Weird Problem - XP Pro SP3 or Avast?

[Erixy]

Hi there! I recently installed Windows XP service pack 3 over two of my PCs. Both had been running XP Pro (SP2) and Avast Pro (4.8.1169) without a glitch. After the SP3 upgrade, everything seemed fine at first until yesterday I manually paused the Standard Shield for some reason. As expected, the XP security center warning msg (the little red shield with a white cross) popped up and I simply ignored it. After some while I turned on the Standard Shield again and expected the security center warning to disappear by itself. Nothing happened. I checked the active providers and it seemed the Standard Shield was still off. What was worse was that the system became extremely slow and soon stopped responding. I could only hold the power button to switch the PC off. Then I updated Avast to the latest version (4.8.1195), but the problem persisted on both of my PCs.

Any idea what could cause this problem? Or could anyone with SP3 please try this on your rig? Simply pause the Standard Shield and enable it again (with windows security center service running), and see if the system hangs? Thanks!

[alanrf]

I am using Win XP Pro SP3 with avast 4.8.1195.

I just did my best to repeat the condition you describe. 

I paused the Standard Shield and got the XP security center warning.  I proceeded for a while. 

I then resumed the Standard Shield.  The Windows XP security center warning disappeared and the Standard Shield proceeded to advise me of the latest site that had been scanned.

[PaulAuckNZ]

Works ok here, paused standard shield, the virus protection in security centre changed to off. Clicked on continue, and it changed to on

It didnt freeze tho

[Erixy]

Thanks guys! BTW, is your system a fresh install of slipstreamed XP or upgrade from SP2?

[PaulAuckNZ]

Mines a slipstreamed SP3.

I slipstreamed SP3/IE7+WMP and installed XP, about 3 weeks ago.

[alanrf]

The results I reported above were on the system from which I am posting now. 

I performed the update to SP3 a few hours after I updated to avast 4.8.1195 a couple of days ago.

I conducted the same test (with the same results) on a Windows XP Pro system that was updated to SP3 five weeks ago and to avast 4.8.1195 yesterday. 

[Erixy]

Thanks! I guess I am extremely unlucky then :'(. Any suggestions, please? Both of my systems are patched with the latest updates, and the startup items are kept at minimal count with only Avast and firewall. One is on Jetico 1.0 and the other on COMODO.
Do you think clearing the security center database can resolve the problem? Any hint how to do that?

[Lisandro]

Do you think clearing the security center database can resolve the problem? Any hint how to do that?

http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=23457.msg193534#msg193534
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/repairwmi.htm

[Erixy]

Guys, I think I figured out what might cause the problem. I did a fresh install of the latest build of avast and cleared the security center database. At first the problem seemed gone. But once I switched the Standard Shield sensitivity to "high" (which I had been using previously), the problem appeared again. So for the time being I'll keep the sensitivity at "normal".

Could anyone please try turning off and on the Standard Shield with "high" sensitivity and see if the system hangs?  Thanks!

[Lisandro]

But once I switched the Standard Shield sensitivity to "high" (which I had been using previously), the problem appeared again. So for the time being I'll keep the sensitivity at "normal".

Are you saying that moving the sensitivity from Normal to High makes the Windows Security Center detect avast as not being updated?

Could anyone please try turning off and on the Standard Shield with "high" sensitivity and see if the system hangs?  Thanks!

Did you use any other antivirus in the past in this computer?
If you disable Comodo, will it help? Are you using the Defense+ of Comodo?
Are you using the latest 4.8.1201 version of avast?

[Dwarden]

i'm going to watch this as i got same / similar problem with 1195 build ...
let's hope it was fixed in 1201 ... also if someone else experience this feel free to post
thanks

[Erixy]

Thanks Tech. What I meant was when I switched the sensitivity to "high", my computer always got stuck if I paused and then resumed the Standard Shield. The security center seemed detecting avast fine. Looked like something was preventing the shield from resuming and then a deadlock or whatever.

Never installed other antivirus programs on this computer. No difference with or without FW (Defense off). Will give build 1201 a try tomorrow and see if it corrects the problem on my computer. 

[Erixy]

Seems the problem's still there with build 1201

[alanrf]

And ... sorry .. but still not reproducible by me in build 1201 (even on High sensitivity).  So it suggests some form of configuration difference.

I should add that the only firewall I use is the Windows XP firewall.

[KuSh]

I'm facing exactly the same problem.
I've just installed XP Pro SP3. Then installed latest avast (4.8.1201). At this point everything seems all right, the security center didn't complain about anything. Then I registered avast with a free familial key obtained from avast.com and at this point the security center poped up saying that I didn't have a Firewall, and some second later that I don't have a firewall neither.

I tried to clean the security center database but didn't find the WMI service in the list.