Avast clashes with touchpad software?

[NewAvastUser]

I'm running Windows 2000 on a Dell Inspiron 8000.  The touchpad is Synaptics.  Yesterday, I followed advice to double-click the blue ball with "a" on it, select Standard Shield->Customize->Advanced, then selected "Show Detailed Info on Performed Action" so that I can see what exactly AshServ.exe is doing when the laptop was apparently idle.  Since then, the mouse has started to misbehave.  At first, slight movements on the touchpad were translated into disproportionately large step movements on the screen, then the touchpad and buttons became nonresponsive.  Rebooting seems to fix this.

A forum search shows one other description of this problem, albeit on a different computer.

I suspect the problem is hidden deep in the driver bowels of the OS.  I have two questions.

1. Have other touchpad users noticed similar pathologies?

2. Have other Dell users noticed similar pathologies?

Thanks!

[NewAvastUser]

I noticed also that the pointer sometimes races left during the onset of this pathology.  I can "fight" the leftward motion by motioning rightward on the touchpad, but not with enough finess to click on buttons needed e.g. to throw up a firewall modem so that I can reboot more safely.

Just right now, I noticed the leftwardness slowing down and eventually disappearing.  Saved me one more reboot (of many today).  I think the abatement was due to me sticking in a logitech mouse.  The mouse was unresponsive, but it might have jogged something.  The mouse is removed now, but the logitech driver seems to have displaced the touchpad driver.  The mouse pad works, but the buttons have lost the behavioural customizations that were set with the touchpad options.  Those options aren't even available anymore, if I open up the touchpad configuratoin window.

Sigh.

I guess I didn't avoid a reboot after all.

[DavidR]

I wouldn't have though this was a common occurrence or you would have had more hits than just one. The main reason I would say is that this option isn't on by default.

However, you don't say it at the time you are experiencing this erratic pointer behaviour there are scanned files being listed at the same time ?

What sensitivity is the Standard Shield set to, Normal is the default ?

What are your system specs, CPU, RAM, graphics, etc. ?

[NewAvastUser]

The occurence hasn't been common, but then again, I hardly even open up the blue "a" ball.  The few times correlates with the touchpad problem quite nicely.  In fact, it might have less to do with "Show Detailed Info on Performed Action" than actually changing the Avast configuration, or even opening up the configuration panel.

It's hard to say whether the development of the pathology is correlated with the scanning of files.  The "a" ball rotates flittingly, whereas the touchpad pathology develops over the space of 30 seconds to 3 minutes.

The Standard Shield is set to Normal (I think...I am afraid to access the configuration panel again).  I distinctly do not recall ever setting it away from Normal.

System specs: http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/plav/sm/specs.htm#1000450
"x86 Family 6 Model 8 Stepping 6, AT/AT compatible, 523.736 KB RAM" (expanded afterward).
Video type: 128-bit hardware-accelerated video support
Data bus: 4X AGP
Video controller: ATI Mobility M4 orNVIDIA GeForce2 Go
Video memory: 8 MB (standard), 16 MB, and 32 MB (maximum)
LCD interface: LVDS

[DavidR]

I suggest when this happens, you open task manager and make a note of what the cpu % is and what process is using the lions share of it.

Whilst your system isn't the most powerful it should be well up to the task.

Now many Dells in the past came with a number of trial versions of software notable AVs usually in the form of Symantec/Norton, etc.

So have (or did) you another AV installed in this system, if so what was it and how did you get rid of it ?

[NewAvastUser]

I usually have the task manager open, and processes sorted in descending order according to CPU usage.  There is no process taking up the CPU (System Idle is 99%).

I had a corporate version of Symantec AV from work, but removed it due to it's CPU consuming tendency.  I can't recall how, just googled it and followed the instructions (noting it's tenacious persistence during the search).  However, there are no Symantec processes shown in the task manager.

[DavidR]

System Idle indicates what % is idle, e.g. available for use. So at the time only 1% in use.

Unfortunately drivers (the element most likely to clash) aren't displayed on the task manager. You will have to try their site and see if there is a tool for removing any remnants of the Symantec Corporate edition.

Whilst I don't believe it will make and difference, if you haven't reversed the Show Detailed Info on Performed Action I would.

Try this analysis tool - Program & Tutorial - Also useful as a diagnostic tool - FileHippo Download - HiJackThis and post the contents of the HJT log file here. - HJT Information HiJackThis Tutorial.

Download and run HJT and post the contents of the log file (cut and paste) into this topic, you may need to split it over two or more posts depending on how large it is.

[NewAvastUser]

Symantec was removed about 1 year ago, and this touchpad pathology just started about 2 days ago (the day I started changing the configuration of Avast).  The "Show Detailed Info on Performed Action" has already been reversed, but the problem persists despite several reboots.

Conceivably, it could also be something about this forum website, too, or its interaction with Firefox.  Even though shutting down all applications doesn't change anything (nothing showing in the Process tab of Task Manager).

I'll look into the tool that you mentioned.  Thx.

[Lisandro]

NewAvastUser, I know you have tested a lot of solutions until now... but the mouse behavior, the weird one, continues... maybe it helps if you be sure your computer is clean.

1. Clean your temporary files.
2. Schedule a boot time scanning with avast with archive scanning turned on. If avast does not detect it, you can try DrWeb CureIT! instead.
3. Use SUPERantispyware, MBAM or Spyware Terminator to scan for spywares and trojans. If any infection is detected, better and safer is send the file to Quarantine than to simple delete them.
4. Test your machine with anti-rootkit applications. I suggest avast! antirootkit or Trend Micro RootkitBuster.
5. Make a HijackThis log to post here or this analysis site. Or even submit the RunScanner log to to on-line analysis.
6. Disable System Restore and then reenable it again.
7. Immunize your system with SpywareBlaster.
8. Check if you have insecure applications with Secunia Software Inspector.

[DavidR]

<snip>
Conceivably, it could also be something about this forum website, too, or its interaction with Firefox.  Even though shutting down all applications doesn't change anything (nothing showing in the Process tab of Task Manager).

I doubt it is anything in the forums as I guess you are also getting it at other forums, the same would go for your browser. Your touchpad is totally in the dark about what browser or sites you are visiting and it should make no difference.

As far as Browsers and Sites go, the most common issue is that they don't display correctly (nothing to do with touchpad) because a) it was designed (badly) without standards in mind using code specific to a particular browser (IE) and b) you are using a browser that isn't IE.

Have you tried plugging in a USB mouse, I bet that doesn't have the same issue you mention.

[NewAvastUser]

NewAvastUser, I know you have tested a lot of solutions until now...  but the mouse behavior, the weird one, continues... maybe it helps if you be sure your computer is clean.

1. Clean your temporary files.
2. Schedule a boot time scanning with avast with archive scanning turned on. If avast does not detect it, you can try DrWeb CureIT! instead.
3. Use SUPERantispyware, MBAM or Spyware Terminator to scan for spywares and trojans. If any infection is detected, better and safer is send the file to Quarantine than to simple delete them.
4. Test your machine with anti-rootkit applications. I suggest avast! antirootkit or Trend Micro RootkitBuster.
5. Make a HijackThis log to post here or this analysis site. Or even submit the RunScanner log to to on-line analysis.
6. Disable System Restore and then reenable it again.
7. Immunize your system with SpywareBlaster.
8. Check if you have insecure applications with Secunia Software Inspector.

Tech,

I would certainly agree that your solution is the most comprehensive.  I've been down similar paths before trialing all sorts of security software, though not to the same degree as above.  It can take days or weeks to comprehensively use them and understand them, and the results -- especially with the ambiguities that can arise if you install as admin, but normally work as non-admin.  I currently use a suite of protective applications that is a reasonable balance between too much time and too little time spent on security.  For regular due diligence, I am mindful of the fact that too much time required for security effectively renders the web inaccessible.

I may yet have to try the applications you describe, but unfortunately, it would not happen promptly.  Hence, I'll try the blunt, quick checks first.  I've stayed away from the forum website for 41+ hours, and the problem has not recurred in that duration.  Not a sure-fire cause-and-effect, but simply correlation suggesting a possible relationship.

Anyway, I do appreciate the applications you've listed.  I'll continue testing my hypothesis for the time being to see if I need to follow up further with other securty applications.  I haven't ruled that out, especially since there seems to be the occassional interference of my typing by the random keyboard activity (cursor down, tab/return, etc.) upon returning here.  In fact, this is the 2nd time I'm composing this post -- my first attempt cancelled itself.

[NewAvastUser]

Have you tried plugging in a USB mouse, I bet that doesn't have the same issue you mention.

Yes, it doesn't solve the problem, though the erraticness changes.

I stayed away from this website for 41+ hours, and didn't experience a recurrence of the touchpad problem.  That bodes poorly for me, because this site is invaluable.  It's not the end of the world, though.  I just need to reboot.

[DavidR]

I honestly can't see any possible reason how this could be possible (co-incidence yes, but logically no way) as I said your touchpad software hasn't got a clue where you are visiting. Is there a software update for this touchpad ?

If it were truly this site (discounting my above comments) then you most certainly wouldn't be alone in this and that isn't the case, yours is the first I have heard of in over four and a half years on the forums.

[Lisandro]

too much time required for security effectively renders the web inaccessible.

The programs listed are on-demand only, not resident (on-access). Just to notice that.