Avast Screensaver: Scanner failed to initialize

[NOYGDB]

1. What operating system are you using? 32 or 64 bit?

OEM WinXP Pro SP3, 32-bit

2. What version of Avast are you using? Free, Pro, AIS?

Free, latest version

3. Do you currently have any other security software on your computer and what security software have you used in the past?

Spyware Blaster, Ad-Aware, Secunia PSI

4. How was previous security software removed?

No previous security software... fresh install OEM WinXP Pro SP3, 32-bit.

5. What method did you use to uninstall Avast? Did you use the uninstall tool? http://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility

Add/Remove Programs, then manual registry search-and-destroy for Avast keys, and Explorer search-and-destroy for all Avast files.

6. Sometimes malware can cause failure to initialize problems. Will you download MalwareBytes from here http://filehippo.com/download_malwarebytes_anti_malware/
and run a full scan? Make sure you update it before scanning. Please post the log results.

No need, it works as needed, with the caveat that the user keeps that checkbox checked.

[Charyb-0]

3. Do you currently have any other security software on your computer and what security software have you used in the past?

Spyware Blaster, Ad-Aware, Secunia PSI

Ad-Aware is known to conflict with Avast. http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=66956.0

[NOYGDB]

Ad-Aware is known to conflict with Avast. http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=66956.0

Yeah, but I've read that MBAM 1.5 Free doesn't provide real-time protection.
And no conflicts are found with Ad-Aware... uninstallation of Ad-Aware still results in the same problem detailed above in Avast. No other problems noted between Avast and Ad-Aware.

How about this:
http://www.iobit.com/security360.html
It's got real-time protection, faster scanning than MBAM, better detection rates on both Full and Smart scans than either Ad-Aware or MBAM, and is compatible with AV programs.
http://forums.iobit.com/showthread.php?t=4223

[Charyb-0]

Ad-Aware is known to conflict with Avast. http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=66956.0

Yeah, but I've read that MBAM 1.5 Free doesn't provide real-time protection.
And no conflicts are found with Ad-Aware... uninstallation of Ad-Aware still results in the same problem detailed above in Avast. No other problems noted between Avast and Ad-Aware.

How about this:
http://www.iobit.com/security360.html
It's got real-time protection, faster scanning than MBAM, better detection rates on both Full and Smart scans than either Ad-Aware or MBAM, and is compatible with AV programs.
http://forums.iobit.com/showthread.php?t=4223

The free version of MalwareBytes doesn't offer real time protection so it doesn't conflict. That is why it is used as an on-demand scanner for a second opinion. So, you did uninstall Ad-Aware?

1. Please run the MalwareBytes scan to insure that there is not any malware that was missed by Avast. Please post the log.
2. Please uninstall Ad-Aware as it is known to conlict with Avast.
3. If steps 1 and 2 do not work for you then uninstall Avast using the developers uninstall tool http://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility and reinstall a fresh copy of Avast Free http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download.
4. If steps 1, 2, and 3 do not solve the problem then there is something else going on.

You can not run more than one resident AV scanner (iobit, ad-aware, etc.) with Avast or any other real-time scanner for that matter. It will create all kinds of problems. Most anyone who has been on this forum for any amount of time will not use Iobit because of the reputation they have built for themselves.

read this
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=53033.msg449591#msg449591

[DavidR]

DavidR wrote:

What is it that they have running at fullscreen mode (F11) ?

Nothing... only the screensaver itself. It is a full-screen application.

Fresh install OEM WinXP Pro SP3 32-bit (all latest updates), Dell XPS 200, 4 GB RAM. All other drivers are latest versions.
<snip>

Well I also tested the standard screensaver running with no full screen application and no problem on this system also XP Pro SP3. Yes the screensaver is full screen but that is somewhat different to normal windows applications running in full screen mode. So I'm at a loss as to why this is happening on his system.

Though unchecking that 'Silent if a full-screen application is running' option would seem a reasonable work around if it isn't something that they absolutely require.

I presume that you don't have that problem on your system either ?