Avast! (ver. 4.8) Freezes at 8% during scan

[harv]

AS the title pretty much states: any time I've attempted a scan with avast! It's frozen at 8%. I've also attempted to change the type of scan, etc. etc.

I'm thoroughly unfamiliar with this, and I've never encountered an issue like this before.

Also, I checked my virus chest and have three files in there, none of which are actually identified as viruses, but as windows system files.
I do understand that these could in fact be viruses, and it may or may not have something to do with Avast! freezing on the scan. The only trouble shooting I haven't done is uninstalled and reinstalled Avast!. If anyone has any familiarity with this help would be gratefully appreciated.

I've attached a screen capture image of my virus chest, along with one of the file details (all of which are essentially stating the same info) which may or may not help.

[Jtaylor83]

Those are backup files in case malware have deleted or infected the original ones.

In avast! 5, there will be no backups.

[Lisandro]

Harv, nothing to worry about. Your computer seems clean.
But it is strange that the scanning freezed...
How exactly does it freeze? Does it happen always approximately at the same place/folder of the scan?
Do you see a hard disk activity (when it freezes)? Is only the program frozen, or the whole computer (possibly with mouse cursor)?

You can go to the program settings and turn on the creation of the report file (with "OK files" to be included as well in the report). This way, you can find out where the scan really stopped (it's going to be close to the end of the report).

After avast! disappears, check the end of the report file - the "troublesome" file is likely to be close to the end (close in the sense that this particular file will probably not be written in the report, but the previous one will be the last line, so it shouldn't be hard to guess). They would certainly like to have this file - if it really causes problems to avast! - so that they could fix the problem.

The report file created (if you turned it on in program settings) will be (default location) at <avast4>\Data\Report\Simple User Interface.txt

Do you use ZoneAlarm?
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=38353.msg321609#msg321609

[harv]

I went through the files that were "freezing" it. However, even with those files deleted it still froze at 8%. I used the avast installer exe to repair the current connection. I'm running a virus scan now and I've made it past 8%, so things seem to be working. Thanks again for you guys' input and feedback. Very much appreciated.

[Lisandro]

I went through the files that were "freezing" it. However, even with those files deleted it still froze at 8%. I used the avast installer exe to repair the current connection. I'm running a virus scan now and I've made it past 8%, so things seem to be working. Thanks again for you guys' input and feedback. Very much appreciated.

Which is the folder that it freezes? Which are that files you've deleted?

[harv]

Originally it had frozen on "Qoobox" which is Combo fix's quarantine folder (this folder is empty as I have only used combo fix once and since uninstalled it, although the folder stuck around). I moved it to the recyling bin, initiated another scan. At 8% it froze on an entirely different folder and directory, but still at 8%. And, I repaired it with installer.exe. That scan completed. However, many of my files are now seemingly "Archive password protected". Vista can be a lot of fun. If you need anymore details or specifics just let me know.

[emantoyaks]

Yeah, for some other problems their is a small bug of avast program because sometimes when I inserted my USB flash disk, my PC got something freezes or having a lag and it will back to normal within 1 minute or few second, maybe this is because of the high security of Avast. Alwil Team please fix this small problem of your 4.8 version.

[Lisandro]

Let's say clearly: if during an avast! scan,
1. avast! freezes or crashes, it's probably avast! problem.
2. The computer freezes or restarts, it could be e.g. a conflict with some other program, or a hardware problem.
3. The computer powers down - it's probably a hardware problem (e.g. overheating). The scan generates a lot of hard disk activity (and is also CPU intensive), which may increase the temperature of your hardware. I suggest to check the coolers in the case.
4. If you get a blue screen, it could have a bug in avast! drivers (but then, there is not a power down).

This is nothing related with password protected files.
avast can't scan files that are password protected, it doesn't know the password.
There are many legitimate reasons why a file was password protected. For instance, Lavasoft Ad-aware and SpyBot store their data in a password-protected ZIP archives (to prevent other similar tools from messing up with them). It's really nothing to worry about - it's normal.

Files that can't be scanned are just that, not an indication they are suspicious/infected, just unable to be scanned.

The 8% is just a coincidence. Don't fix at it, but in the name of the file and folder.

[Lisandro]

emantoyaks, open your own thread. Your problem seems not related at all with on-demand scanning of the original poster.

[DavidR]

I went through the files that were "freezing" it. However, even with those files deleted it still froze at 8%. I used the avast installer exe to repair the current connection. I'm running a virus scan now and I've made it past 8%, so things seem to be working. Thanks again for you guys' input and feedback. Very much appreciated.

You never answered if you use zone alarm firewall as that fact (if you use ZA) could be the cause of the problem, as outlined in the link Tech gave in Reply #2

[harv]

As I had indicated, repairing the install with the exe fixed the issue. The password protected problems were not an original issue, and they were mentioned in passing. As a matter of fact, as detailed in every post I made, the issue had not been with the file being scanned, because after removing that file it would continue to freeze. And yes I did not answer about using Zone Alarm, because I had already fixed the issue, and only responded to the original poster in an effort to let him know things were good to go. Again, thanks to those who have provided constructive feedback. Your time is appreciated.

[DavidR]

I appreciate that, but if ZA was the cause and you have it installed then there is nothing to stop this happening again and why the question was asked.

[Lisandro]

As I had indicated, repairing the install with the exe fixed the issue.

Glad to know... but it's difficult to guess what happened without further info.
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