WebShield waiting on subsystem

[squibbon]

I just switched to avast! Home from AVG Free on my Windows XP Home SP-2 machine.  So far, I like what I see - but the avast! WebShield process continually says that it is waiting for a subsystem to start.  I also get periodic messages on startup that avast! can not protect my POP3, SMTP, NTP, etc.

I have my firewall (NetVeda Safety.Net) configured to give full access to all of the avast! executables, including WebShield.  I temporarily switched to Kerio 4.1.3 to see if the problem was in the firewall software, but I still had the avast! problem with Kerio.  I've also made sure that AVG Free was thoroughly uninstalled.

I've searched this forum for similar problems, but the posts I've found seem to apply to Win 9x systems, not XP.

I'm sure I'm missing something, but I can't pinpoint it.  Any suggestions?

[DavidR]

You forgot the most important bit, what is your email program?

You obviously have Outlook/Exchange provider/plug-in enabled and it is waiting for MS Outlook (not express) to be opened. If you aren't using MS Outlook Or MS Exchange you don't need the Outlook/Exchange plug-in.

For other pop3 email programs, OE, etc. you need to enable the Internet Mail provider.

Had you checked the avast help file you may have saved yourself some time

Outlook/Exchange - Provider Settings

This setting affects MS Outlook and MS Exchange mail clients only. For setting up the other mail clients, such as Outlook Express, Eudora etc., see Internet Mail Provider.

[squibbon]

Actually, I disabled the Outlook/Exchange process during installation so it isn't loaded at all.  I use Outlook Express as my e-mail client.  And it's the WebShield  process that I'm having the problem with in any case.

[Eddy]

squibbon, welcome to this board.

I think you mean the outlook/exchange provider as David mentioned.
The webshield is eiter running or not.
"Waiting for a subsystem...." is not a message from the webshield provider to my knowledge

[squibbon]

Again, it is NOT the outlook/exchange process - and it IS the WebShield process that gives the message that it is waiting for a subsystem to start.

[Eddy]

What Avast services do you have? (start > run > services.msc)
And are they running or not?

Already tried a repair of Avast?

[igor]

"WebShield waiting for a subsystem to start" means that the needed service(s) are not running (ashWebSv.exe, ashServ.exe).

[squibbon]

I think I have it - the avast! mail scanner and web scanner services were set to manual.  Setting them to automatic seems to have made the problem go away.  Will monitor over the next several reboots just to make sure...thanks for your help!

[Vlk]

They are set to Manual by default. The providers (WebShield and Internet Mail should start each of them on their startup...).
I wonder why it's not working on your machine...

[Lisandro]

They are set to Manual by default.

If I can ask, are you sure? 
I never saw WebShield starting manually... 
Internet Mail provider indeed is set to manually starts...

[Vlk]

I'm talking about the services (Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services), not the providers.
The providers start automatically, and in turn start the services (which are set to Manual though).

What I said is just that seeing that the services are set to manual will NOT be the culprit as it is perfectly normal.

[Lisandro]

I'm talking about the services (Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services), not the providers.

Me too   

The WebShield Service (C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashWebSv.exe) always was (and is) set to start Automatically. I've never installed avast! and this Service (not provider) is always set to start Automatically.
On contrary, Internet Mail Service (C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashMaiSv.exe)is set to start Manually by default.

What am I messing here?

[Eddy]

FYI: Both are set to start manually on my systems.

[DavidR]

Same for me and they both start correctly (e.g manually) because the web shield and internet mail providers are enabled.

Is it possible that 'squibbon' has some remnants left from AVG that would conflict with avast and avast is terminating web shield and internet mail?

[squibbon]

No, AVG has been thoroughly removed from my system - however, I believe that I now have the culprit that was shutting the services down when they were set to Manual.  I had the QIC Assistant diagnostic software loaded on my system at startup (because my ISP requires it before they will deign to give their customers any tech support!).  On a hunch, I uninstalled QIC, reset the avast! webshield and internet mail services back to Manual and rebooted half a dozen times.  No problem with WebShield waiting on a subsystem on any reboot.  Thanks again for all the help!