Author Topic: Computer freezes in middle of full system scan  (Read 13942 times)

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yarok

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Computer freezes in middle of full system scan
« on: April 30, 2010, 12:07:50 AM »
When I run a full system scan, my computer freezes midway and I have to reboot.

I have a fully patched Vista Home Premium SP2 and Comodo Firewall. My Avast is 5.0.507.

Thanks for any help.

Yarok


dark-wisper

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Re: Computer freezes in middle of full system scan
« Reply #1 on: April 30, 2010, 12:22:28 AM »
Try Dr web live CD found Here!
Save the image.
Burn the image and reboot.
Boot from the CD and scan!

Offline Lisandro

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Re: Computer freezes in middle of full system scan
« Reply #2 on: April 30, 2010, 12:46:59 AM »
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 C:\Users\All Users\Alwil Software\Avast5\report (on Vista\7).

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).
The best things in life are free.

yarok

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Re: Computer freezes in middle of full system scan
« Reply #3 on: April 30, 2010, 04:07:35 PM »
Thanks, everyone.

My computer is clean and, yes, the scan always stops at the same folder (winsx). I just tried to run full scan with Adaware and it stops in the same folder, too!!!!

I uninstalled Avast and reinstalled it, but no luck.

On the day this problem with Avast started, I tried to defragment the disk C:/, using Windows Defragmenter (in accessories). Then I cancelled the fragmentation in the middle because it was getting really late.

Could this cancelled defragmentation have created the problem with Avast?

Sam


Offline Lisandro

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Re: Computer freezes in middle of full system scan
« Reply #4 on: April 30, 2010, 04:11:53 PM »
Could this cancelled defragmentation have created the problem with Avast?
Most probably not.
Can you schedule a scandisk (chkdsk) scanning of the drive in the next boot?
The best things in life are free.

yarok

  • Guest
Re: Computer freezes in middle of full system scan
« Reply #5 on: May 02, 2010, 03:01:38 PM »
Scanned disk three times. Volume is clean.

BOTH Avast and Adaware stop at the same file. Then the cursor freezes and the computer does not react to keyboard commands.

Tried quick scan (Avast) and smart scan (Adaware) and both are working perfectly with no threats found.

A mystery.

Does it strike you as a conflict - or an infection?

Many many thanks!

Y.

Offline Lisandro

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Re: Computer freezes in middle of full system scan
« Reply #6 on: May 02, 2010, 10:28:46 PM »
No, I think it could be a problem into the file system...
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yarok

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Re: Computer freezes in middle of full system scan
« Reply #7 on: May 16, 2010, 03:29:46 PM »
Hi, guys,

UPDATE

Restored system to the last day when the FULL SCAN ran without problems.

Ran the full scan and it got stuck again in one of the manifests (files) in the Windows/winsxs folder.

Uninstalled Avast, cleaned with aswclear5.exe, reinstalled.

Full scan again stalls, computer hangs (cursor freezes). ctrl+alt+del has no effect.

Updated Avast to 5.0.545 and full scanned. Same problem: computer gets stuck on a file in the Windows/winsxs folder.

Tried to scan only the folder: Avast froze and then the cursor froze.

Same problem exactly with Adaware (Lavasoft).

By the way, I found (Google) that many users have the same problem: their AV scanner freezes and their cursor freezes when scanning Windows/winsxs files.

Scanned another laptop (call it laptop 2).  Laptop 2 is almost a mirror of the problematic laptop.

Full scan on laptop 2 completed perfectly.

So, now I know that the problem is not with Avast, but with my computer. Even restart did not help. The NTFS filesystem maybe got corrupted (probably when I defragmented and then cancelled the defragmentation in the middle).

Any ideas on how to fix the filesystem?

Many thanks for being there.

Y.

« Last Edit: May 16, 2010, 03:31:52 PM by yarok »

yarok

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Re: Computer freezes in middle of full system scan
« Reply #8 on: May 17, 2010, 07:35:43 PM »
Placed Windows\winsxs in the exceptions and now the Full Scan is running perfectly.

Still, I am worried of malware potentially lurking in the Windows/winsxs directory.

My NTFS filesystem maybe got corrupted (probably when I defragmented and then cancelled the defragmentation in the middle).

Any ideas on how to fix the filesystem?

Many thanks for being there.

Y.

doktornotor

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Re: Computer freezes in middle of full system scan
« Reply #9 on: May 17, 2010, 11:29:13 PM »
Code: [Select]
chkdsk /F /V C:
(or whatever drive your OS is installed on)

PapaSmurf

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Re: Computer freezes in middle of full system scan
« Reply #10 on: May 18, 2010, 01:14:49 AM »
So I have done a little research on this.
My question to you is, how big is that folder?
I have heard anywhere from 8 to 12 gigs....that could be why it is "hanging".
There are several topics you can google about the winsx cleanup, but it is a system folder
and it is a BIG one. I suggest you read about it as it pertains to the operation of your system.

doktornotor

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Re: Computer freezes in middle of full system scan
« Reply #11 on: May 18, 2010, 11:47:25 AM »
So I have done a little research on this.
My question to you is, how big is that folder?
I have heard anywhere from 8 to 12 gigs....that could be why it is "hanging".

That size is very misleading since most of the stuff there are, well... hardlinks/juctions to somewhere else.

Offline igor

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Re: Computer freezes in middle of full system scan
« Reply #12 on: May 18, 2010, 12:28:41 PM »
If even the mouse cursor freezes, then I'd say it's not a corrupted filesystem, but rather a hardware problem... harddisk error maybe?

yarok

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Re: Computer freezes in middle of full system scan
« Reply #13 on: May 18, 2010, 05:09:27 PM »
Chkdsk returns clean volume.

BUT

I forgot to mention that my laptop has a RAID array of c:\ and d:\ (d:\ is empty).

RAID and chkdsk don't get along well.

Can Avast handle RAId well?

Y.


doktornotor

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Re: Computer freezes in middle of full system scan
« Reply #14 on: May 18, 2010, 11:05:09 PM »
I forgot to mention that my laptop has a RAID array of c:\ and d:\ (d:\ is empty).

I don't really understand what kind of RAID array makes it possible to have C:\ used and D:\ empty...   ???