Vista Hangs

[ghmiller]

After installing v4.7 home I now find my PS running Vista hangs while running overnight and several times during the day. Current programs seem to be running but if I try to start a new program the system hangs, clock doesn't update, the new program doesn't load(hard drive light on) and I have to use the power button on the PC to power down and restart. I have  installed .1083 beta fixes. Any help?
Geran

[igor]

Can you move the mouse pointer when the system is frozen?
I must say it sounds like a hardware problem to me (overheating, faulty RAM modules, hard disk problem... something like that).

[ghmiller]

I can move the mouse, maximize running programs. It seems as if it works fine until something wants to go to system resources or I try to open a  new program. Then the drive light is on but nothing happens, Can't get to Task Manager either. I checked all drivers and they are all up to date. After I power off and back on everything is fine for a few hours. This only started after installing Avast 4.7 home so I suspect it.

[igor]

I meant - can you move your mouse cursor after the system froze? (i.e. after you tried to start a new program, for example)

[ghmiller]

What I described is after the system is frozen. New variation this time as when I clicked on windows mail I got the blue screen and the system crashed and did a dump.

[Marwin]

Same problem for me. Bougth a new laptop yesterday with Vista installed. When a first started it up everything worked fine. I downloaded and installed Avast and after that my computer hangs. Everything hangs.. I can't even move the mouse or start the task manager. If I stop Avast the computer works normal again. Have used it for years on my other computer with XP and it have always worked fine.

[igor]

Marwin:
How do you stop avast! if you can't move the mouse and everything is frozen?

Anyway, could you please try to update to the latest betaversion:
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=31426.0
You can do it from safe mode (to avoid the problems you have when you boot normally).
Thanks.


ghmiller:
Would you be able to create a memory dump (when the system freezes) and upload it to our FTP server?
The description on how to do that is here:
http://support.avast.com/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=71
Note: a PS/2 keyboard is needed for this operation; USB doesn't work 

If the magic shortcut (to invoke the dump) doesn't work (when the system is frozen), and if the hard drive light is on during the freeze as you say... I really think it's a hardware problem (the drive probably). It could be "triggered" by avast! since as any other antivirus, it imposes some additional load on the computer (since it has some scan more files), but not really because of a bug.

[Marwin]

If I start the computer and don't do anything (start any program etc) I'm able to stop avast.

Marwin:
How do you stop avast! if you can't move the mouse and everything is frozen?

Anyway, could you please try to update to the latest betaversion:
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=31426.0
You can do it from safe mode (to avoid the problems you have when you boot normally).
Thanks.


ghmiller:
Would you be able to create a memory dump (when the system freezes) and upload it to our FTP server?
The description on how to do that is here:
http://support.avast.com/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=71
Note: a PS/2 keyboard is needed for this operation; USB doesn't work 

If the magic shortcut (to invoke the dump) doesn't work (when the system is frozen), and if the hard drive light is on during the freeze as you say... I really think it's a hardware problem (the drive probably). It could be "triggered" by avast! since as any other antivirus, it imposes some additional load on the computer (since it has some scan more files), but not really because of a bug.

[ghmiller]

I've changed the registry.
Geran Miller

[ghmiller]

I've been trying to upload the dump I got on the 14th. I've zipped it, created a network connection in my computer folder to ftp://FTP://avast.com/incoming/ but when I try to connect to it, I get server does not allow anonymous logins or my Email address was not accepted. What do I need to do to send you the dump?
Geran

[DavidR]

You should be able to upload, but you can't read, you should be able to connect and upload just using your browser (IE).

Upload them to ftp://ftp.avast.com/incoming - Connect to the link and drag the file into the Right pane and drop it, that starts the upload, you don't have read access to this folder.

[ghmiller]

Me again,
  Tried that, now I get the file copy folder for a few seconds then get FTP folder error with these details, 200 switching to binary mode, 227 entering passive mode (195,47,75,55,40,2), 553 could not create file. The file is called Vista Hangs ghmiller.zip and its 80,251 Kb. Changed name to VistaHangsGhmiller.zip and now it's copying.
Geran

[Vlk]

ghmiller,

do you happen to have the Asus P5B motherboard?

This actually seems to be a RAID driver issue.

Cheers
Vlk

[ghmiller]

Don't know, PC is made by HP model d4650y and the mother board has a P5BW-LA label on it. The RAID controller chipset is a Intel 82801 SATA RAID Controller. I've uploaded another dump called VistaHang1ghmiller.zip from this afternoon.
Geran

[Vlk]

If it's a HP brand system, it would be actually very useful if you could go to the HP support site http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/siteHome?dlc=en&lc=en&cc=us and tried to download the latest drivers for the SATA controller.


Would that make any difference?

Thanks
Vlk