Avast 4 Resident Shield freezes

[mic]

I am using WinXP pro with Avast 4 pro installed.

When I extracting a zipped file with infected files with winrar, Avast 4 Resident Shield detects it and freezes, it stops itself and cannot be re-enabled. Winrar freezes too and cannot finish extracting. I cannot end winrar nor avast from windows task manager, and have to reboot to stop the situation.

The same thing happens when I scan a zipped file with online scanner from CA my-etrust, avast detects a .tmp file infected but then the resident shiels freeze with a red cross on the taskbar icon, IE freezes too, only reboot the system can resolve this.

[techie101]

When I extracting a zipped file with infected files with winrar, Avast 4 Resident Shield detects it and freezes,

Do you get any error message?
 

it stops itself and cannot be re-enabled. Winrar freezes too and cannot finish extracting. I cannot end winrar nor avast from windows task manager, and have to reboot to stop the situation.

Ok, What is the setting on the sensitivity of the Resident Shield?  Try Normal and see if this helps.

Will Winrar complete the action if the Resident Shield is disabled?

The same thing happens when I scan a zipped file with online scanner from CA my-etrust, avast detects a .tmp file infected but then the resident shiels freeze with a red cross on the taskbar icon, IE freezes too, only reboot the system can resolve this.

Do you have any other antivirus program installed on your machine?  Did you ever have Norton installed?

A freeze can occur with memory drain.  Monitor the memory usage to see if it approaches a critical level.  Although XP is less susceptible to leakage, it could occur.

techie

[mic]

Do you get any error message?

There isn't any error message. Just the popup of avast detects virus.

What is the setting on the sensitivity of the Resident Shield?

The sensitivity of the Resident Shield is set to Customize with Scan create/modified files set to All files. I have the action of virus find set to move to chest.
I have only Standard Shield and Internet Mail, no Script Block installed.

Do you have any other antivirus program installed on your machine?  Did you ever have Norton installed?

I have KAV on-demand together with avast. I had installed Norton but removed.

The situation does not happen every time.
When avast freezes, my winxp is not hang, but the "ashServ.exe" is not in Task Manager.

After reboot, I test several times to extract the zipped infected file, it works fine.

[Lisandro]

I have KAV on-demand together with avast.

Take care. Two antivirus running (providers) generally make the 'freeze' situation. You won't be more protected with two antivirus. You may probably use other security programs but I suggest you use only one antivirus or, at least, one resident and the other (few of them allow this possibility) not running in the background (i.e., not resident).

I had installed Norton but removed.

Are you sure your Windows Registry is ok?
I have serious doubts that NAV could be ever 'removed' from one system...  :'(

The situation does not happen every time.
When avast freezes, my winxp is not hang, but the "ashServ.exe" is not in Task Manager.

The conflict could have corrupt the avast instalation. If ashServ.exe is not running, you do not have avast properly installed and running.

After reboot, I test several times to extract the zipped infected file, it works fine.

What did you do after reboot? Is avast running after the reboot?

[mic]

What did you do after reboot? Is avast running after the reboot?

After reboot, the Resident shield works fine, the ashServ.exe is up. Avast just works fine.

I try to extract the zipped infected file with winrar, Avast detects all infected files and no freeze, winrar completes extraction too. I think there's something trigger the freeze, but I don't remember what I did to trigger it. But I think there's a chance the Resident Shield to hang when detecting a infected file that other program is working with.

[Lisandro]

What did you do after reboot? Is avast running after the reboot?

But I think there's a chance the Resident Shield to hang when detecting a infected file that other program is working with.

Maybe...  
But I'm not sure that Standard Shield use the same un-packer engine that the main program. The same file could be 'touched' by more than one application at the time. We need a programmer here!