Unknown error: usiGetSkin fix doesn't fix for 64 bit OS / Spyware in avast?

[Digitron]

Dear Forum users,
It all started with one problem but turned into another at the end of this page. If interested about "usiGetSkin" problem read this first. If interested in reading about possible Spyware, read at the end of this page (reply nr. 7). There are still some questions to be answerd by avast support.

I was one happy user (for one whole day) of probably the only antivirus protection there is at the moment for Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, as far as I was informed, until this error occurred (again): “Application cannot load skin. Function “usiGetSkin” failed”. I tried downloading and reinstalling and yesterday it seamed to be all right, but today it started making same error when trying to start avast antivirus, even dough it runs fine in the system tray. I found this help page suggested by avast when error occurred, showing how to fix this (see below), but that wasn’t much help because after copy/paste line for Windows XP, I get this message: “RegSvr32: LoadLibrary (“ACTSKIN4.OCX”) failed, The specific module could not be found”. Maybe this solution should be updated with new text line for XP 64-bit? Yesterday, when holding mouse cursor over avast icon in the system tray it was showing 8 provider(s) total, 7 running. Today it shows 7 total and 6 running (?). To end this long message, it seams that there is a problem and avast might not support 64-bit OS after all, unless there is a solution for this.
Thank you for your time. Best regards.

Solution from avast:
Q: I have installed 'avast! 4 Home' and everytime I try to open it, I get an error message stating: "unknown error message", "Application cannot load skin. Function usiGetSkin Failed". How can I fix this?
A:
1.   Select START -> RUN...
2.   Enter the following command:
o   If you have Windows NT or 2000:
C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\REGSVR32.EXE ACTSKIN4.OCX
o   If you have Windows 95, 98 or ME:
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\REGSVR32.EXE ACTSKIN4.OCX
o   If you have Windows XP:
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\REGSVR32.EXE ACTSKIN4.OCX
3.   Press OK (or Enter).
4.   A message saying that the file was successfully registered should appear.

 :'(

[Vlk]

For Windows x64, you need to replace Windows\System32 by Windows\SysWOW64


That should do the trick.

Thanks
Vlk

[Digitron]

Thank you Vlk for you reply but I'm affraid that didn't help when writing: C:\WINDOWS\SysWOW64\REGSVR32.EXE ACTSKIN4.OCX. Got the same error again: LoadLibrary (“ACTSKIN4.OCX”) failed. I tried to change REGSVR32.EXE to 64EXE but no luck.  :'(

[igor]

OK, is the file actskin4.ocx anywhere? (i.e. if you search your disk for it, is it found?)

[Digitron]

I performed ordinary Search on All files and folders from Start menu and didn't find anything. Hmmm. Downloaded version of Avast, 4.6 Home Edition is supposed to be 64 bit supported, they say. I wrote to Avast support and I will post here what they say about this problem.

[Lisandro]

I performed ordinary Search on All files and folders from Start menu and didn't find anything. Hmmm. Downloaded version of Avast, 4.6 Home Edition is supposed to be 64 bit supported, they say. I wrote to Avast support and I will post here what they say about this problem.

Can you try to repair your installation? Maybe you'll get, at least, the file...
Go to Control Panel > Add/Remove programs > avast! antivirus > Remove. Then choose Repair function in the popup window (Repair). You must be connected to the internet while repairing.

[Digitron]

WOW! Why didn't I think of that? It's alway like that after someone comes up with the great idea and you think: "It could be me who invented that" after you have seen it.

In short: Yes, that worked! THAnK'S.

I'm quite new to forums and I'm not sure how it works regarding some points people get and if there is some way to give you credit i'll do it. 

Best regards

P.S. Now I can go to sleep.

[Digitron]

Hello again. This problem seams to have no ending, yet. Here is what I got back from avast support and what I wrote to them again. I will post final conclusion soon.   Greetings.

From Avast support:
"Open C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\Data\Avast4.ini and change
EnableSkins=1
line to
EnableSkins=0

Launch C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashSimp2.exe.

Regards,
Petr Chocholous"

My reply:
"I think I figured out what might cause the “usiGetSkin Failed” problem for me. I have CA’s eTrust Pest Patrol anti-spyware detection tool running and it always finds a file that might be spyware called: “Spyware.RealSpy” being installed at c:\windows\system32\actskin4.ocx. I use to quarantine that so called pest and after that avast won’t run.
Now, I recognized this part “actskin4.ocx” from your webpage suggestion for fixing this problem by going START--> RUN: ENTER THE FOLLOWING COMMAND:  (C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\REGSVR32.EXE ACTSKIN4.OCX). That was the missing part which I deleted through “Pest Patrol” anti-spyware program because it suggested that it might be Spyware. Symantec writes about "Spyware.RealSpy" and it's  behavior at their web-site: “Spyware.RealSpy monitors the system for keystrokes, Web sites visited, programs executed, screen snapshots, and files accessed. The logged information can also be uploaded periodically to a remote email address. It can run in stealth mode.”. It seams that I must not delete that pest found by eTrust Pest Patrol in order to run avast! Who to trust? The question is: is it a spyware and if not, what does it do?"

[Digitron]

Here is what I got back from avast support:

"Hello,

actskin4.ocx is engine that enables skins
http://www.avast.com/eng/skins.html in avast! interface

It seems, that it is some type of false positive:
http://www.spywaredata.com/spyware/malware/actskin4.ocx.php

Regards,

Petr Chocholous"

[igor]

It certainly is a false positive from Pest Patrol - the file is completely safe.

[Lisandro]

CA’s eTrust Pest Patrol anti-spyware

The most false positive application I've ever seen. It promisses to caught everything... oh, yes, see more than reality.
User security feelings increase when more issues are detected... in fact, false positives.

Symantec writes about "Spyware.RealSpy" and it's  behavior at their web-site: “Spyware.RealSpy monitors the system for keystrokes, Web sites visited, programs executed, screen snapshots, and files accessed. The logged information can also be uploaded periodically to a remote email address. It can run in stealth mode.”. It seams that I must not delete that pest found by eTrust Pest Patrol in order to run avast! Who to trust? The question is: is it a spyware and if not, what does it do?"

I think NAV had never detected it as a spyware, only Pest Patrol.

You can submit the file to on-line scanners, both antispyware and antivirus to see the file is clean.

[Digitron]

Thank you for your comments. It's good to know that the file is not spyware, I guess. 

It seams that there is an ending to this subject after all.

Sincerely yours