Big Problem with windows context menu - batch processing impossible

[matthias65451]

Sometimes i need to print some files together with right click at marked files. Also i open somtimes files in the same way, but this is possible with Enter.
Avast have disabled this windows batch processing from context menu and made error in windows explorer. With idoswinpro it just print nothing and in windows explorer the computer will crash.

Why is this a avast-problem?

Because after removing avast from system the batch-processing of windows works again.
Maybe all the time i tested avast i dont needed batch processing... but now i need it again and now i found the problem.
Also the problem with the disabled abbyy licensing sercice is strange....

I guess ill go a little time without a antivirus.... Maybe every sunday ill install some antivirus and scan computer while startup......

[igor]

I'm really not sure what you mean by "windows batch processing", in connection with the context menu.
I must say I don't think that the problem is caused by avast! - all shell extensions run in one process (Explorer, for example), and a bug in one may manifest in strange ways (e.g. only if another one is installed). Are there any details shown (module name, crash address) when the crash occurs?

[matthias65451]

if u have a folder with some PDF or DOC-Files, select all and make right click at all selected. Then click at Print. Windows will then print all this files. After removing Avast it works good again, before removing avast it crashes in Windows Explorer and dont work in idoswinpro.

The machine crashes extremely, so extremely.

Sorry, i have not find out where is writn the error log.

But i just think that this error is caused by some settings in the windows registry, or avast is blocking something.

[igor]

OK, I understand what you mean.
Regarding the error info - I didn't mean any log, just if an error message appears (does it?), if there's some technical information inside.

What operating system do you use?

[matthias65451]

Ill reinstall avast now and watch the module name. Hoping i can watch it with process explorer.
OS is Windows XP SP3
Patches 02/2010 not yet installed

[matthias65451]

Made.. After Reinstall - vSame Problem, and Problem with tray icons. But i can fix the problem with tray icons easy with http://www.wintotal.de/Tipps/Eintrag.php?TID=1129 ...


AppName: explorer.exe    AppVer: 6.0.2900.5512    ModName: ashshell.dll
ModVer: 5.0.418.0    Offset: 00001b65

I have saved a dependency walker file - if it help i can send it.

If i try to send the problem-report, the Machine will freeze.... I go now removing avast free newest version 5.0.418 again.

[olddog]

Sometimes i need to print some files together with right click at marked files. Also i open somtimes files in the same way, but this is possible with Enter.
Avast have disabled this windows batch processing from context menu and made error in windows explorer......

I am not experiencing this problem. I can select multiple .txt or .pdf files or Word docs in a folder, then use the print function in Windows Explorer context menu and they all print correctly.

What version of Avast do you have, and what other security programs do you have that have functions in the Windows Explorer context menu?

XP-Home, SP3 - all MS patches including Feb 2010 (including KB977165), Avast 5.0.418
SpybotSD, Malwarebyes and Avast in context menu.

[matthias65451]

Maybe its caused by my system setup. Also the problem with the tray-icons is maybe only in my system and not in new made windows systems. But really, maybe its caused by a program which i need more importeant than avast, then i have to search just another antivirus program... I dont want make my system new - and maybe the same error become again..... 10 h work for nothing.
I have the newest Avast and yesterday night i installed the windows updates Feb 2010

[olddog]

matthias65451,

I guess it depends on how badly you want to solve the problem you have. 

Yes it may be something that not quite right in your particular setup, or perhaps a combination of Avast and some other software that maybe a lot of us are not running. The more specific information you can provide, the more chance there is of someone being able to suggest a solution.

Exactly what version of Avast do you have - generically "the newest" is Avast5, but there are a number of different versions and builds of that. Also specifically what other programs have functions in your Windows Explorer context menu.

Other items that may be relevant are what AV software did you have before you installed this version of Avast and exactly how did you go about uninstalling the old one, and what other "resident" security programs, antimalware, AV, firewall do you have installed.

[igor]

AppName: explorer.exe    AppVer: 6.0.2900.5512    ModName: ashshell.dll
ModVer: 5.0.418.0    Offset: 00001b65

Thanks for the info.
I still think that the problem is in another shell extension you have installed. While the crash occurs in avast! module, I checked the offset - and it's quite obvious that bad data were passed into the function directly from Explorer (it's basically the second line of code in our function invoked by Explorer - and one of the pointers passed there is wrong, so the code crashes when we try to touch it).
So, I'd say another shell extension set something incorrectly before - which resulted in bad data being sent into avast! shell extension.

I can add some special checks (for the next avast! update) that should hopefully prevent the crash even if this kind of bad data is passed into the function - but the fact is that something is wrong, the format of the data is properly documented, but Explorer sends something else here.

[matthias65451]

Thanks for this good explanation. I see alot of senseless shell extensions. Ill go now removing something.
But keep the good work.
Ill post it here when the problem is solved.

@olddog: Im testing avast since 9 or 10 /2009, i have forgotten the date. I used before avg and have it completely removed from my machine. Beside Avast Free 5.0.418 i have Ad aware and Spybot, but they are along time unused.

[olddog]

Thanks for this good explanation. I see alot of senseless shell extensions. Ill go now removing something.
But keep the good work.
Ill post it here when the problem is solved.

@olddog: Im testing avast since 9 or 10 /2009, i have forgotten the date. I used before avg and have it completely removed from my machine. Beside Avast Free 5.0.418 i have Ad aware and Spybot, but they are along time unused.

At one stage if I remember correctly SpybotSD's Windows Explorer context entry was causing problems for other items in the context menu. The problem was resolved in later builds of their software, and the one I have is not causing this problem, but if you haven't used or updated the version for some time it might be worth removing it's entry from the context menu.

Edit: It was originally an option that was offered during the installation process. There was no setting in the program to subsequently turn it off. The options for removing it depend on which version of the program you have. Obviously if you uninstall SpybotSD it will remove the context menu entry, but if you want to remove it and still keep SpybotSD installed, let us know what version you have and I'll see if I can hunt down the correct procedure.

[matthias65451]

It works today, problem is solved by disabling shell extensions and removing alot of old unused programs. I cant say which program or shell extension caused the problem. But i know that it not caused by spybotSD

To disable shell extensions i used the following programs:
ShellExView
Shellmenuview

Thank you for your help.