Newbie needs HELP !

[ummaya]

Hello

I decided to try avast4 Home version ; I uninstalled Norton anti virus and rebooted my machine. Then I installed avast4 Home and rebooted once more. Between these two operations I did not do anything else. Since then I have a few problems :
1. I cannot use Windows media player. Each time I try to open Windows media player I get this message : "An internal application error has occurred"
2. the "Help and Support" of the Windows XP Professional does not work
3. the "search files" of the Windows XP Professional does  not work
By the way the send and receive mail worked fine, but when I tried the avast4 Professional version it did not work ( I received a message about some  like POP server to 127.0.0.1. not responding ) in spite that I configured the Mail Protection Wizard the same way as with the Home version. Why ?
I do not remember when but I remember also that I received a message about a : "ahascr.dll"

I am not a computer buff at all and do not know where and why all these problems that did not existed before uninstalling Norton and installing avast4 come from and what all the "dll" and "internal error" messages are and mean . I just wanted ( and still want ) to install a better program than Norton and go on working as usual.
I really want to use avast4 , so can somebody help me work normally ? I work with Windows XP Professional, Firebird, Thunderbird.

Thanks

[Lisandro]

ummaya, wellcome to forums... You're not alone.
Right now I cannot figure out the problem but, I have now what you mention in number 3 above. I thought it could be related to any spyware I have removed or browser settings...

I uninstalled NAV without your problems and avast is working for me.

About Windows media player, did you try Windows Update?
"Help and Support" of the Windows XP Professional and "search files" seem to be related to browser or, at least, firewall troubles...

About POP server not responding, the Professional version should work the same as Home. How did you upgrade from one to another?

[ummaya]

Hello Technical

About POP server not responding, the Professional version should work the same as Home. How did you upgrade from one to another?

Thank you for answering

I completely uninstalled  avast4 Home , rebooted and then installed the 60-day trial version Professional Edition.
I tried to reinstall Windows Media Player but received the  "An internal application error has occurred" like when I try to play the media player

By the way as I said in my previous post , I am not a technical or computer buff so whoever try to help me , please use a kind of "avast technical stuff for Dummies" style  

Thanks

[Eddy]

2. the "Help and Support" of the Windows XP Professional does not work
3. the "search files" of the Windows XP Professional does  not work

I've seen this behaviour before, but only on infected systems. Follow the directions on the page in my signature and instead of using av software, do a online scan. Let's see if that tells us something.

[Lisandro]

This happens if the script checker is not registered properly.

Uninstall, reboot, install, reboot. Does it work now? If not, could you check file avast4\setup\setup.log for messages about ahascr.dll registration?

Can you check these forums and see if any of them could help you?

http://forum.avast.com/index.php?board=2;action=display;threadid=302;start=msg1339#msg1339
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?board=2;action=display;threadid=2193;start=msg15283#msg15283
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?board=2;action=display;threadid=2254;start=msg16163#msg16163
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?board=2;action=display;threadid=3471;start=msg24969#msg24969
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?board=4;action=display;threadid=4084;start=msg31896#msg31896
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?board=2;action=display;threadid=5755;start=msg43212#msg43212
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?board=2;action=display;threadid=1409;start=msg46038#msg46038
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?board=2;action=display;threadid=6186;start=msg47411#msg47411

[ummaya]

Hello Eddy

Before reading your answer I scanned my machine for viruses and avast found 3 viruses that I think infected the scan program himself ( One Win32 Kuag2 and two Win95 Matyas ). avast stopped to scan and the status of the scanner was : infected.  I sent them to the Virus chest and then deleted them.

After that I did a brand new scan according the way you suggested :  
Disable system restore
booting in safe mode
Install a firewall. (A router with build in hardware firewall is preferable)
Virus scan with avast

It did not changed a thing; what did not worked before still does not work now. Anyway thanks for helping


Hello again Technical

I'll check what you suggest and also the links. I do not give up !

All the story began this morning; by pure hazard I found a recommendation for Panda online virus check. I did it and Panda found 6 viruses that my Norton did not find. So I decided to try Panda but in the Thunderbird forum Panda was found as not integrating well with Thunderbird. The most recommended AV program in Firefox / Thunderbird forum was avast4. Here I am.

Thanks

[Lisandro]

All the story began this morning; by pure hazard I found a recommendation for Panda online virus check. I did it and Panda found 6 viruses that my Norton did not find. So I decided to try Panda.

If you have Norton installed, you can't ever install a second antivirus in your system. You will crash the system  :'(
You can only use one antivirus without conflict...
Why don't you uninstall Norton, go to Symantec site and download a standalone application for Registry cleaning (full uninstall of NAV) and, after all, install avast?

Panda can't be installed in a system with Norton and/or avast!... But, like you wrote, you use only on-line scanning...

Take care  

[ummaya]

If you have Norton installed, you can't ever install a second antivirus in your system. You will crash the system  :'(
You can only use one antivirus without conflict...  

I know  

Why don't you uninstall Norton

I did uninstall Norton before installing avast.  As you say it may be a Registry cleaning problem

go to Symantec site and download a standalone application for Registry cleaning (full uninstall of NAV)

I'll do that tomorrow. It's getting late. I visited the Symantec web site but did not find any standalone application for Registry cleaning ;do you know where I can find a standalone one ? Any link to where I can download one ? I do not want to touch the registry manually

Thanks again

[bob3160]

ummaya
Let's start from scratch and get rid of first NortonAntivirus and the also Avast!.
Once both have been cleand off the system, you can again do a clean install of Avast without any trouble.
1 Click here to Uninstall Norton Antivirus
Make sure you select the right version!!!
After NAV has been uninstalled, reboot your computer.
2 Click here to download the Avast! Complete Uninstall Utility
Run the file to uninstall Avas! and again reboot your computer.
3 Re-install Avast and ENJOY.
Please let us know how you make out.

[ummaya]

That's it !  

Windows Media Player , Help and Support, Search and whatever stopped to work are back and work properly.

I did all that was suggested including running the Rnav2003.exe removal utility for Norton Antivirus 2003 and AvClear4.exe utility for avast, many rebooting etc...Then I finally opened my brand new avast and while the memory test was running I entered my registration key number. After all that...Windows Media Player , Help and Support, Search etc...still did not work !
I was already thinking that maybe the best was to make a fresh Windows XP installation and then install avast , when by pure hazard (and luck) I right-clicked on the avast icon (the one with a "a" ) in the right corner's tray. There I clicked on About avast (I still have no idea why I did that ). In the window that opened I triggered the License key button and entered the same registration key number I already entered when while the memory test was running when I opened avast . Only then the job was done. I had no idea at all that I have to enter my registration key number there too. As far as I remember there is no mention about entering the registration key number in two places.

Now a few new questions :

I use the Home Edition but I would like to know if the additional options of the Professional Edition are for a better ease of use , enhanced interface and other "cool" options only or if they also offer a better protection than the Home edition ? In other words is it worth the $40 on a pure anti virus protection point of view ?
Is the Boot time scan a necessity or nonessential on a protection point of view ?
How can I schedule a task like scanning each day at a precise moment ?

Thanks in advance

[Lisandro]

In the window that opened I triggered the License key button and entered the same registration key number I already entered when while the memory test was running when I opened avast . Only then the job was done. I had no idea at all that I have to enter my registration key number there too. As far as I remember there is no mention about entering the registration key number in two places.

You do not have to enter it twice but, anytime you open that window the key will be 'hidden' for you provide another one or, just cancel and let the old one there. Did you catch it?

I use the Home Edition but I would like to know if the additional options of the Professional Edition

Let's go one by one...

better ease of use

Of course, the Professional version could be configured with a GUI and do not requires too many manual changes into avast4.ini file.

better protection than the Home edition

You'll get the Script Blocker (web scripts) and a better overall configuration of packers (archive files). You can protect your avast settings with a password, etc.

In other words is it worth the $40 on a pure anti virus protection point of view ?

This is a matter of opinion. I can say that the price is not high compared to the other applications and you will be with the best antivirus round  

Is the Boot time scan a necessity or nonessential on a protection point of view?

Is the most secure scanning: no files will have access denied, runs faster than other scanning, and if you have set the sensitivity to 'Normal' you can check if any file in your system could be infected (I mean, an 'old' file that with the 'new' signatures files will be detected).

How can I schedule a task like scanning each day at a precise moment ?

In Professional version is just a matter of two or three mouse clicks...  
In Home version there is no such a possibility. Only into Windows Tasks could be added a link to ashQuick.exe but there is not other parameter or configuration possible...  

[ummaya]

Thank you very much Technical  

[Lisandro]

Thank you very much Technical  

You're wellcome...
Oh, I forgot one thing, paying the Professional you will be helping and supporting them to provide all others a very good antivirus for free  

[bob3160]

ummaya
I know that you had a lot of steps to follow but that was the only way to get rid of all the old corrupted garbage and start brand new.
I'm glad it worked.