Problems with Windows Media Player, Internet Explorer after Avast Installation

[stick14]

Hey,
I'm on a P4 IBM, lots of RAM and space, XP Pro with SP2. My antivirus version is as up to date as possible (Avast Pro 4.7.942), and I re-downloaded it just in case.  I have problems with WMP not working, some parts of IE not working, system restore not working, and XP Help not working.  Even when I completely uninstall Avast, these problems still persist.  How can I undo what Avast has done?  I've been reading some of the support forums trying to help with this process, and it appears that the problems I'm having are not isolated incidents with this product.  The only thing that appears lacking in the forums is any discussion of how to fix the problem!  More than a few customers had the exact same problem that I had:

1.  Windows Media Player won't launch, only reads "An internal application error has occured"
2.  IE7 won't work for certain sites, WMP won't stream or launch in the browser
3.  System Restore and XP Help and Support won't launch

I love Avast and consider it the top antivirus solution out there, but I'm frustrated with its side-effects.  Can you offer me any solutions?

Stick

[cogadh]

With the exception of System Restore, you have one big commonality, Internet Explorer. Help and Support is just a preconfigured front for IE and WMP integrates IE to browse for artist and album info. Have you tried re-installing IE7?

[stick14]

Thanks for the advice, but I've tried uninstalling and installing IE7 and WMP11 several times, no luck.  Any other thoughts?  When I try to open WMP on its own, the little blue 'A' Avast ball in the lower right panel spins like it's authorizing WMP to work, then the ball stops and nothing launches.  Is some setting on Avast not allowing WMP to open?  Not only will WMP not work on IE7, it won't work on Mozilla or Netscape either.  Any help from anyone would really be appreciated 

Stick

[DavidR]

avast doesn't block, but scans files that are to be opened, e.g. you starting wmp if it were infected you would get an alarm and in that case avast would stop it launching. But, besides that if there is no infection avast doesn't block.

What is in the windows Event Viewer, either the Application or System sections at this time ?
Launch wmp and then check the event viewer.

How can I undo what Avast has done?

How long have you had avast installed ?
Did these applications  work previously with avast installed ?

Have (or did) you another AV installed in this system, if so what was it and how did you get rid of it ?

[stick14]

Thanks so much for writing, DavidR.

I have had Avast installed for about a month now.  Both WMP and IE were working perfectly before I installed it.  You may be onto something with your last question (although I'm not a computer wiz by any stretch of the imagination).  I had a very old version of NAV (2004) installed, and I used the NAV uninstall to get rid of it.

I have looked in the Event Viewer's Application and System sections, and there are all kinds of events from the past few days.  I'm not sure what I'm looking for or what you want me to find for you.  I tried opening WMP.  Since I've uninstalled and installed WMP, the "Internal application error has occured" error box doesn't come up when I launch it.  Nothing happens when I double click the app., and no logs were filed in either section after attempted launch.  Any thoughts?  Thanks again,

Stick

[DavidR]

A link worth looking at, which is a program removal tool that can remove the remnants of a number of different Norton Programs:
Removing your Norton program using SymNRT

As cogadh said the only common factor in the issues you have/had is the use IE for display, as does windows explorer (so if you also have display issues with that it may be IE). Since you uninstalled and reinstalled wmp and now it works, that could be an indication that there was a hook into that with Norton (it really gets deep into your system).

So all I can suggest for now is trying the Norton removal link and see if that can get rid of any possible remnants of NAV.

I'm just about to call it a night almost 2 a.m. here.

[stick14]

I'll try, thanks for your help!  Nite

[tls]

I had a similar problem with Norton 2004 removal on one computer, although I don't recall whether WMP was involved.  Since my next option was to re-install WinME anyway, on the advice of someone with more experience, I used the search function to look for any entries with "Symantec" or "Norton" and deleted them manually.  This was after using the SymNRT removal tool and re-booting, so I was surprised to see a number of entries still remaining.

I doubt whether this extra step would be necessary or even advisable in most circumstances, but on my old WinME computer, it worked.   

[Lisandro]

I doubt whether this extra step would be necessary or even advisable in most circumstances, but on my old WinME computer, it worked.

Most of these 'extra' leftovers aren't the ones that block the correct avast installation. Sometimes just menu order, recent files used, etc. Some of legacy entries that will be deleted when the time passes and Windows 'autoclean' them... but, anyway, fact are facts... I'm glad your system is working with avast now!

[alanrf]

I do not want to seem unsympathetic to the problems reported by the poster.  However, here we are running avast (Home edition) on 6 systems; 2 Winx XP Pro, 2 Win XP home and 2 Win Me.  The Windows XP systems are running IE7 and the latest version of Windows Media Player.  We have no problems from any of the 6 systems of the kind reported in this thread. 

Of the 6 systems 2 (one XP Pro and one ME) are running the current beta release of avast - again without any of the problems reported by the poster.

I have, in the past, personally experienced the problem with XP Help reported by the poster.  It was caused by running an over-zealous Windows clean-up utility freely available on the Internet.  I had to re-register some components of XP help and now it is running just fine again.  This had nothing to do with avast.    I have to say that, given the persistence of this user's problems after un-installing avast I must doubt that the issues ever had anything to do with avast at all.         

[stick14]

No offense taken, I'm assuming that you and your support team know much, much more than I do.  That's why I came to the forum.  But it's hard for me to think that all these problems I've been having with WMP and IE7 just happened to start immediately after I installed Avast.  I'm not saying that Avast is a bad program, I've preached the opposite.  I'm just looking for help since I don't know as much as you.  Here's a quote from a man who wrote in the summer time, experiencing similar problems:

I have an issue that involves AVAST Proffessional edition.  I installed the Network Distribution verison on a Windows 2003 SBS server and install the network version of avast on several pc's.  Since this has been installed, the users complained about not being able to lauch Windows Media Player.  They get an error that states "An internal Error has occured"

I tried to do a system restore from before avast was installed and System Restore won't launch.  I also tried to go to the windows update site and the computer wounldn't let me.  I can access the internet but I also get the complaint that they cannot access some sites.  I suspect these sites have scripts that avast is blocking.  I tried to uninstall avast and the errors are still there.

I have loaded this application before on a laptop and had no problems. 
Any help anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated.

My case is not an isolated one, so I don't think it's fair to say that "my issues never had anything to do with avast at all".  Perhaps it's my computer?  I tried the Symantec removal program to no avail. I'm getting the "internal error" box again.  Please help, and again, don't take offense at my technical inexperience,

Stick

[igor]

If the error occurs even after you uninstall avast!, I'd say it's quite unlikely to be linked to avast.

Anyway, what is this "Internal error"? Does the error window have any details - module name, address, ...?

[stick14]

I'm as confused as you are, it just says "an internal application error has occurred", there are no details, module name address, and there are no events logged.  Strange, eh?  I can't even run a search since the XP Search and XP Help won't launch.  I'm thinking that since the removal of NAV 2004 was simultaneous with the installation of Avast, maybe it had an adverse effect somehow.  I used the Symantec removal tool posted by DavidR, and I've tried to search for "Symantec or Norton" remants like others have suggested, but I can't even open XP Search     Like you, I don't think Avast is to blame for my troubles, since I've uninstalled and installed several times, do you have any suggestions?  I really am at my wits end here, any help would be a blessing!

[DavidR]

Searching in the registry (that is where the remnants are likely to be if they are anywhere) should be different if you are able to get in there, Windows, Start button, Run, and type regedit and click OK.

[stick14]

Thanks to all those offering help the past few days, thanks for being patient and helping me learn.  After hours of struggling and research, I found that I had some missing scripts.  This problem is also associated with blank windows appearing in certain dialogs such as the Search Companion, Windows Media Player, User Accounts Control Panel and Windows Update. In my case, re-registering a DLL fixed the problem. To do this, I clicked Start -> Run, type regsvr32 jscript.dll and clicked OK. Then I clicked Start -> Run again, but this time type regsvr32 vbscript.dll and clicked OK.  Everything began working again like magic!!

 

So thanks again for all your help, Avast enthusiasts, hopefully I won't be back soon