Lost of all windows icons

[hewee]

I just got Avast this pass week and have the free version on windows 98SE.
But 4 times now when the Avast is open to scan or to change a skin I lose all the windows icons but the Large icons. I do not lose the smaller icons by the clock but do ever place else. They are missing in in the Quick start, start and program menu and when you right click they are missing the icons in the menu.
Also any other program that will show they icon for a file type they are missing.
I read in other threads here about using Tweak UI to repair the icons so I have it so tried it. But when I open the control panel and looked the large icons were also gone but it did show the windows default icon.
Then I did a repair of the icons and then all icons no matter what size or where they were at was gone on my desktop. I then clicked some folders to look I knew was folders on my desktop because of the file name and all it did was open 'Find" to do a search. I have to reboot each time to clear this up. I looked at Find and it has in the "look in" the folder I had last click on the made find come up.

I hope this is a bug you can fix because this is not good.

Also doing test of scan on scanning down loads at http://www.eicar.org/anti_virus_test_file.htm and I only get a pop-up when I download eicar.com. On the eicar_com.zip and eicar_com2.zip I get no warning. I can once downloaded scan them and then get a alert but should not it tell me so I don't download the file.

[hines232]

I just got Avast this pass week and have the free version on windows 98SE.
But 4 times now when the Avast is open to scan or to change a skin I lose all the windows icons but the Large icons. I do not lose the smaller icons by the clock but do ever place else. They are missing in in the Quick start, start and program menu and when you right click they are missing the icons in the menu.
Also any other program that will show they icon for a file type they are missing.
I read in other threads here about using Tweak UI to repair the icons so I have it so tried it. But when I open the control panel and looked the large icons were also gone but it did show the windows default icon.
Then I did a repair of the icons and then all icons no matter what size or where they were at was gone on my desktop. I then clicked some folders to look I knew was folders on my desktop because of the file name and all it did was open 'Find" to do a search. I have to reboot each time to clear this up. I looked at Find and it has in the "look in" the folder I had last click on the made find come up.

I hope this is a bug you can fix because this is not good.

Also doing test of scan on scanning down loads at http://www.eicar.org/anti_virus_test_file.htm and I only get a pop-up when I download eicar.com. On the eicar_com.zip and eicar_com2.zip I get no warning. I can once downloaded scan them and then get a alert but should not it tell me so I don't download the file.

I run Windows ME. Have same prob., was told Windows 98SE and Windows ME do not handle resources well. Do a restart !! live with it.

[Catoosa]

I am having the exact same problem with the icons on my PC with Windows 98 first edition. I upgraded from free Avast 4.7 to free 4.8 yesterday. I do not recall having this problem with Avast 4.7, but I could have and just did not notice. Where do I find Avast version 4.7 to download? I would guess version 4.8 would have to be removed first prior to reinstalling 4.7.

[hines232]

Stick with 4.8 (new update coming soon, may resolve problem). Do not know for sure. Like I was told on forum, neather 98xx/ME handle resources very well ? I used RSRCMTR the last time I did a demand scan, and It said i had 78%resource yet !!??.(still lost icons). :'(

[Lisandro]

Where do I find Avast version 4.7 to download? I would guess version 4.8 would have to be removed first prior to reinstalling 4.7.

It's not a good idea to downgrade... Anyway, I suggest an installation from the scratch:

1. Uninstall avast from Control Panel first.
2. Boot.
3. Use Avast Uninstall for complete uninstallation.
4. Boot.
5. Stay off-line (not connected to Internet)
6. Install again the old version: http://filehippo.com/download_avast_antivirus/
7. Boot.
8. Register avast (insert the registration key).
9. Uncheck the programs updates (set to manual).
10. Only then connect to Internet (go on-line).
11. Check and post the results.

[alanrf]

The problem with the icons in the Win9x operating systems is very common - I see it too but only for the status bar icons.

[Lisandro]

Generally, this is due to the poor memory management of Windows 98 or, in other cases, few RAM available.

[hewee]

Well thanks all for the replies.

From all the post here I may just wait to see if they can update things to fix this bug.
It seem to only happen when I open or start Avast to do a scan and it is not like I open that all the time and a reboot clears it up.

But got something new tonight when I start the computer Zone Alarm ask if I wanted to give "Distributed COM Services" Rpcss.exe rights.
I did give it rights but then looked at ProcessExplorer and see it seems that ASHSERV.EXE of Avast is using it.
I have never had this Rpcss.exe file run before on 95 or 98.


You hear good and bad about it.
Here is some info.
http://www.winpatrol.com/db/plus2007/rpcss...RPCSS.EXE&1
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=R...p;aq=-1&oq=
http://www.cexx.org/rpcss.htm
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/startups/R....exe-14544.html

The Rpcss it is pointing to is or has been on the computer from the start because it was modified: 4/23/99 so the date as a whole lot of windows files.
I am going to kill it for now till I hear from others because I have a feeling this should not be running but again Avast seems to be doing it.
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=12870.15
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=651.0

[alanrf]

The Windows 9x operating systems will change no more. 

avast while trying to support those systems is moving on.  To be brutally honest there is no real value to avast to try to fix any issue that happens with the Win9x systems.  This is more a problem of Win9x than avast.

Please do not hold out some hope that this is going to change.  If change there will be it is more likely that you will buy a system with a currently supported operating system than this problem will be fixed.

Sorry to be honest.     

[hewee]

alanrf,

I can go alone with you on all that.

But I like to know what is the deal with Rpcss.exe loading at each boot by ASHSERV.EXE. If I disable ASHSERV.EXE then Rpcss.exe will not load so I know it is Avast doing this.
It has not been used again because I cleared it from Zone Alarm and it has not showed it again so it has not tried to get out but it is loading each boot and WinPatrol list it in the Active Task tab.

[alanrf]

In Windows systems beyond the Win9x series the Remote Procedure Call service (rpcss) is started by default.  The avast services information in those systems show clearly that ashserv is dependent on the RPC service being active.

For the Win9x systems there is a long thread discussing the need for rpcss.exe back in 2003.  It appears that for a Win98SE system rpcss.exe is required by avast for internal communication in avast with the virus chest. 

See this comment  by Vlk

[hewee]

Well it does not sound right when you read how that Rpcss.exe should not be used. But here Avast is starting it on each boot.

avast! - help: avast! settings
"Chest" Page

On this page, you can specify some options related to sending the files from the Chest to ALWIL Software. Select the maximum size of the file that is allowed to be sent from Chest, and specify the SMTP settings to be used to send the e-mail.

Just you hear bad things about this file being used.
It has not been called for again because Zone Alarm would know.
The registry they say you can edit to say "No" in EnableRemoteConnect on mine it says...
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\OLE]
"EnableDCOM"="N"
"EnableRemoteConnect"="N"

So guess it already is turned off to say NO.

Plus why have I gone a week or so before this got started by Avast?
I am not sending anything to Avast either.

Why are all post on this Rpcss.exe so old?

[alanrf]

As I told you ... the rest of us who have moved on in the Windows world have the RPC service (rpcss .exe to you) running automatically by default or else the system is pretty much crippled. 

If you want to fight 5 year old battles and eventually find yourself loosing when you are running the RPC service by default when you finally buy a new system with Windows Vista installed ... then that is your choice.   

As an alternative you can seek out another antivirus product that will still support Windows 98SE and not require the RPC function.     

 

[hewee]

Well I will leave it be for now. But still it does not seem right. The Rpcss.exe loads at each boot but has not been used or asked for rights again because Zone Alarm would let me know.
Why it too 5 days for this to even start I don't know either.


This is new from the upgrade today...

I upgrade the Avast 4 Home Version 4.8.1195 upgrade and had to reboot.

Then Zone Alarm pop up asked for all these newer rights.
Was Avast and PhotoImpact Album to create slideshows of your phot to access the internet.

Never ever had anything ask about this before.
I don't really ever even use the PhotoImpact Album. It just gets installed as part of PhotoImpact.

Odd thing is PhotoImpact Album never came up in ZA before. But now ZA has it listed after Avast as if I wanted to give it rights.
I keep saying not to PhotoImpact Album but it keeps asking for rights.

Thinking all is OK I then check for Avast AV updates and again it keep bring up the "PhotoImpact Album to create slideshows of your phot to access the internet"

I tried this and that and clearing from ZA Avast and rebooting etc without getting any where.
Even said ask and no to giving "Use PhotoImpact Album to create CD/DVD slideshows" but it has to have rights to get any Avast updates because "Avast.setup is what it is pointing to. Not PhotoImpact at all so don't understand why it has or wants to "Use PhotoImpact Album to create CD/DVD slideshows" to run the "Avast.setup"
Zone Alarm has listed the setup under the wrong Program name and all the details points to Avast components so when I said no to "Use PhotoImpact Album to create CD/DVD slideshows" I was saying NO to Avast.setup and avast components.

See screen shots here.

http://xs227.xs.to/xs227/08202/2008-05-12_190916736.png
http://xs227.xs.to/xs227/08202/2008-05-12_191349334.png
http://xs227.xs.to/xs227/08202/2008-05-12_191426648.png
http://xs227.xs.to/xs227/08202/2008-05-12_191512298.png
http://xs227.xs.to/xs227/08202/2008-05-12_191531711.png
Only got this error the one time. http://xs227.xs.to/xs227/08202/2008-05-12_194509127.png
http://xs227.xs.to/xs227/08202/2008-05-12_201530276.png
This is what I get if I say NO to "Use PhotoImpact Album to create CD/DVD slideshows" that is really saying NO to Avast.setup.
http://xs227.xs.to/xs227/08202/2008-05-12_205610112.png

Now is this not crazy? How did it ever bring up PhotoImapact for Avast?

[alanrf]

Do you have PhotoImpact installed on your system?  When I just did a scan for this product I was warned of "dangerous downloads" from one site offering it. 

It is not my intent to alarm you but one of the issues of remaining with a Win9x operating system is that avast cannot run the new self protection module.  That will mean that avast itself remains at far greater risk of being attacked and compromised than in the newer operating systems.