Log Viewer won't display

[richteratmosphere]

Igor,

I also noticed that when I run hangrep.exe, nTuneService.exe also has a status of "Not Responding."  All of the other Image Names have a status of "Ok."  Not sure if that's relevant to the problem.  When I try to save the .dmp file for nTuneService.exe, I get an error code that says, "Failed.  Failure Code: 13."  It ends up being a 0 KB .dmp file.

Do you think the non-responsive nTuneService.exe file is also part of the problem?

[richteratmosphere]

Igor or any other techs / programers,

I noticed that if I change the Avast "appearance" settings to disable "show avast tray icon" and reboot, the avast tray icons are removed from the tray.

If after reboot, I go to the Windows start menu -> all programs -> avast, on the first click, avast does not open (much like when I try to run the log viewer when avast is set to show icons in the tray).

If I try to start avast the second time, it will open.  Then, I can view the log (once again, this is when avast is set so that it is not viewable in the tray).  However, having avast set up this way causes options from the windows start menu to "stay stuck" on my screen, like the "Dell Support Center" shows on this cropped JPEG of my screen:



Also, when I run hangrep.exe with avast removed from the tray, ashLogV.exe works, but ashSimpl.exe shows as "Not Responding."

I keep on getting error messages with Filezilla when I try to upload the ashSimpl.exe.dmp file to ftp://ftp.avast.com/incoming, so I uploaded it via sendspace:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/vzd6l3

I hope this works for you.

Also, did you receive the ashLogV.exe.dmp file that I uploaded to your FTP site earlier this week?  I thought that it was a successful upload, but maybe I experienced uploading errors like I did this morning and you didn't get it.

I'm uploading it now via sendspace:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/8qjrmc

Any help clarifying what the problem is that I'm experiencing and a solution to have avast work properly would be very much appreciated.

[igor]

Well, personally I don't see anything suspicious in the dumps... but, what you are saying about the menu leftovers, it reminds me of an older problem there was with Kerio firewall.

Please try the following:
1. Start Notepad and open the file <avast4>\Data\avast4.ini
2. Find the section [Common]
3. Add the following line into that section (at the end, beginning... wherever):
SunbeltKPFHack=2
4. Save the changes; avast! self-defense might pop up with a message about avast4.ini being changed, so confirm that

Does it help?

[richteratmosphere]

Igor,

I added the SunbeltKPFHack=2 line to the ini file, and rebooted...

and now I can view the log and there isn't that "menu leftover" problem happening either!

 

I've never had Kerio firewall on my computer.  My computer initially came with McAfee Security Center pre-installed and I have had Zone Alarm on it (currently removed whilst playing around with this log viewer problem).

I really appreciate the help!

 

Well, personally I don't see anything suspicious in the dumps... but, what you are saying about the menu leftovers, it reminds me of an older problem there was with Kerio firewall.

Please try the following:
1. Start Notepad and open the file <avast4>\Data\avast4.ini
2. Find the section [Common]
3. Add the following line into that section (at the end, beginning... wherever):
SunbeltKPFHack=2
4. Save the changes; avast! self-defense might pop up with a message about avast4.ini being changed, so confirm that

Does it help?

[igor]

I guess it doesn't have to be Kerio, some other tools might have a similar problem.

The thing is that something installed system wide hooks, intercepting some windows messages. avast! (or rather a 3rd party library used in avast!) uses similar hooks (but just local, within the avast! process only) to create visually "enhanced" menus.
This other tool (the one with the global hook) interferes with this - and as a result, pieces of the menus are sometimes left on the screen, and some GUI operations seem to be blocked, so that the corresponding application window doesn't show at all.
That .ini option you added disables the visual enhancement of the menus in avast! completely, which "solves" the problem (but just for avast! - I'm not saying other programs may not still be affected).

I must say I don't know what program may cause this; in the case of Kerio, I think (but I'm really not sure, it was quite a long time ago) it was its aggressive behavior blocker that caused this behavior.

[crofty59]

Well, personally I don't see anything suspicious in the dumps... but, what you are saying about the menu leftovers, it reminds me of an older problem there was with Kerio firewall.

Please try the following:
1. Start Notepad and open the file <avast4>\Data\avast4.ini
2. Find the section [Common]
3. Add the following line into that section (at the end, beginning... wherever):
SunbeltKPFHack=2
4. Save the changes; avast! self-defense might pop up with a message about avast4.ini being changed, so confirm that

Does it help?

Hi
This may seem a stupid question, but how do you bring up the avast ini file in notepad. I have got no idea. 
I have searched the forum but can not find what i was looking for.
Any help will be appreciated.

Windows xp Home  SP3

Cheers

[igor]

Open notepad (e.g. by typing notepad.exe into the "Run" box in Start Menu), select File/Open, browse to the corresponding avast4\Data folder and open it?
Or, if you installed avast! into the default location, you can simply paste the following path into the Notepad "Open" dialog:
c:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\avast4.ini

[crofty59]

Thanks igor

I ended up doing a avast repair and rebooted all back to normal. I have now done this twice, so if i get it again i will try changing the ini file.

Thanks for showing me how.

Cheers

[crofty59]

Rebooted again today, have same problem as before.
Have applied the avast ini fix.

So far all okay.
If problem comes back will re post.

cheers