Avast WEBforum
Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: Lars-Erik on March 06, 2011, 08:32:04 PM
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After upgrading to 6.0 my XP system hangs at shutdown.
It's at there very last stage of the shutdown.
All dialogs are closed and I'm just waiting for the power-off.
Instead nothing happends (left the system on for 12 hours :-)
Anyone know what could be causing this problem, and how get fix it?
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I suggest an installation from scratch:
1. Download the latest version of avast! Uninstall Utility (http://www.avast.com/eng/avast-uninstall-utility.html) and save it.
2. Download the latest avast! (http://www.avast.com/eng/programs.html) version and save it.
3. Uninstall avast from Control Panel (if possible). If, for any reason, you can't run it, try booting in Safe Mode (http://www.pchell.com/support/safemode.shtml) and doing it from there. Anyway, boot after that.
4. Run the avast! Uninstall Utility saved on 1. If, for any reason, you can't run it, try booting in Safe Mode (http://www.pchell.com/support/safemode.shtml) and doing it from there. Anyway, boot after you've run it.
5. Install avast! using the setup saved on 2. Boot.
6. Register your free copy or add the license key for Pro.
7. Check and post the results. If, for any reason, you did not solve, try doing the step 3 in Safe Mode anyway.
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Isn't there a display pop-up on shutdown, as there is a delay set in and that should show the stalled program, etc.
If no display - Try and find UHPclean User Hive Profile clean. Basically this Microsoft program (run at startup) closes user hive profiles that haven't closed, so this may help. However, it doesn't identify the process as far as I'm aware, you could try checking the windows event viewer for any associated entries.
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Relevant link: User Profile Hive Cleanup Service (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=1b286e6d-8912-4e18-b570-42470e2f3582&displaylang=en).
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I suggest an installation from scratch:
What would that change? Apart from beeing a lot of work?
I remember this happening on some other upgade too.
I we have to uninstall and reinstall everytime there is an upgrade, well :-)
To bad I can't see what process is hanging (can't open Process Explorer when XP is closing)
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I'm trying to troubleshoot.
It's not normal that the internal upgrade fails.
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I did a uninstall, then clean up registry (both manually and with Registry Mechanic).
After reboot without avast! everything works OK at shutdown.
Then I reinstalled avast!.
First shutdown went normal.
Next shutdown hanged as earlier :-(
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First shutdown went normal.
Next shutdown hanged as earlier :-(
Install UPHClean (link above) and use event viewer to find out what's the problem. Guessing what's wrong doesn't work.
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What does UPHClean do?
I have removed all traces of avast! on the system before reinstalling.
Is there any debugging function I can use to check what is happening?
Nothing unnormal in the logs :-(
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What does UPHClean do?
It's described in the article I have linked.
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OK, I'll try it and see if the system shuts down and what the event log says.
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I suggest an installation from scratch:
What would that change? Apart from beeing a lot of work?
I remember this happening on some other upgade too.
I we have to uninstall and reinstall everytime there is an upgrade, well :-)
To bad I can't see what process is hanging (can't open Process Explorer when XP is closing)
Hello, just a thought but you might be able to get an idea from checking the system Event Logs. Right click on My Computer and select Manage, then select the Event Viewer. You can go through the System and Application logs and by looking at the timestamps, maybe you can find the offending process.
--Wesley
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OK, I'll try it and see if the system shuts down and what the event log says.
Now I have tried all suggestions. Found nothing. Almost...
What I have found is that this only happends when both avast! and ZoneAlarm is running.
If I shut down one of them it does not hang.
And.... It doesn't always hang... I depends what applications I use between startup and shutdown.
I'll try to stop different avast! modules before shutdown and see if one special is causing the hang...
PS! In the back of my head I can remember this occuring with a older version of avast! as well...
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As far as I know, the combination of XP, ZA and Avast is not the best solution. There seem to be issues with ZA and Avast running under XP together.
Can't you try another FW like PCTools Firewall maybe?
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Want just to confirm that ZA and Avast is not a god combination on XP.
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I seem to be having a more severe problem keeping me from upgrading on Windows 7 64-bit
Whenever I try to upgrade to 6.0.1000 from 5.1.889 it causes my system to refuse to launch programs and requires a system restore before it will let me use my computer again!
And before you ask: My firewall is Online Armor free
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It updated smoothly on my Win 7 Pro x64 system.
Maybe you could try to uninstall Online Armor FW, uninstall Avast 5, reboot, then install Avast 6 from scratch and then install Online Armor.
Don't know if that works, but maybe OA will recognize Avast 6 better if installed as last of the programs?
Just a thought, nothing more.
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As far as I know, the combination of XP, ZA and Avast is not the best solution. There seem to be issues with ZA and Avast running under XP together.
Can't you try another FW like PCTools Firewall maybe?
I like ZA and would not change it for anything.
Had no problem with it with avast 5.
BTW: I use ZA 4.5 (with only firewall, the newer version stink :-)
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I like ZA and would not change it for anything.
Download the latest beta. Some problems with ZA and others with XP were solved.
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Is there a way to set that I want to update to latest beta of avast! automaticly?
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Is there a way to set that I want to update to latest beta of avast! automaticly?
No. It's on demand.
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=73110.0;topicseen
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OK, so it turned out not to be ZoneAlarm after all.
Uninstalled it and tried without a firewall.
Same problem. But it only happends after using the PC for a while.
I'm checking now if there a certain internet programs that triggers it.
If I just boot and shutdown it does not hang.
Also I found two annoying things with the avast! beta :-(
1) It keeps scanning itself (AvastUI.exe) countiously (has to add it to the ignore list)
2) Starting things after a boot takes forever (several minutes just to start Firefox).
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I been having the same problem with version 5 of Avast also, although still remains in the version 6 of Avast...I've been right clicking on the Avast ball and disabling the shields until computer restart prior to shutting down....Thhen it shuts down properly every time....This has been happening on my computer for about 6 months or so, in version 5 also...Ohhh and I dd some googling on this also, and other Antivirus protection programs have this issue as well....And yes I've been using UPH hive cleaner for about 6 months with no errors in the event viewer without any success....
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Is there a way to set that I want to update to latest beta of avast! automaticly?
No. It's on demand.
Would be nice to have this option in the GUI though. ;)
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Would be nice to have this option in the GUI though. ;)
I think it won't be possible as you need to download a full setup file to get the beta.
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Would be nice to have this option in the GUI though. ;)
I think it won't be possible as you need to download a full setup file to get the beta.
Yeah, that was a feature request. ;)
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Is there a way to set that I want to update to latest beta of avast! automaticly?
No. It's on demand.
Would be nice to have this option in the GUI though. ;)
I think it would be completely wrong to have it within the UI as that exposes the pre-release/beta builds to those who really shouldn't be offered it, the 130 million plus avast users.
All well and good for those regulars on the forums that are aware of the possible issues of using a beta/pre release build. Offering it to people in the forums experiencing a problem that the pre-release may well have resolved, that is fine, but not through the GUI.
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I think it would be completely wrong to have it within the UI as that exposes the pre-release/beta builds to those who really shouldn't be offered it, the 130 million plus avast users.
I don't think there's anything wrong w/ offering beta stuff to users via GUI (maybe with a popup warning when you enable it). Case in point - NOD32 and uTorrent.
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Relevant link: User Profile Hive Cleanup Service (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=1b286e6d-8912-4e18-b570-42470e2f3582&displaylang=en).
I definitly recommend User Profile Hive Cleanup installation as it cleared up shutdown problems on my XP Pro system. Brief Description
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A service to help with slow log off and unreconciled profile problems.
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Have tested some more. And if I disable the "file shield" before shutting down Windows then it does not hang. Have other problems with the file shield as well (see the thread on the newest beta). Could anything have to do with me using FAT32 and not NTFS file system or something?
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Could anything have to do with me using FAT32 and not NTFS file system or something?
Version 6 should have addressed some problems of version 5 and FAT32.
Hope the programmers take a look here.
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Strange. I had no problem with 5.
But now I have both the shutdown problem.
And the problem with "file shield" scanning all start menu programs and "AvastUI.exe" over and over.
I uses so much as 75% of my CPU time all the time :-)
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Well, a tool to help with your shutdown hangs has been suggested many times here, so I will stop repeating myself. On another note, FAT32 is insecure obsolete filesystem that should be avoided on system partitions.
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I have noticed the very same issue as the topic starter. Windows shuts almost completely to the point of black screen and the mouse pointer, when Ctrl+Alt+Del already has no effect. And it hangs for 1-2-3 minutes, than finally shuts down.
Also noticed the much longer startup time as well as mentioned above.
On another note - it seems to be an epidemic trend among security programs across the board. Get an update - and you you face so many problems suddenly, that will want to change a product that worked for many years for you. I guess Marketing has finally defeated Common Sense and Technical Reasons.
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Well, a tool to help with your shutdown hangs has been suggested many times here, so I will stop repeating myself. On another note, FAT32 is insecure obsolete filesystem that should be avoided on system partitions.
As you see further up I have tested that tool.
No log entries at all.
Also have done a full cleanup (with the avast uninstall tools).
Reinstalled without changing any setting.
Still same problems (hang at shutdown with file shield active, repeat scanning etc).
Keep in mind that many XP system use FAT32 for the boot partition (and often the one with "Program Files").
So if avast! suddenly don't work with XP SP3 and FAT32 then they have a real problem.
Still want to help solving this, but how can I give more info?
I have reported all I can find, and tried all you have suggested.
Even uninstall other programs, but nothing has helped so far (except stopping "file shield")
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I have noticed the very same issue as the topic starter. Windows shuts almost completely to the point of black screen and the mouse pointer, when Ctrl+Alt+Del already has no effect. And it hangs for 1-2-3 minutes, than finally shuts down.
Also noticed the much longer startup time as well as mentioned above.
Could you open avast! and go to the "file shield" and check what it is scanning
(if it is scanning all the start menu programs and/or "AvastUI.exe").
When my system won't shut down it really hangs (left it on over the night :-)
But it does hang at the same place that your system hangs.
Have tried setting flags in XP for killing hung processes, but that didn't help eihter.
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As you see further up I have tested that tool.
Maybe I am blind but don't see anything like that anywhere.
Keep in mind that many XP system use FAT32 for the boot partition (and often the one with "Program Files").
So if avast! suddenly don't work with XP SP3 and FAT32 then they have a real problem.
That would be the same partition for pretty much everyone. As said, it is insecure and can only used during XP install for partitions <32GB. That said, I have no idea whether your problem is FAT32-related, I just noted that FAT32 is a poor filesystem choice especially for system partitions/volumes...
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Could you open avast! and go to the "file shield" and check what it is scanning
(if it is scanning all the start menu programs and/or "AvastUI.exe").
It is unclear to me how to do that.
I go to the "Real-time Shields -> File System Shield - and then where on the attached screen?
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Maybe I am blind but don't see anything like that anywhere.
Anyway I have :-)
So we need to find a way to gather more info.
I have isolated all the problems down to the "file shield".
Is there a way to get more debug info?
Why is it hanging at shutdown?
Why is it scanning all start menu program at each startup (even if they are scanned before)?
Why is it scanning "AvastUI.exe" over and over and over (until I add an exception for "X" on that file)?
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It is unclear to me how to do that.
I go to the "Real-time Shields -> File System Shield - and then where on the attached screen?
Yours look OK (compare to my screenshot in the thread about the new beta)
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Have tested some more. And if I disable the "file shield" before shutting down Windows then it does not hang. Have other problems with the file shield as well (see the thread on the newest beta). Could anything have to do with me using FAT32 and not NTFS file system or something?
I have not used FAT32 on my XP system in years• Reliability
FAT32 drives are much more susceptible to disk errors.
NTFS volumes have the ability to recover from errors more readily than similar FAT32 volumes.
Log files are created under NTFS which can be used for automatic file system repairs.
NTFS supports dynamic cluster remapping for bad sectors and prevent them from being used in the future.
http://www.theeldergeek.com/ntfs_or_fat32_file_system.htm
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It is unclear to me how to do that.
I go to the "Real-time Shields -> File System Shield - and then where on the attached screen?
Yours look OK (compare to my screenshot in the thread about the new beta)
By the way - my file system is NTFS without any alterations.
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As I mentioned earlier in my prior post....Avast 5 and 6 were and are running smooth, in other words everything been working fine since I can remember....Although when I shut my computer down it hangs on "Windows is shutting Down" at which time it stays there...Until I hold my button down to shut it off..So before it gets to this point ...."I Right click on my Avast 6 ball on my Task Bar and "Disable Until Computer Is Restarted" Than I shut it down normally with no issues ..Shuts down every time this way...I have had the UPH clean for about 6 months now and I have no errors in my event viewer...But the fact still remains the same.. Avast blocks the shut down process..I personally think it keeps working and doesn't realize the computer is shutting down....
I have Googled this issue a few dozen times, and the answers I get are that people with different kinds of Antivirus Software programs whether it's Norton or Bit Defender or Kaspersky...When they disable their Antivirus prior to shut down all have no issues with the shut down....And most in this case are on a XP machine
The Only other thing I tried is to shut down without the Windows Welcome Screen and this also hasn't worked...Also I am the only User and my computer is set up that way, but when I log off (I get a messege) (2 programs running) Although I closed all programs and ran all my cleaners and nothing is running that I can see.. And I haven't had a virus for a log long time.....
The only other thing I would like to see is if .. Lars-Erik .. would edit his Profile Settings, and list his computer programs...that way I would be able to see if there is any programs that we have in common..So that I can test my machine to disable those programs and see how this goes...
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I also must use my power-off button :-(
The programs active in my system (background) is ZoneAlarm 4.5 (tried uninstalling that).
Else I use Forte Agent for mail and Firefox for web, and Skype and Trillan IM.
Strange thing is that if I shutdown without using any programs then it works OK.
But if I run a bit Agent and Firefox then it hangs at shutdown.
I don't need to disable whole of avast!.
If I shut down the "file shield" the shutdown works OK.
I might suspect a link to the problem with "file shield" scanning more files than it should
(it use much CPU and then there might be some trouble when things shut down).
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Lars-Eric,
This is an interesting thread. I haven't updated to version 6 myself yet, but I was wondering if you used the Avast complete uninstall utility in safe mode? I apologize if this has already been answered. You have probably done a totally clean uninstall and reinstall already.
I wonder if there is something running in your Task Manager processes that is causing this hang? Maybe if you could do a screen capture of your Task Manager, one of the techs might be able to see if there is something there that is standing out as a problem.
Jack
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@ Lars-Erik
Your AV is going to be one of the last things to be shut down, as for the file system shield scanning more files than it should, that is impossible. Since it is an on-access scanner and file activity is going to be scanned.
So you have a program that is still active and the file system shield would scan that activity. Unfortunately there is no easy way to determine what that activity is. But shutting down the file shield and the problem doesn't happen doesn't mean that the problem is with the file system shield. Not to mention shutting down the file system shield whilst there is unknown activity going on is a security risk.
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Well, I installed avast 5.1 and that does not do the extensive scan that slows down everything.
I does not scan the "AvastUI.exe" file over and over continuosly either" AND shutdown works.
No other changes to system not avast configuration. So there is something with XP and 6.0
I have moved the discussion of the XP problem (shutdown and continuous scanning of files) to a new thread, since they where spread on two threads and somehow I think the problems might be linked (as both seems to have with the "file shield"). The new thread is at: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=73164.0
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Could you try Hijack? - http://www.whatthetech.com/hijackthis/ It will get us more info about your system.
thx
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To all helpers: please be aware that the OP has several threads open on this issue:
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=73088. (http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=73088.)
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=73110. (http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=73110.)
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=73164.0 (http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=73164.0)
@ Lars-Erik,
It would be most helpful to those trying to help you to stick to only one thread. Thank you.
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@ Lars-Erik,
It would be most helpful to those trying to help you to stick to only one thread. Thank you.
+1
I wasn't even aware of this thread.
Thanks, SafeSurf..!!
asyn
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Want just to confirm that ZA and Avast is not a god combination on XP.
Oohh I use the FW Online Armor and olso my PC are freezing.
I am lucky that i via the SaveMode Online Armor whit Revo have Removed!!!
From that moment have i no singel problem whit AVAST 6.
(The same story have i whit the latest Avast 5 version Update).
My experiens are this.
Remove first Firewalls.
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Want just to confirm that ZA and Avast is not a god combination on XP.
Oohh I use the FW Online Armor and olso my PC are freezing.
I am lucky that i via the SaveMode Online Armor whit Revo have Removed!!!
From that moment have i no singel problem whit AVAST 6.
(The same story have i whit the latest Avast 5 version Update).
My experiens are this.
Remove first Firewalls.
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=73110.msg608535#msg608535 (http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=73110.msg608535#msg608535) this should solve some FW problems with XP.
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It would be most helpful to those trying to help you to stick to only one thread. Thank you.
That's why I started the new http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=73164.0 (http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=73164.0) to get this problem out from all the other. Please followup that one only.
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http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=73110.msg608535#msg608535 (http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=73110.msg608535#msg608535) this should solve some FW problems with XP.
Except that introduced even more problems instead for me :-)
(like the continuous scanning of "AvastUI.exe" alle the time)
But more about that in http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=73164.0
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Could you try Hijack? - http://www.whatthetech.com/hijackthis/ It will get us more info about your system.
thx
He posted it here: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=73164.msg609308#msg609308
asyn
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Short info: Solution to XP shutdown hang, avastUI.exe continuos scanning, and IntelliType shorcut delay is now here: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=73164.msg611433#msg611433