win98 avast start problem

[humorguy]

I have Avast stored on both XP and Win98se on my dual boot system. I have no problems on the XP front, but on win88se Avast only starts (ie  "e" and "i"icons in taskbar and ashwebsv running) half the time. Also whenever I get a crash (y'know win98se and gaming!) I lose Avast (I don't mean a crash where I have to reboot, I mean any crash, even if I can get back to win98 desktop I have lost Avast!) and the only way to get it back is to go into Add\Remove and do a repair and reboot.

I have tried starting various .exe files in the Avast folder but cannot get the software started in any other way than the above repair option.

I changed from AVG which is a resource hog in win98, but now I am thinking of going back. AVG did not need to be repaired every time the system crashed and started with win98se every time. It was pretty much install and forget for AVG, but with Avast, at least in win98, it is in your face practically every session, either not starting or stopping on crashes and having to do a repair and reboot is a long-winded way of getting it working again.

[Lisandro]

I have Avast stored on both XP and Win98se on my dual boot system. I have no problems on the XP front, but on win88se Avast only starts (ie  "e" and "i"icons in taskbar and ashwebsv running) half the time.

Why? Do you have other antivirus application?

Also whenever I get a crash (y'know win98se and gaming!) I lose Avast (I don't mean a crash where I have to reboot, I mean any crash, even if I can get back to win98 desktop I have lost Avast!) and the only way to get it back is to go into Add\Remove and do a repair and reboot.

What do you mean by 'lose'? The icons were gone of the ashserv.exe process (ctrl+alt+del to see) disapeared?

I have tried starting various .exe files in the Avast folder but cannot get the software started in any other way than the above repair option.

ashserv.exe is part of the on-access scanner.
ashmaisv.exe is the mail scanner.
ashdisp.exe shows the blue ball.
ashcmd.exe is the command line scanner (Pro version)
aswupdsv.exe is the part that checks for updates.
ashQuick.exe is Avast's quick scanner.

[humorguy]

I am using Avast on my XP and trying to use it on my win98se. (I do not have any other anti-virus software running.) I have it on both OS's on my Dual Boot PC. When any software crashes, either a freeze where I have to reboot, or a crash to desktop, I see that the icons have disappeared and use Ctrl Alt Del to see that ashwbsv is no longer running.

Even without a single problem, I am never sure that Avast is going to start with win98se. Sometimes it does and I see the icons in the taskbar and ashwbsv running as a routine. Other times I boot win98se and get no icons or routine. In other words, Avast has not started. I click on the .exe files you mention, but cannot get the on-line scanner started, it stays at "disabled" whatever I do. But anyway, Avast should start every time, so I should not have to manually go into a folder and start an exe file manually anyway.

Every ant-virus software I have ever installed has been pretty much "install and forget". This is the first anti-virus software that has given me problems. It is causing no problem in XP. Maybe Win98se is not supported as well as it is seen as a dying OS, despite millions of users still out there. Any way, I am close to giving up on it in win98se and going back to AVG. Registering with this forum was my last step to try and rectify the problem, as I do like the fact that in win98se Avast does not use hardly any resources compared to AVG.

[Lisandro]

I see that the icons have disappeared and use Ctrl Alt Del to see that ashwbsv is no longer running.

But, I thought you're talking about ashserv.exe and not ashWebSv.exe...

Even without a single problem, I am never sure that Avast is going to start with win98se.
Maybe Win98se is not supported as well as it is seen as a dying OS, despite millions of users still out there.

avast really works with Windows 98, maybe other application or setting is blocking it...

Sometimes it does and I see the icons in the taskbar and ashwbsv running as a routine.

Are you connected since from logon (permanently) or not?

Every ant-virus software I have ever installed has been pretty much "install and forget".
This is the first anti-virus software that has given me problems. It is causing no problem in XP.

So, I've tested in Windows 98SE and it was set and forget... no troubles.

Any way, I am close to giving up on it in win98se and going back to AVG.

In fact, just a suggestion of mine, I'll give up on a dual-boot with Windows 98...
Does XP slow down that much your games?

[CharleyO]

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Welcome to the forums, humorguy.   

I can assure you that Avast runs very well with W98SE under normal conditions. I have had avast on my old computer, which has always been W98SE, for more than 2 years without problems. I can not say, though, that you would not have problems with a dual-boot system because I have not done that.

You did say that you use to have AVG and that may be where your problem is. If all the old files/registry entries for AVG were not removed, it is possible that this could cause the problem you are experiencing. Please check to make sure there is nothing left of the old AVG anywhere on your computer.

I hope this helps you.   


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Edit:
As a side note and personal choice, I have never much liked the idea of dual-boot systems with both OS's on the same drive. I know that many on this forum have done this with success and for that I am happy for them. My personal choice, though, would be either 2 separate computers as I have now ... or ... swapable/switchable hard drives in the same computer with OS's on physically separate drives. Like I said, it is a personal choice.   


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[humorguy]

Well, too late as I just came here to say I have uninstalled Avast and  reinstalled AVG. I did not have any AVG routines running in memory, and nothing that in startup was AVG, so as my problem was Avast not starting every time I started win98se I cannot see how that is an AVG problem. For example, I booted win98se and no Avast, repaired and rebooted and Avast started no problem. Switch off PC to have  a meal, booted win98se, and no Avast again. It's very annoying.

Also with regards you having Avast a long time ago and it worked, maybe as with all software, when win98se was still the top OS, companies spent more time on testing the win98se version. Now the feeling is everybody has XP (which is far from true), most of the testing is done in XP and not as much in win98se. So whereas your version, say 2.8, worked, maybe 4.6 does not.

Anyway, spent enough wasted time trying to get Avast working, gave it more time than most would have, so have just gone back to AVG, which as I say, is a resource hog, but it works.

Avast works without a problem in my XP, so I will keep it on there.

As regard dual booting, I have had this system for nearly 3 years and have no system problems. I would bet XP owners have more problems running DOS/win95/98 games then I do because I have kept my dos/win98. So overall, while I have the occasion problem with a game in 98 I know I would have many more if I only had XP to work with.

[Lisandro]

I cannot see how that is an AVG problem.

This could be at driver level (low level).
The only way to know is found a good Registry Cleaner that allow to safe remove AVG or Grisoft entries.
In fact, AVG left behing legacy drivers keys that could block the normal behavior of any other antivirus 

[CharleyO]

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Well, I mentioned the file/registry entries left behind when AVG was uninstalled could be a problem and 9 times out of 10, that is why a new av does not work when installed regardless of the brand name. But, you have choosen to ignore that. That is your option, of course.   

Thank you, Tech, for clarifing that point.   

I am afraid you misunderstand about W98SE on my old computer. I still have and run the old computer with W98SE. It works perfectly with Avast 4.6 and the latest up-dates. Just because I have a new computer since last Fall, doesn't mean I do not still like and use the old one. In fact, I still favor W98SE in many ways over XP. But, there are also some good improvements in XP. The new computer is much faster over all than my old one and it was about time I tried a new OS. This computer, like my old one, is custom built and so XP was bought separate ... not a "package deal."

I can not say about DOS games because I have not played any of those since the late 1990's. But, the original "The Sims", which came before XP, works just fine on XP. I have also installed one or 2 other older games (that I still enjoy) on this XP computer just to see how they would perform. And, I guess I should count myself lucky because I never had as many W98SE crashes as everyone else seemed to have.   

You may still have a mis-conception about XP because when it originally was released, it was very difficult to run most of the older games. Improvements in XP over the last 5 years has negated most of this problem.    


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