Problem: Avast can't load the configuration

[Iskander]

Excuse me if this was already asked, I just couldn't identify this problem in the other threads.

I'm a new user of avast! 4 home edition, I've heard it's a wonderful program. Sadly, I don't seem to be able to use all its advantages. I have a hard time to explain what's wrong since I'm using a Hungarian language version of it (so I have no clue about the English terms of the program), but I made some screenshots, hopefully they will be helpful.

I managed to install the program completely, no error messages. However, the little red warning over the "a" on the system tray is clearly showing something is wrong. When I try to start the program like this (or with desktop icon)



I get 2 grey error windows.



This one says (translated):
The system cannot open the requested tool or file.
"avast! Starting Screen" (??) cannot load the configuration.

And this one, right after I click OK:



The system cannot open the requested tool or file.
"avast! Simple working platform" (??) cannot load the configuration.

When I click on the button I marked here:



nothing happenes, and it says my status is inactive.


What exactly am I doing wrong? Could somebody please help me to solve this? I already installed and uninstalled twice and nothing changed. 

Thank you in advance!

Iskander

[DavidR]

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

The little red warning over the "a" on the system tray is usually associated with the presence of or remnants of another AV, if avast detects this it can disable elements to avoid a conflict with the other AV.

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. Though I don't think this will change much since you have even reinstalled avast.

- Red Circle on avast icon. http://www.avast.com/eng/faq-other-questions.html#idt_1539

[Iskander]

I had Norton Antivirus 2006 before, but it expired so I had to get a new program. I uninstalled Norton using Add/Remove programs. 

[oldman]

That usually isn't enough to get rid of norton.

Uninstall avast and boot. You may also want to use the avast removal tool found here

http://avast.com/eng/avast-uninstall-utility.html

1) download the removal tool from the link above (save it to your desktop, easy to find there  )
2) uninstall avast via add/eremove
3) boot
4)run the avast removal tool
5) boot

Now for norton

1) Remove NAV through Add/Remove programs from Control Panel.
2) Boot.
3) Use Symantec removal tool following the three steps defined in the  Symnrt tool info.  http://download.betanews.com/download/1125124391/Norton_Removal_tool.exe
4) Boot.
5) Install avast!

Post back your results.

[Iskander]

Wow, it worked! I followed the steps and avast works fine now, after the new installation.

The only minor problem that remained that I get a small warning window at every Windows startup:



But everything works, I'm currently performing a scan too.
Maybe it wanishes. 

Thank you! 

[DavidR]

Wow, it worked! I followed the steps and avast works fine now, after the new installation.

The only minor problem that remained that I get a small warning window at every Windows startup:
<snip>
Thank you! 

Wow, were not surprised, NAV is a pig to remove at times.

I don't know if this Application Launcher is related to avast as there is no reference to avast in the pop-up. Is there something that makes you believe it is related to avast (other than it only happened after you installed avast, other errors, etc.) ?

I get a lot of hits for Application Launcher in a google search, http://www.google.com/search?q=Application+Launcher.

Welcome to the forums.

[Iskander]

I don't know if this Application Launcher is related to avast as there is no reference to avast in the pop-up. Is there something that makes you believe it is related to avast (other than it only happened after you installed avast, other errors, etc.) ?

Nothing that I could think of. It occured when I removed NAV completely (and avast again), and hasn't changed since then. So I guess it must be somehow related to one of them. 

Thanks, btw. 

[DavidR]

There is as you can see from the google results, there is a program or function called application launcher, do you have that ?
If so it could be that it is trying to launch an application that is no longer there.

You could also check and see if there is an entry in the startup tab of MSConfig that is trying to start but the file/application no longer exists.

On occasion there is the Live Update, a symantec tool to keep symantec applications updated, this might still be present and looking for NAV.

Other than the above I don't know exactly what it might be.