WinXP Home SP2 gets error 42000 on scan

[devnull]

I finally upgraded from Windows 98 to Windows XP Home SP2 (latest security patches). I had no problem running scans with avast! version 4.7 Home Edition before the upgrade, but now, every time I attempt to run a full scan I get an immediate "42000 - Unknown error" during the memory scan. I get the same error again if I let it continue on with the local disk scan.

I ran the "repair" service from Add/Remove Programs - same result.

I uninstalled avast!, downloaded, and reinstalled - same result.
The odd thing is that, if during the avast! install, I let it run the scan at boot time, it worked fine before Windows is active, but after WindowsXP starts, I again get the 42000 error.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Lisandro]

I uninstalled avast!, downloaded, and reinstalled - same result.

You should have uninstall avast BEFORE upgrade from Windows 98... If you did not do it, or this is a clean installation of Windows XP, maybe:

1. Uninstall avast from Control Panel first.
2. Boot
3. Use Avast Uninstall for complete uninstallation (read http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_uninstall_util.html)
4. Boot
5. Install again
6. Boot

[devnull]

You should have uninstall avast BEFORE upgrade from Windows 98... If you did not do it, or this is a clean installation of Windows XP, maybe:

1. Uninstall avast from Control Panel first.
2. Boot
3. Use Avast Uninstall for complete uninstallation (read http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_uninstall_util.html)
4. Boot
5. Install again
6. Boot

You're right, I probably should have uninstalled before the upgrade, but ...

I forgot to mention that I had run aswclear.exe before when I uninstalled the first time. In case I missed something the first time, I just followed your suggested steps 1-6 above.

Problem still exists. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Lisandro]

Did you try searching the board for 42000 keyword? Isn't anything useful?

[devnull]

Did you try searching the board for 42000 keyword? Isn't anything useful?

Yup. first thing I did. Unfortunately, nope.

What I don't understand is why the scan runs at boot time but not after XP is started.

I should probably mention that all the online services seem to run fine.

[Lisandro]

What I don't understand is why the scan runs at boot time but not after XP is started.
I should probably mention that all the online services seem to run fine.

If you start ashsimp2.exe from avast folder and run the scanning from it?

[devnull]

If you start ashsimp2.exe from avast folder and run the scanning from it?
[/quote

Thank you! That worked. I managed to run a standard disk scan without getting the 42000 error. Other than the GUI, what's the difference between that and what runs when I double click on the Avast! icon on my desktop?

At risk of wearing out my welcome...

Is there an analogous program to ashsimp2.exe that will run a scan of memory resident programs?

Is there a list somewhere that describes the purpose of the files in the Avast4 directory?

Is there a way in ashsimp2 to excliude the check for adware?

Is there any way using the Home edition to gather up any problems and deal with them after the scan is complete rather as they are encountered during the scan?

Sorry for all the questions. I maybe should have started a different thread, but they all just occurred to me as I was responding to your suggestion.


Again, thanks.

[Lisandro]

Thank you! That worked. I managed to run a standard disk scan without getting the 42000 error. Other than the GUI, what's the difference between that and what runs when I double click on the Avast! icon on my desktop?

There is no scanning difference. No one. It's the skinless version of the same avast engine and virus database. No difference at all.

Is there an analogous program to ashsimp2.exe that will run a scan of memory resident programs?

Sure.
Run "C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashQuick.exe" "*STRT-MEM-SHORT"
Which should be equivalent to the initial memory scan

Is there a list somewhere that describes the purpose of the files in the Avast4 directory?

No, but:
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.

Is there a way in ashsimp2 to excliude the check for adware?

No. avast is an antivirus and all of its database is included in the scanning.
You can exclude a particular file or folder from scanning.

Is there any way using the Home edition to gather up any problems and deal with them after the scan is complete rather as they are encountered during the scan?

No. Only the Professional version allow this.

[DavidR]

Is there any way using the Home edition to gather up any problems and deal with them after the scan is complete rather as they are encountered during the scan?

As has been said, these advanced automated options are only available in the Pro version.

You only have a limited option in the Home (free) version, to send the infected file to the virus Chest (silent mode, with general answer no, see below). You would need to check the avast log viewer or avast chest after a scan to see if anything had been added.

My own feeling on this is you should use the default interactive action. This way you know exactly what is going on with your system. If you are getting so many warnings, that you want to automate this process, I believe you should review your security practice - filter emails at source, delete from server rather than download them, sites they visit, etc.

See the avast help file, Resident Protection: Standard Shield Provider Settings - "Advanced" Page.
Click on Standard Shield and then on Customize.
Go to Advanced tab and select Silent Mode and the General answer No.

[devnull]

My own feeling on this is you should use the default interactive action. This way you know exactly what is going on with your system. If you are getting so many warnings, that you want to automate this process, I believe you should review your security practice - filter emails at source, delete from server rather than download them, sites they visit, etc.

Again, I appreciate the help. At least I can scan again.

<soapbox>
I don't believe I said that I was getting many warnings. I merely asked if, like some other antivirus programs (which will go unnamed), avast! could complete the scan and then provide options as to the disposition of each identified file. I don't want anything done automatically, but I prefer not to sit at the PC for an hour or so to respond to warnings as they occur. I'd rather deal with them after the complete scan. I am perhaps more security consious than most, having spent 32 years as a system programmer/administrator. But I did get three adware warnings (which probably would have been taken care of the next time I run Ad-Aware or Spybot Search and Destroy). I prefer my anti-virus program to deal with virii and leave the adware to the adware specialists. IMHO, too many applications are trying to be the "be all and end all" of security world. I'd much rather have separate applications that each specialize in its own field and do the job well.
</soapbox>

Sorry for the rant. I really do like avast!. I'll look into the Pro version.

[DavidR]

I prefer my anti-virus program to deal with virii and leave the adware to the adware specialists. IMHO, too many applications are trying to be the "be all and end all" of security world. I'd much rather have separate applications that each specialize in its own field and do the job well.

My feelings exactly, for the most part avast does specialise only in anti-virus detections but some more Adware and Spyware detections are being added but it doesn't seem to have impacted much on the overall scanning speed. However, there are many people continually asking for more cover for malware detections.

The other thing there are many people not as experienced as your self who don't differentiate between virus, adware, spyware or malware, to them everything is a virus and avast gets it in the neck if it doesn't detect it There are many post that say this or that wasn't detected by avast. So I guess it is a little difficult to come to a happy medium based on the broad spectrum of computer experience out there, which as a former programmer/administrator I'm sure you have met.

Welcome to the forums, I'm sure your experience could help many avast users and forum members.

[Lisandro]

However, there are many people continually asking for more cover for malware detections.

I myself 

Again, I appreciate the help. At least I can scan again.

Well, you can try a different skin. Download a new one and try to use it to see if you get avast scanning back again.
By the way, which skin were you using when the scan freezed?

[devnull]

The other thing there are many people not as experienced as your self who don't differentiate between virus, adware, spyware or malware, to them everything is a virus and avast gets it in the neck if it doesn't detect it There are many post that say this or that wasn't detected by avast. So I guess it is a little difficult to come to a happy medium based on the broad spectrum of computer experience out there, which as a former programmer/administrator I'm sure you have met.

Welcome to the forums, I'm sure your experience could help many avast users and forum members.

Yeah, I understand about people not being able (or inclined) to differentiate between various types of malware. I also understand  why the avast! people would tend to gravitate towards adding features to satisfy the complaints. Part of my time was spent as level 2 support on our company help desk. I heard many such complaints. I guess I just tend to be a purist. I've seen what happens to a good product when they attempt to expand it to solve all the problems in the world. I used to use a couple of them  before they became bloatware. That's how I came to use avast! in the first place - to get away from those kinds of applications.

I have absolutely no problem with avast! checking for adware as such. I just tend to use specialized applications to do that. But adware is just that, adware. It probably doesn't jeopardize my PC, and really doesn't warrant the interruption during the scan. In fact, a virus, IMO, doesn't really warrant the interruption during a scan. Both adware and viruses can just as easily be dealt with on an individual basis upon scan completion - assuming the facility exists in the application. I don't subscribe to this opinion for the online services, however. Should they ever occur, I'd definitely want to be interrupted ans warned - the louder the better.

[devnull]

Well, you can try a different skin. Download a new one and try to use it to see if you get avast scanning back again.
By the way, which skin were you using when the scan freezed?

Thanks for the suggestion, as well as for the work around and the list of application descriptions from the other day.

I'm not sure I understand how the skin might be involved since I get the error during the memory scan before any skin is invoked as well as after the skin is active. But, I was originally using the default "silver panel" skin when I got the error.

At your suggestion, I switched to the "szc-kde" skin. Same error...

I'm guessing that WinXP may be somehow involved in the problem, but I'm definitely not a Windows expert. I much prefer UNIX/Linux. I'm stuck running XP on this particular PC.

[Lisandro]

I'm not sure I understand how the skin might be involved since I get the error during the memory scan before any skin is invoked as well as after the skin is active. But, I was originally using the default "silver panel" skin when I got the error. At your suggestion, I switched to the "szc-kde" skin. Same error...

Well, it was just a guess. Anyway: when you use the skinless application you get no errors. When you use the skin, you've got them... that was my assumption. But I'm not an expert on skins and Windows GUI either...
I would like to see any word from the programmers... seems they're too busy to post here these days