no avast running from ME to XP upgrade

[bouncingbaby]

I have Avast 4.8 home edition and recently upgraded from windows ME to XP. Avast is not loading at startup. I am being told that I have no virus protection found.  I tried enabling the resident  protection but it reverts back when I close the program. Would uninstalling and reinstalling fix the problem? Any advice would be appreciated.

[igor]

Yes, you certainly have to reinstall avast!.
The ME and XP platforms are completely different - avast! uses different files, different drivers... it won't work if you simply change the OS and keep the previous avast! installation.

[bouncingbaby]

Thank you for your time

[Lisandro]

I suggest an installation from the scratch:

1. Uninstall avast from Control Panel first.
2. Boot.
3. Download the latest version of Avast Uninstall and use it for complete uninstallation.
4. Boot.
5. Install again the latest avast! version.
6. Boot.
7. Check and post the results.

[scythe944]

On a side note, you've really been running windows ME for this long?  You must HATE windows by now!

[Lisandro]

On a side note, you've really been running windows ME for this long?  You must HATE windows by now!

Indeed, Me was the worst Windows version they ever released...

[YoKenny]

On a side note, you've really been running windows ME for this long?  You must HATE windows by now!

Indeed, Me was the worst Windows version they ever released...

I did not have a problem with it but then I do not run games. 

Most games need a real mode DOS installed and ME did not have it if I remember.

If the system came from ME the most likely the hard drive is FAT32 and needs to be converted to NTFS as it is a much superior file handling system:
How to convert a FAT16 volume or a FAT32 volume to an NTFS file system in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307881

[DavidR]

On a side note, you've really been running windows ME for this long?  You must HATE windows by now!

Indeed, Me was the worst Windows version they ever released...

I skipped it completely, win3, win95, win98, win98se, winXP Pro and may do the same for Vista.

We will have to wait some considerable time to see how Vista stacks up in that regard MS seem to be having a very hard time trying to kill XP (and failing) and now the big push for Windows 7 is about to commence. So Vista is almost the unloved middle child

[Lisandro]

How to convert a FAT16 volume or a FAT32 volume to an NTFS file system in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307881

This (the file system conversion) will require you add the avast license key again. It's an antipiracy feature in action...

[scythe944]

I skipped it completely, win3, win95, win98, win98se, winXP Pro and may do the same for Vista.

We will have to wait some considerable time to see how Vista stacks up in that regard MS seem to be having a very hard time trying to kill XP (and failing) and now the big push for Windows 7 is about to commence. So Vista is almost the unloved middle child

I hate to say this, but there really isn't too much wrong with Vista.  It's really getting a bad rap.

I've had it installed on a few machines, and the only real problem is poorly written software.  The operating system itself is very nice, albeit a little hard to find things, but that's because we're still used to where everything was on all the previous os's.  As long as you have a decent computer that's better than the minimum system requirements, and you do a fresh install (not an upgrade) it's actually not that bad.

I just hope that Windows 7 doesn't come out too soon, because my Vista cert will be worthless...

[DavidR]

I have no personally experience of it, so I don't have an opinion on how good or bad it is.

I just didn't feel it offered much more than XP Pro, so when I bought my new system I stuck with XP Pro.

I think MS although not saying it publicly would like to see it out the door as quickly as possible (that is what I'm seeing in some to the computer press) as the pick-up of Vista certainly in the corporate sector is less than good. The same is said of the Upgrade path as for many it would be too costly because their existing system wouldn't run it and if it could if is likely to be slower than XP.

[scythe944]

You are correct.  The business sector hasn't picked up on it at all.  I couldn't use it for my schools because they have horribly old software that won't work with it.

But, just like Windows XP did when it first came out, everyone balked at the idea of needing 512MB of RAM and a 3D accelerator card to run it.

Now look at us.

XP freaks.

[Lisandro]

I couldn't use it for my schools because they have horribly old software that won't work with it.

They won't work on Windows 7 either, will they?

Vista requires a powerful machine... but it works good, imho, better than XP (stability, security).

[Marc57]

I couldn't use it for my schools because they have horribly old software that won't work with it.

They won't work on Windows 7 either, will they?

Vista requires a powerful machine... but it works good, imho, better than XP (stability, security).

Agreed Tech,  Also after running Vista and then working on a XP machine XP looks VERY dated.

[scythe944]

I'm guessing that yes, windows 7 will be much of the same.  As I said before, it's not a Windows Problem, it's a poorly written software problem  .

And I can't agree more with the fact that XP looks so dated compared to Vista.  Then again, I still think that XP has a "cartoony" look, and always have.

If you look at the newest Mac OSes, or even Kubuntu, they blow XP away in terms of appearance.