reinstall

[Batman]

I am using Windows XP Home Ed. and have been working with avast! version 4.1 (Home) since more than 2 years without any problems. A few months ago I met with some configuration inaccuracy (connected with my firewall(?) and had to uninstall my avast! . I downloaded and reinstalled avast! version 4.1.289 Home Ed.  After installing and having registered my license key I got this message (Avast!) :
" You have upgraded your operation system. Current installation of Avast! cannot run on this operation system. The Avast! antivirus system needs to be reinstalled "
This message surprises me because I didn't change anything to my operation system : Windows XP still runs like it did  2 years ago ! Or does Avast!  mean something else by "operation system" ? The peculiarity is that my Avast antivirus system seems to almost run like it did before (missing items are for example the blue a-icon near my computer clock and the resident protection providers configuration tool)
I checked the configuration of many programs but the message appears every time I start up my computer.
So why that message and what does it exactly want me to do ?

[Lisandro]

There are known troubles with old versions of avast! being updated to 4.1.289. Try a clean reinstall of avast!

1. Desinstall from Control Panel (Add/Remove Programs)
2. Boot
3. Download and use avast 4.0 Uninstall.
4. Boot
5. Install the 4.1.289 version

Anyway, I'm not so sure your licence key was wrongly wrote in the Registration Window. Try copy & paste method to fill the number (from the email to the Registration Window).

You know that the registration form can be found here, if you need to do it again.

I had troubles with 'Repair' function of avast! but I'm not sure which causes it, so I cannot help you more than this.

If the blue a-icon near my computer clock and the resident protection providers does not appear, it seems avast! is not well installed in your computer.

Could you post what applications (related to avast!) are in your startup itens? ashDisp.exe is just the tray icon. If you don't like it, you can kill it... But this process is due to all UI of the resident modules, including the virus alerts, updating windows etc...

Do you see: ashServ.exe and aswUpdSv.exe in the system services (formely Services applet of the Administrative Tools in Control Panel).

ashMaiSv.exe is the mail protection proxy. It's able to work as a service as well, but this is not the case by default. This process is only needed if you use the mail (SMTP/POP3/IMAP4) proxy. Whether it auto-starts with the OS or not is determined by a check box in the Mail Protection Wizard.