Windows 7 Control Panel Freezes when "Programs" selected, until Explorer restart

[Brembo]

I wanted to post to another thread, but the board warned me that that thread had not been posted to for over 20 days and advised me to start a new thread.

The problem is that until I installed Avast Free Antivirus 5.0.594 I did not have this problem.  I would much prefer to not unistall Avast as it is one of my safeguards, but if that's the only option left I will have to as must remove software from this system from time to time and can't have this issue go on.  This system is running Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit on a Dell Studio XPS 8000.

Is there any information on what is causing this?  I have seen a lot about how other software such as Norton may be responsible, but I am skeptical as nothing else has created this problem until Avast was installed.  How can someone else be to blame.  That's like saying "Hotmail is the reason your Outlook won't work."

[Dch48]

You can get CCleaner and do your uninstalling with it. It populates the list much faster than the built in Windows applet does and maybe it won't freeze on you.

Your problem can be due to leftover remnants of other security apps that you have uninstalled though. I personally have never had a problem with completely removing things like Norton but some people claim that they have.

[Brembo]

I would have suspected Norton, but for the fact this system has never had Norton, McAfee or anything else on it.  It was completely clean when I got it and I wanted it that way because of prior experience with the Dell/McAfee/Norton nightmare of un-ending migraines.

[circlingsky]

I posted in a thread from earlier this year regarding the same topic, possibly the thread you referred to?

"I've been having this same issue on 2 computers since purchasing in early December.  Both are Dell (Studio XPS 8000 & Inspiron Laptop 1545).  Initially came with Norton but I completely uninstalled using the removal tool.  The only workaround I've found to keep explorer from freezing on first control panel access after reboot is to go to start menu properties and choose "display control panel as a menu" instead of a link.  No freezes, I can maneuver around in CP in any direction or view after initially accessing through the "menu" rather than the link.  No clue why."

Both computers are windows 7 64 bit.  Norton couldn't be more gone, so it's not a leftover conflict.  At the time, I had Avast 4.8, now have 5.0.594.  My Dells are a dream, as is Avast.  Been enjoying gaming and being free of virus/trojan etc.   so once I found a way to avoid the hangup ("display control panel as a menu"), I just let it go at that.  Never had another problem with CP crashes.

If you haven't already seen this, it might help:  http://support.avast.com/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=403


Also, user PaulC did some research on the issue and posted his findings in the older thread  http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=52087.0  .  His issue was identical to mine, but again, it's not a problem for me.  More of a curiosity   Would still be very interested in finding out exactly what causes the crash.