AFTER the "false positive" issue fix...URGENT

[ardvark]

Best Regards...

aha...much better...now we`re talkin.....

Hi Pondus...

No, I did that for you personally so you wouldn't think I was purposely trying to create offense.

Best Regards...

[lindawing]

I'll take the blessings, thanks! :-)

[lindawing]

Forgot to add the rest of what I came in to say!

I downloaded the Pro version yesterday after discovering the problem between Spyware Doctor and Avast! (on my XP machine, at least...the two Vista machines don't seem to be having the compatibility issue at all).

I uninstalled the Home version and installed the Pro version (with the 60-day trial), after uninstalling Spyware Doctor completely. I am now getting VERY much better and smoother internet access than I've been getting in quite a while, for which I'm grateful.

I noticed that the only additional shield in the Pro version is the Script Blocker. The splash screen did come up when I went to a site last night, but then went away, and nothing untoward happened. I'm feeling a LITTLE bit nervous. I just changed the advanced option on that shield, to show me detailed information when it takes action. It's showing no infections, and everything seems to be fine.

I'm just a little antsy, because Spyware Doctor had been finding minor adware "infections" ever few days--from the same sites I went to yesterday. I have a feeling most of them were simply false positives, anyway, but am just wondering.

I'm also used to doing a nightly spyware scan (2:00 AM), and Avast! doesn't do anything like that. So I'm liking the FREEDOM, but I'm also nervous about the freedom. I'm trusting that Avast! is really doing its job. On the other hand, I think I'll run Spybot S&D every few days, just to check, until I get used to this new routine that really isn't a routine! 

[intron]

I too cannot get IE or FF to work for more than a few minutes before they crash and burn - and they are painfully slow.  Like your problems, mine started immediately after the Avast! fp issue.  Mine circumstances are a bit different:

1.  Crazy Avast false positive issue.
2.  Quarantine a few things then realize its a FP.
3.  Decide to carry on and disable Avast for a while.  Doesn't work.  IE and FF dead, computer slowed to a crawl.
4.  Uninstall firewall - Avast didn't like it and I thought that maybe it messed it up even though I had un-quarantined the FP files from the firewall.  (Online Armor from Tall Emu).
5.  Still won't work - and now I notice that my computer crashes if the monitor shuts down. 
6.  Uninstall Avast.
7.  Still crashes - download Opera and graphics drivers.
8.  Install new drivers - seems to stop crashes at monitor shut down (so far). 
9.  Install Opera and it works fine.  But IE and FF still crash within 1 minute of trying to use them.  FF is probably within 10 seconds. 
10.  Now, I am using Opera so at least I can surf the net - but I am unable to use any other browser, and I have no idea if things like Thunderbird will work.    I am going to try to to the clean uninstall in safe mode that was suggested.  I hope that works.  Otherwise, I am out of options. 

What I don't understand is what the heck happened that let Avast kill my computer?  I mean, I only quarantined 2 files - both from the firewall program.  Both got unquarantined and then i uninstalled the program.  What happened?   I have only used Avast for about a year - I switched from AVG - but this makes me wonder why I would install it again.

[mkis]

@ intron and lindawing

Have you tried looking in your Services to see what is started, starts automatically, is disabled etc..?
Right-click My Computer, choose Manage, select Services
Or Run - services.msc - and Enter

Screenshot below of my Services - shows Windows firewall is still on - so I can stop service and disable it.

All of these entries in Services can be checked off against a relevant sheet found on the Black Viper web site (choose under Popular Content) - Black Viper - http://www.blackviper.com/

one sheet for XP. 32bit and one for 64bit, one for Vista service pk 2, Windows 7, and so on, check them off, here is sheet for XP 32bit  http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm

And also another page on that site, relevant to what your system, this time outlines best tweaks particular to your system. You choose your system (again, under Popular Content) and this time click Custom Services Registry File Tool and see Windows Super Tweaks page http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/supertweaks.htm

 

[intron]

Thanks for the reply.

I disabled windows firewall ages ago and it is still not running.

I have found out what is causing Firefox to crash.  I open it and it starts climbing in memory usage.  Within a minute it is over 1.5gb of mem used according to task manager!  Again, this started immediately after my Avast update issue.  The day before I was fine.  On reboot, I have issues and then since that time my computer is doing all sorts of crazy stuff. 

I have not figured out what causes the IE problem but I do notice that when I start IE there are two instances of IE that start, I don't think that is normal.

I have run the Avast clean up in safemode.  I have run malwarebytes and spybot in safemode, just to be sure. 

I have reinstalled my graphics driver and now my computer doesn't seem to crash randomly - so at least I have that going for me.

I have reinstalled Firefox - it didn't make a different.
Thanks for the reply.

I disabled windows firewall ages ago and it is still not running.

I have found out what is causing Firefox to crash.  I open it and it starts climbing in memory usage.  Within a minute it is over 1.5gb of mem used according to task manager!  Again, this started immediately after my Avast update issue.  The day before I was fine.  On reboot, I have issues and then since that time my computer is doing all sorts of crazy stuff. 

I have not figured out what causes the IE problem but I do notice that when I start IE there are two instances of IE that start, I don't think that is normal.

I have run the Avast clean up in safemode.  I have run malwarebytes and spybot in safemode, just to be sure. 

I have reinstalled my graphics driver and now my computer doesn't seem to crash randomly - so at least I have that going for me.

I have reinstalled Firefox - it didn't make a different.

If I could get Firefox and IE back to what they were the night before the fiasco, I would be happy. 

At this time I am running 'commando'  - no firewall and no AV until I figure out what is going on.  What an amazing amount of crap as a result of some sloppy housekeeping at avast. 

Normally, a system restore would do the trick but there were only 2 to choose from for some reason.  One told me that it couldn't restore to that point.  the other restored successfully but made no  difference. 

At this time I am running 'commando'  - no firewall and no AV until I figure out what is going on.  What an amazing amount of crap as a result of some sloppy housekeeping at avast.