Reboot and Aavmker.sys

[Chask]

I have Avast home installed on 2 machines.  Both are on line every day and all sig files and program updates applied automatically.  Both are running Windows XP (one Pro the other Home)

One works perfectly and has no problems.

For about a month now, the 2nd machine reboots itself just after starting up - ie Windows loads then within about 5 minutes it reboots.  This only happens on the first boot of each day.  From then on it behaves normally.  The reboot happens regardless of whether the machine is online or not.

Today I stopped the auto reboot and the error message I got was "Page Fault in Non Paged Area" and mentioned an error in Aavmker.sys.

Does this mean that Avast is somehow responsible for the reboot? and why would that relate only to the first boot of the day?

Googling showed that someone had a similar error way back in 2003, but nothing recent.

I'm considering uninstalling Avast and reinstalling, but would be happy for any other advice

Thanks

[Chask]

Sorry folks, just found this http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=13069.msg110059#msg110059 which seems to relate to my problem.

I have executed the repair as suggested, but as my problem only occurs once each day, will have to wait for tomorrow to see if it is fixed.

Would still appreciate any comment on why I am only getting this issue once per day.  Others seem to have had continual reboots, but I am OK once I have had one reboot.

[DavidR]

The one you mentioned from 2003 seemed to be related to the update function so I would suggest you check out what Vlk suggested.

My impression is that the problems are caused by a bug in the updater that sometimes fails to install the new driver files. That is, the updated drivers are correctly downloaded and unpacked, but are not installed to the system. Since other avast files are installed properly, there is a version-discrepancy problem (the program and driver versions do not match) that may eventually lead to disasters.

I'd need you to check if the drivers (i.e. the *.sys files) located in the <avast>\setup\inf directory are the same as these in \windows\system32\drivers (with respect to file sizes, timestamps etc.). They should be the same. If they're not, there is a problem and you should copy the <avast>\setup\inf versions to \windows\system32\drivers.

If for some reason there is a problem with the drivers, I would suggest you try a repair of avast. Add Remove programs, select 'avast! Anti-Virus,' click the Change/Remove button and scroll down to Repair, click next and follow. You need to be on-line to do this. (as you have now done, catching up with your second post)

If that doesn't work try, uninstall, reboot, install, reboot.

I would also try a google search for Page Fault in Non Paged Area as this error can happen with/for many reasons and it may have been coincidental that it happened with aavmker.sys.  This is just one http://www.aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.php.

My only thought is that at boot there is more going on and that is when the drivers are loaded, though the same should also be true on a reboot, weird.

[Vlk]

Sorry folks, just found this http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=13069.msg110059#msg110059 which seems to relate to my problem.

This thread is 1.5 years old, and is not relevant anymore.

However, this is relevant: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=21893.msg182566#msg182566


Thanks
Vlk

[Chask]

I have checked the memory and all was OK.

Have also run chkdsk and some errors were found and corrected.

If all works OK tomorrow, then I guess I won't know if it was the chkdsk repair or the Avast repair which fixed the problem, and while the pedant in me would like to know the cause, I'm not really too fussed about how it gets fixed - just so long as it gets fixed!!

[DavidR]

Sorry folks, just found this http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=13069.msg110059#msg110059 which seems to relate to my problem.

This thread is 1.5 years old, and is not relevant anymore.

However, this is relevant: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=21893.msg182566#msg182566

Vlk, this particular Topic relates to aavmker.sys and the one you referenced is about aavmkr4.sys can they be related when Chask reported aavmker.sys, unless that was/is a typo ?

Today I stopped the auto reboot and the error message I got was "Page Fault in Non Paged Area" and mentioned an error in Aavmker.sys.

I noticed that I only have aavmkr4.sys in my windows\system32 folder.

[Chask]

Vlk, this particular Topic relates to aavmker.sys and the one you referenced is about aavmkr4.sys can they be related when Chask reported aavmker.sys, unless that was/is a typo ?

I noticed that I only have aavmkr4.sys in my windows\system32 folder.

Yes it was a typo - my apologies.  It should have been Aavmkr4.sys

Anyway, having done a "repair" on Avast as suggested in the reference mentioned by Vlk (and also doing a chkdsk /f ) the problem appears to have been fixed. 

No reboot this morning.  Still a mystery as to why it only happened on the first boot of the day unless there is something that Avast does only once per day - something like checking for updates for example.

Anyway, no matter and thanks Vlk for your help.

[DavidR]

Glad that the problem appears to be resolved.

No avast doesn't update once a day, when you first connect to the internet avast will check for updates, if you remain connected it will check every 4 hours if an update is available. avast doesn't establish a connection, it checks to see if one is present and if so will then check for updates.