Once more about frozen Windows.

[abr53]

Today I've installed avast! 4 Home Edition, and I've found that my Windows XP is totally frozen after 1st boot time scanning and it's still frozen after reboot. I've found in FAQ a question about similar situation "Computer is totally frozen after reboot" where it explains by a conflict between avast! and another antivirus. Well, it can be the case since I have BitDefender already installed.

The recommended solution was: Uninstall the other antivirus using the safe mode of Windows. The problem, however, is that even in safe mode Windows get frozen, so I cannot uninstall anything, even avast! itself using, say avast! uninstall utility from http://www.avast.com/eng/avast-uninstall-utility.html. So, I'm completely stuck here.

I noticed that the issues with frozen OS seem one of recurring topics on this forum. However, recommended solutions don't work for me since my computer now is totally unusable. Could anyone suggest anything less radical than reinstallation of the OS?

Thank you very much.

[ardvark]

Hi...

Did you try uninstalling avast in the Control panel (in safe mode) under "Add/Remove Programs?"

It's curious that your system is freezing up even in safe mode since none of the antivirus modules are loaded into memory.

Best Regards...

[Lisandro]

Can you uninstall BitDefender first? At least until you uninstall avast?
In Safe Mode neither BitDefender nor avast will be running.

SafeMode booting (repeatedly press F8 while booting):
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315222

Or download a freeware application to do so:
http://www.snapfiles.com/get/bootsafe.html

[abr53]

Hi...

Did you try uninstalling avast in the Control panel (in safe mode) under "Add/Remove Programs?"

It's curious that your system is freezing up even in safe mode since none of the antivirus modules are loaded into memory.

I guess that avast! is loaded into memory even in safe mode since during its installation I choose to run boot time scanning.

Another possibility: during the 1st boot time scanning avast! had found something like win32::adware (I don't remember the exact name) in two files that appeared not system files, and deleted them (it did not raise any warnings when I asked it to do so). Could it happen that avast! readily agreed to delete the infected files that were used by OS during rebooting? If so, this really sucks.

Thank you

[DavidR]

No avast isn't loaded at all in safe mode. You have to start it manually if you want to do a scan.

A boot-time scan is done before windows loads, so if you had a boot-time scan scheduled that would be carried out before booting 'normally' as far as I'm aware after the boot-time scan windows would boot normally, unless you interrupt it (tapping the F8 key).

[abr53]

No avast isn't loaded at all in safe mode. You have to start it manually if you want to do a scan.

So, does this mean that something was permanently destroyed on harddrive during the boot time scan? That would be really bad news for me...

[ardvark]

Hi...

I'm not sure, it would depend on the malware and the file it infected. However, one thing is for sure, there is a conflict between BitDefender and Avast. Once you get one of them uninstalled properly, things should get back to normal. Can you uninstall Avast (in safe mode) through the Control Panel under "Add/Remove Programs?"

Best Regards...

[Lisandro]

So, does this mean that something was permanently destroyed on harddrive during the boot time scan?

What do you mean? Which actions did you take? Which you chose to do with the files? Delete, move, send to Chest?

[abr53]

What do you mean? Which actions did you take? Which you chose to do with the files? Delete, move, send to Chest?

Delete. But, if these were system files, avast! would ask me again before to proceed, right? It did not. Besides that, avast! probably would not be able to delete system files anyway.

BTW, what do other options - "move" and "send to Chest" really mean?

[DavidR]

avast I believe would normally caution on files detected in the system folders, but that is no guarantee and I would never recommend deletion even if this were a certainty, 'first do no harm' don't delete, you have zero options left, send to the chest.

Lets deal with the best option, 'Move to the chest,' this is a protected area where an infected file can't be accessed nor can do any harm. From here if needs be the copy can be restored to the original location, extracted (copied to a temp location) or sent to avast for further analysis.

Move is also a move and rename option they are sent to the C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\moved folder, this not a protected area and .vir is tagged on to the end of, e.g. infectedfile.exe.vir. This also means you have a copy that because it has been moved and renamed it shouldn't be active, but allows for similar actions as move to the chest.

[Lisandro]

Delete. But, if these were system files, avast! would ask me again before to proceed, right? It did not. Besides that, avast! probably would not be able to delete system files anyway.

By default, the boot time scanning does nothing with system files... are you sure you've let the default options?

BTW, what do other options - "move" and "send to Chest" really mean?

Chest is a protected (encrypted) folder and files are safe kept inside it.
Move, like David said, is just a folder where the files will be renamed to *.vir

[abr53]

So, finally I reinstalled Windows since I had no options left. Now I have no antiviruses and hopefully no viruses as well . The question is, which antivirus to choose. avast! looked attractive since it promised to remove the viruses and all kinds of malware, and all this for free. However, BitDefender, for example, did not ask me, what to do with infected files; avast! did, and the cost of wrong answer (delete) was too high. Is avast! like a car with manual trasmission, e.g. potentially more efficient, but expecting more skill and care from you? If so, is it suitable at all for home users who might be not very experienced? I hope that my impression is wrong, but I'd like to hear from folks who had already used avast! 4 Home Edition.

Thank you for all your replies!

[ardvark]

Is avast! like a car with manual trasmission, e.g. potentially more efficient, but expecting more skill and care from you? If so, is it suitable at all for home users who might be not very experienced? I hope that my impression is wrong, but I'd like to hear from folks who had already used avast! 4 Home Edition.

Hi...

I've used avast 4 in the somewhat distant past and have installed it on my mother's notebook and other systems I have worked on. I think avast has more features and options than a lot of other AV programs, free or paid, out there, along with being lightweight and covering a greater number of operating systems. However, I think all of them require varying degrees of knowledge to use them (depending upon how they are set up to interact with the user.) Despite the fact that it is resource hungry and loathed by many, NAV (Norton) is one of the AV's that goes further to simplify the process for those who have little or no technical knowledge. But you won't see the same number and type of options that avast has, either.

It really boils down to what you're most comfortable with. I mentioned in another thread that AV's, like other products, come in different shapes and sizes to suit many different tastes and preferences, it's really up to you.

Best Regards...

[Lisandro]

avast! did, and the cost of wrong answer (delete) was too high.

Why do you choose delete then? It's wiser and safer just send infected file to Chest (Quarantine) for further analysis.

[DavidR]

avast! did, and the cost of wrong answer (delete) was too high.

Why do you choose delete then? It's wiser and safer just send infected file to Chest (Quarantine) for further analysis.

As you said in your post, some AVs don't even ask the question, so you're dammed if you do and dammed if you don't. However, armed with the information you now have, 'first do no harm' don't delete, send virus to the chest and investigate (forums, google, etc.).