Avast! Free will not install on Windows XP SP3, says wrong OS

[geraldb]

I'm trying to install Avast! Free on Windows XP Professional SP3, the install fails with the error message "Unknown Error", then:  "Your operating system does not meet the minimum requirements.  You can install avast! only on Windows 2000 or higher.  It cannot be installed on Windows Server."

The install log says:
18.03.2010 22:46:01 general: Started: 18.03.2010, 22:46:01
18.03.2010 22:46:01 general: Running setup_ais-1ce (462)
18.03.2010 22:46:01 system: Operating system: Windows98 ver 4.10, build 2222
18.03.2010 22:46:01 system: Memory: 32% load. Phys:1412724/2079464K free, Page:3584820/4021652K free, Virt:2055836/2097024K free
18.03.2010 22:46:01 system: Computer WinName: XXXXXX
18.03.2010 22:46:01 system: Windows Net User: John Doe
18.03.2010 22:46:01 general: Cmdline: /sfx /sfxstorage "J:\DOCUME~1\JOHNDO~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\_av_sfx.tm~a03320"  /srcpath "j:\download" /sfxname "setup_av_free"
18.03.2010 22:46:01 general: DldSrc set to sfx
18.03.2010 22:46:01 general: Old version: ffffffff (-1)
18.03.2010 22:46:01 registry: Deleted registry: Software\Alwil Software\Avast\5.0\UpdateReady
18.03.2010 22:46:01 general: Install check: SetupVersion does NOT exist
18.03.2010 22:46:01 general: SGW32AIS::CheckIfInstalled set m_bAlreadyInstalled to 0
18.03.2010 22:46:01 registry: Cannot get reg. key:Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer
18.03.2010 22:46:01 general: Err:Unknown error
18.03.2010 23:59:02 general: Err:Your operating system does not meet the minimum requirements. You can install avast! only on Windows 2000 or higher. It cannot be installed on Windows Server.

Microsoft's winver.exe says the operating system is:  Microsoft Windows Version 5.1 (Build 2600.xpsp_sp3_qfe.091208-2029:Service Pack 3) Copyright 2007 Microsoft Corporation.

The installation program seems to think I am running either Windows 98 or Windows Server.

Why is this and how can I fix it?

[riskpusher4life]

Do you have any other security programs running? or what have u used prior to avast? Also, try once again using the uninstalll utility of avast. Uninstall it, (even if it did not install) and try re-installing it. Now, another question, do you have any transformation packs or such isntalled??

[geraldb]

No other security  programs at the moment.  Was running AVG Free, uninstalled it (and rebooted) before trying to install Avast.

Tried the Avast uninstall program aswclear5.exe.  It wanted to navigate to whatever directory Avast was installed to and there was no such.  Told it to uninstall anyway and it said everything was removed and I rebooted.  Tried to reinstall Avast and got the same error messages.

No transformation packs.

[EntitY]

That is odd...You might try running the AVG removal tool, ccleaner and restart computer and see if that helps.
http://www.avg.com/us-en/download-tools
http://download.cnet.com/ccleaner/

[EntitY]

You might also run Malwarebytes and Hitman Pro, because it could be caused by malware.

[geraldb]

Ran the AVG removal tool, avgremover.exe.  It didn't seem to find anything to uninstall.

Ran CCleaner, it found a bunch of registry errors.  None of them seemed relevant but I told it to fix them anyway, made no difference.

Malwarebytes will not install.  The error message says:  This program requires Windows NT version 4.0 or later.

Ran Hitman Pro, it found nothing.

Ran Trend Micro's on line virus scanner HouseCall earlier, it found nothing wrong.

Anybody know why does line three of Avast's install log say:  Operating system: Windows98 ver 4.10, build 2222

[igor]

Are you running the installer in "compatibility mode"?

[bong2x]

uh Igor too fast
better i can change my post,
check compatibility install

nevermind my post its late

edit: welcome to forum!!

[geraldb]

Nope, no compatibability mode.

[pk]

geraldb: could you please copy&paste here "Version" value for "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer" key? Use "regedit.exe" to read it, thanks.

[geraldb]

Couldn't find a way to copy and paste the value from regedit.  Exported the key and copied and pasted from the .reg file.


Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer]
"Build"="86001"
"Version"="8.0.6001.18702"
"W2kVersion"="8.0.6001.18702"
@=""
"IntegratedBrowser"=dword:00000001
"MkEnabled"="Yes"

[geraldb]

Tried to install Microsoft Security Essentials, it said:  Extraction Failed  The specified program requires a newer version of windows.

Tried to install Avira Antivir Personal, it said:  Avira Antivir Personal requires at least:-Windows 2000, SP4 and Update Rollup 1.

[igor]

I can't help - avast! setup is reporting the operating system according to the information returned by the operating system itself.
So, if it reports Win98 (and build 2222 - which matches the previous info, i.e. it's not just some bug in version number interpretation), it must be running in some kind of compatibility mode / virtualization / ...

[bong2x]

ok right click your avast then properties compatibility

unchecked everything there.

 ::)i think that code is under privilege level run as an administrator

[geraldb]

I thank you all; I think the problem's solved.

Igor's certainty that the problem was caused by "information returned by the operating system itself", and a couple of hours sleep, got me to thinking, finally.

I was running the Avast installation program as Administrator, and I wasn't running the Avast installation program in compatibility mode directly, but I was launching it from ACDSee Classic (circa 1998) an image viewer/file manager that WAS running in Windows 98 compatibility mode.  The thought that compatibility mode was inheritable would never of entered my mind without help.

I've been sorting a bunch of image files using ACDSee because it supports 4DOS descript.ion files and running ACDSee in compatibility mode because animated GIFs cause ACDSee to lock up under any Windows version after Windows 98SE.

All of the programs I mentioned above that would not install, including Avast, will at least start to install when launched from Windows Explorer.  I'll let you know if Avast will fully install when launched from explorer, but first I'm gonna get some sleep.

Now I'm wondering if this compatibility mode inheritability has or will cause problems with any of the programs I've previously installed by launching them from ACDSee.

Thanks again for all your help.

Gerald