[RESOLVED] Windows 7 UAC prompt at boot, "C:\....Avast5\AvastUI.exe" /nogui

[Union_Thug]

I bought a new laptop 3 wks ago, Gateway NV59C, Windows 7 Home Premium x64 and today I installed Avast 5--I was using M$$E--HATED it...BIG thumbs down. To make a long story short I've been getting UAC prompts at each startup for AvastUI.exe /nogui (screenshot attached)


Is there a workaround for this? I tried searching the forum and also google expecting this to be a pretty common problem, but surprisingly I couldn't find anything relevant to this.

I have used this tutorial to create shortcuts to bypass UAC for about a dozen of my most frequently used programs: How to Create a Elevated Program Shortcut without a UAC Prompt http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/11949-elevated-program-shortcut-without-uac-prompt-create.html?filter

Do you thionk it would be necessary to do this (create a shortcut using task scheduler) to avoid the UAC prompt and enable Avast's real time protection, without having the UAC prompt at EVERY BOOT? (I'm assuming that's what this is for, am I correct?)

Thanks for the anticipated informed replies!

[SafeSurf]

Hello Union_Thug and welcome to the forum. 

Please check this link for Win7 and UAC: http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/11584/understanding-user-account-control-in-windows-7/.

Did you install Avast via an Administrator account or from a Limited User account?  I would suggest installation from Administrator account if you look at the link.

If you are getting the UAC rights elevation pop-up when you start your machine every time, you can try an Avast repair:
- Go to Control Panel > Add/Remove programs > Avast Antivirus.
- Scroll down and choose Repair function in the pop-up window.
- Reboot.

If this does not resolve your problem, you may want to uninstall and do a clean install making sure you install using Administrative account.

Uninstall Avast and do a CLEAN install:
1. Save a copy of newest version of Avast (5.0.677) for the version you need and save it to your HDD:
Free – http://files.avast.com/iavs5x/setup_av_free_eng.exe - (English only)
Free – http://files.avast.com/iavs5x/setup_av_free.exe - (multi-language version)
2. Download the Avast Uninstall Utility, aswClear5.exe http://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility and save it to your HDD.
3. Disconnect from the Internet at this time.
4. Go to Control Panel and uninstall Avast through Add/Remove Programs if possible and reboot.
5. If Step 4 fails, boot into Safe Mode (hit F8 repeatedly) and run the Avast Uninstall Tool.
6. Reboot.
7. Install the newest version of Avast and reboot.
8. Get Internet access and register your copy or add the license key for Free:
    Free – http://www.avast.com/registration-free-antivirus.php
9. Update the Avast definitions.

Let us know how this works for you.  Thank you.

[Union_Thug]

Hello SafeSurf (GREAT screename, BTW!) and thank you for the reply & info, I had seen and read the HowToGeek tutorial on UAC before, HowToGeek is a terriffic site and one of my favorites.

To answer your question, yes I installed Avast using Admin acct, I haven't even created a limited user acct yet, so that was automatically ruled out---I even ran the installer with right click "Run as Admin" prompt. I followed your suggestions using your exact instructions--I tried a repair install--No Joy, UAC still prompted at reboot. I did a clean uninstall/reinstall---I did not have to use the Uninstall Tool as it uninstalled cleanly thru add/remove. After reinstalling & rebooting---several times---NOPE! UAC still popped up. 

On a whim, I ran Autoruns and opened the AvastUI.exe startup entry in the registry and noticed something that appeared odd, to me at least it did. The entry is located @ HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run with the Value Name: avast5 and Value Data: "C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast5\avastUI.exe" /nogui.   I changed the Value Data to "C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast5\avastUI.exe /nogui"--notice the location of the 2nd  "  quote mark in the original Value and in the modified Value-- rebooted--- and EUREKA!!! No UAC prompt!!!

Proving once again the old adage that even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then...LOL!

Thanks again for the info and help!

[SafeSurf]

I'm glad you were able to figure thing out...the "nutty" way.    I like your sense of humor.

Use Avast and try doing several different scans to make sure everything is working fine.  Normally you do not have to do these scans, but I want you to make sure everything is working fine prior to closing the thread.  Also make sure all your shields are up and working.  Leave your settings at default for now (recommended).

If all goes well and you feel that your issue is now resolved/fixed, please go back to the first open post in this topic, click the modify button in that Post and change the title/subject, add [Resolved] to the beginning of the title so this thread can be closed. 

Feel free to come back any time you need help, to learn something new, or just to ask questions.  We are here 24/7 for your convenience.  Thank you for allowing me to assist you.

[Union_Thug]

I'm glad you were able to figure thing out...the "nutty" way.    I like your sense of humor.

As do I yours..."nutty way"   Thank you for the advice and tips on using Avast, but as it turns out they're unnecessary as I had been using Avast on my old (Dell 2200) laptop and my old HP desktop (also now in the scrap heap)  for about 2 yrs and am quite familiar with it's (Avast's) usage. The only reason I decided to try M$$E was because my new laptop is a 64 bit, and the powerful boot-scan is not supported in 64 bit machines. The boot-scan is, IMHO, one of Avast's best features and one I religiously used by scheduling  a boot-scan every 1st of the month...any news on when that situation might be resolved in the (hopefully) near future?

Again, thank you for your helpful and informative replies, I will now go back and mark this thread as "resolved" as per forum protocol, although I'm not sure my "fix" that I stumbled upon should be considered an "official" resolution. Perhaps you can bring this thread to the attention of other Evangelists such as yourself and ask them if there's anything that needs further attention. I welcome anyone involved to contact me via forum PM if any additional info is needed.

Yours truly,
"Thuggie"

[SafeSurf]

The only reason I decided to try M$$E was because my new laptop is a 64 bit, and the powerful boot-scan is not supported in 64 bit machines. The boot-scan is, IMHO, one of Avast's best features and one I religiously used by scheduling  a boot-scan every 1st of the month...any news on when that situation might be resolved in the (hopefully) near future?

To my knowledge, the 64-bit boot-scan will be released with the 5.1 or later version, which should be released in the very near future.  Stay tuned for news in the forum for the release date.

[YoKenny]

I have never missed the 64-bit boot-scan on my Windows 7 system.

I do a Quick scan about once per month  though.

[Union_Thug]

....I do a Quick scan about once per month  though.

Thanks, Kenny. I read & enjoy your posts on this and other forums and your advice/info is always very helpful & reliable 

[Nesivos]

Hello SafeSurf (GREAT screename, BTW!) and thank you for the reply & info, I had seen and read the HowToGeek tutorial on UAC before, HowToGeek is a terriffic site and one of my favorites.

To answer your question, yes I installed Avast using Admin acct, I haven't even created a limited user acct yet, so that was automatically ruled out---I even ran the installer with right click "Run as Admin" prompt. I followed your suggestions using your exact instructions--I tried a repair install--No Joy, UAC still prompted at reboot. I did a clean uninstall/reinstall---I did not have to use the Uninstall Tool as it uninstalled cleanly thru add/remove. After reinstalling & rebooting---several times---NOPE! UAC still popped up. 

On a whim, I ran Autoruns and opened the AvastUI.exe startup entry in the registry and noticed something that appeared odd, to me at least it did. The entry is located @ HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run with the Value Name: avast5 and Value Data: "C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast5\avastUI.exe" /nogui.   I changed the Value Data to "C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast5\avastUI.exe /nogui"--notice the location of the 2nd  "  quote mark in the original Value and in the modified Value-- rebooted--- and EUREKA!!! No UAC prompt!!!

Proving once again the old adage that even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then...LOL!

Thanks again for the info and help!

Computers and their software are wonderful complex things. though at times very frustrating.

I was curious so I decided to open Autoruns v10.04 and see if I could see what you saw in the Registry

I am using the AIS 5.0.677

I ran Autoruns on both my Dell Dimension 2400 XP SP3 and my my Dell 570MT W7 64bit computers.

In both instances the second quotation mark is right after avastUI.exe" /and not after /nogui

I am not having this problem on either of my computers that you were having before you changed the location of the quotation mark.

Computers and their software are wonderful and complex things.

[Union_Thug]

Computers and their software are wonderful complex things. though at times very frustrating.

... I ran Autoruns on both my Dell Dimension 2400 XP SP3 and my my Dell 570MT W7 64bit computers.

In both instances the second quotation mark is right after avastUI.exe" /and not after /nogui

I ran Autoruns on my XP installation in VMWare...as you found in both your instances the quotation mark is right after avastUI.exe" /and not after /nogui (see attached screengrab)

Complex and wonderful indeed, you said a mouthful  ...

[geths]

im having the above same conflict with Avast and windows 7 UAC.  Unfortunately i cannot edit the below data

"C:\Program Files\AVAST Software\Avast\avastUI.exe" /nogui

i get an error every-time i try to modify the above?  I'm guessing thats got something to do with avast itself, but its driving me insane trying to fix it.