XP Crashes with 4.8

[rsf123]

Since my PC was updated with 4.8, I have started getting Windows crashes frequently.  I get a dump that stays on the screen for only about two seconds, then immediately reboots.  As a result, I cannot see details, but I did catch "vsdatant.sys" in the message.  So perhaps there is some sort of conflict with Zone Alarm.  Late last night I removed Avast, and have not crashed since.  Has anyone else experienced this?

[Lisandro]

I get a dump that stays on the screen for only about two seconds, then immediately reboots.

Remove the automatic restart from Control Panel > System (there is a initialization button of settings).
Is there any useful information into Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Events, specially 'Errors'?

[rsf123]

I reinstalled 4.8 and it crashed within 5 minutes.  There is not much info in the screen dump:

STOP:  0x0000008E (0xC0000005, 0xB22B9A5a, 0xAE76DC90, 0x00000000)

vsdatant.sys - Address B22B9A5A base at B2287000


I have since uninstalled 4.8 and appear stable once again.

There was nothing useful in the event log.

[Vlk]

Are you using the latest version of ZoneAlarm?

Thanks
Vlk

[DavidR]

Google returns many hits for the stop error code, combine the two and you get a more specific list of hits, http://www.google.com/search?q=0x0000008E+vsdatant.sys

Do you use zone alarm, as there are lots of hits relating to vsdatant.sys and ZA (some about outpost too) ?

[rsf123]

I am not on the latest ZoneAlarm.  I'm using ZoneAlarm Pro 6.5.737 - Firewall and anti-spyware.

[Tricia UK]

I think I posted this in the wrong thread so here it is again:


I have a Dell  (Windows XP) and have used Avast for several years without problems. On Sunday I switched on my computer. It booted up, Avast updated, presumably to 4.8 and I got the dreaded blue screen of death. Nothing else has changed for several weeks.

My son-in-law came and managed to reboot - can't give details- he re-set it to what it was a couple of days before and I managed to use it all day. This morning Avast updated when I switched it on and I am back to the blue screen. I can only e-mail you by using our other computer. Incidentally this has Avast too and seems OK, maybe a little slow but as I'm not the one who usually switches this one on it is hard to tell.

The blue screen of death says.

STOP 0000008E (0xC0000005  0x8052ADC3  0xA9FC4768 )

[DavidR]

@ Tricia UK
Exactly what version of XP do you have, XP, XP SP1, XP SP2, what ?

Have you tried booting into safe mode ? http://www.pchell.com/support/safemode.shtml

If you can uninstall avast from safe mode, that may allow for a boot into normal windows mode.

You might have to do these downloads on another system (rather than go on-line unprotected), copy them to CD and then transfer to the system without avast.

Download the latest version of avast http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html and save it to your HDD, somewhere you can find it again. Use that when you reinstall.

Download the avast! Uninstall Utility, find it here and save it to your HDD.

Now run the uninstall utility to make sure any remnants are gone, reboot, install the latest version, reboot.

[Tricia UK]

I have XP as stated. Think I will have to wait for son-in-law again as he had problems getting into safe mode  last time.

[alanrf]

Tricia UK,

beta testing is, by its nature with a product like this, done by volunteers like DavidR and very many others of us who do our very best to break the product before it gets to you. 

This time around avast is making a major change with the self-protection feature.  avast has faced a clamour from many users who have experienced problems from malware and from other over zealous security products that have damaged the ability of avast to provide the protection that avast users need.  It is an almost impossible task to take into account that vast number of permutations and combinations of software installs when you have literally tens of millions of users of your product worldwide.   

So, there is a trade off between the length of the beta test and trying to deliver what users are asking for.  It is always a tough call when to end a beta.  I understand your frustration but notwithstanding that for most users (and all of the folks I personally support) avast 4.8 is working well.  Just let me refer you back to the headlines in your own country in 2002 when the 1901 Census had to be withdrawn from the public for over 8 months before it was ready for any kind of real use (I was a user there too).  The avast team are doing considerably better than that. 

I think at times like this we all need to remember how much we pay the avast team for the product we get.  I do not know about you but I pay nothing for this product and not one of the of the folks I support pay a penny for it (and in case you are wondering they do not pay me either).  That is one of the reasons why I am writing this at 2.20 in the morning.  It is my small effort to make a contribution back to the avast community for the value I get from the product.             

[Tricia UK]

Sorry! As you can see I've withdrawn that remark. I have never had a problem with Avast before and do appreciate it. This has just been frustrating as I thought I had a major hard disc problem. Now I realise that it is avast  I don't know enough about our computer set up to put it right myself and the ONE WHO KNOWS is away at the moment.

From another thread I saw this
    
Internal error has occurred in module aswar function failed!, function C0000005
« on: Yesterday at 01:43:14 PM »

This issue will be resolved in today's VPS update, due in about 4 hours.

Sorry for the trouble.

Thanks
Vlk

Does this mean that if we can restore to last week then let the computer download the latest  Avast update it should be OK? Or do we still have to go through all the steps of uninstall with  the special uninstall programme etc. as outlined elsewhere?

[DavidR]

I have XP as stated. Think I will have to wait for son-in-law again as he had problems getting into safe mode  last time.

Well if this is the original release of XP then there have been 2 service packs since then and SP3 soon to be released. These service packs (along with Security Updates) close security vulnerabilities, they also fix bugs, etc. So if you really have the original XP it is way out of date and I don't know if there is a possibility that one of the old files that may not have had a bug fix applied could possibly have an effect.

So it is important to report the exact version and ensure that your OS is fully up to date to close any security holes.

The C0000005 error related to the anti-rootkit module and wouldn't have crashed your system, I had similar errors in my system and I didn't even notice it for 5 days as there was no impact on either the OS or the remainder of avast.

So I wouldn't recommend using system restore (I'm not a fan of it) as it can have effects that are totally unexpected, not to mention is isn't 100% reliable. I would say the clean reinstall with the steps you mentioned and using the uninstall utility also would probably be best.

[rsf123]

I posted the original two messages about the crashes.  I should have mentioned that I am running SP2.

[DavidR]

Sorry my last posts were directed at Tricia.

Hopefully Vlk will get back to the topic about Zone Alarm question.

My thoughts were if it was an old version and (if) the vsdatant.sys file was associated with it, then it might be updated in the latest ZA installation.

Did you not see anything in the google search string I gave ?

[Tricia UK]

Have checked and I do have XP Sp2.

Son-in-law came, we followed instructions and uninstalled Avast with your latest download and installed again with the latest download. Still got the dreaded blue screen with the same messages so I'm afraid we have dumped Avast and installed  a rival, the one Son-in-law uses, and now I have my computer back, whizzing along just fine.

My husband's Compaq is churning along rather slowly with Avast 4.8 but I'll let him decide what to do when he comes back.

Thanks Avast for all your good service in the past we just don't seem to be compatible any more and I need to use my computer!