan Local Disks Hang-Up
Post by: bob3160 on August 27, 2004, 10:02:05 PM
louisemains
Reading what Gene J just posted, I'd get rid of the problem before installing SP2. Thatway at least you know any new problems are SP2 related and not a possible combined problem. It's a lot easyer to to a complete un-install of Avast! and a re-install then to have to unistall SP2.
Just use the  Avast! Complete Uninstall Utility (http://www.avast.com/eng/download/programs/avast_uninstall_util.html)
Title: Re:Scan Local Disks Hang-Up
Post by: louisemains on August 28, 2004, 06:31:57 AM
Thanks, Bob.  I really think the problem is with the F drive, not Avast. I hate to be vulnerable to an attack for the time it takes to download - about an hour with broadband?  I read an article recently that said it took an unprotected machine 20 minutes (I think) to be attacked after it was first set up - pretty alarming!  If the problem were with Avast, why would it scan my C drive without problems.  The problem starts when it comes to F.
Title: Re:Scan Local Disks Hang-Up
Post by: CharleyO on August 28, 2004, 07:46:19 AM
*

An hour to download? I hope you mean it takes that long to download SP2?    ???

What Bob meant was for you to download the avast uninstaller, run it to remove the bad install of avast that you have now, and then re-install avast BEFORE downloading SP2. That way, you will be protected while doing the long download.    :)

It should only take a few mins at most to re-download the avast installer. So, you should be fairly safe doing this. Once you have the new copy of the installer, you can then dis-connect from the internet. Be sure to stop all possible programs running before re-installing avast!    :)

But, I see your point. If it scans C drive then it should scan F drive ... unless, you have somehow protected F drive from this?

*
Title: Re:Scan Local Disks Hang-Up
Post by: louisemains on August 28, 2004, 10:42:04 AM
Hi, Charley - yes I meant an hour, give or take, to download SP2.  I really am not convinced I have a bad install of Avast.  I think it may be something on the drive, like Norton Ghost, that's causing it.  I tried to do an XP backup, but it ran out of space on the drive - don't know if that might have anything to do with it either.  I don't think I can really blame Avast, though.  I works well everywhere else.  I don't know what the rationale is for XP backup not being compatible to CD or DVD backup - only floppies or other drives ::) - what's up with that?  Who uses floppies anymore?