Avast cause Win98SE to hang on restart

[TimeTraveller]

   I have just installed the personal version on a Windows98 SE computer. The application causes the computer to hang on restart, although it does a complete shutdown with no problem, it's just the restart that won't work. I deduced it was Avast that was causing the problem by disabling the ..\ashServ.exe item in the startup using MSConfig.
   Do you have any idea why this might be happening. This is on a fresh, clean install of Windows98SE running Ad-Aware, SpybotS&D, Zone Alarm, BHODemon and CleanMyPC registry cleaner.
   The computer is a Dell PII 233 with 128 MB of RAM. I would like to use this product, but the fact that it prevents Windows from going to a restart is troubling.
   
   When I go to restart Windows, it goes to the Windows is Shutting Down screen and then freezes and I have to power down to recover. As I said, it does not seem to interfere with a complet shutdown, just a restart

Thank you.
Len Ralph

[Eddy]

Is this a legitimate version of windows?
Do you have all patches/updates installed for win98?
Have you tried it with only Avast loading at boottime?
Have you tried a hot boot with only Avast running?
Did you installed ALL mobo drivers?
Do you have the MS-windows shutdown patch applied?

[SKYCOMP]

Do you ALSO have any other Anti-Virus Program installed and running?

I also utilize 98SE and have Avast! on this machine well going over a year now without issue including first downloading.

If your machine had another AntiVirus configuration before theres always a possibility some componants remain that can produce similar results untill fully removed for a "Clean" "Fresh" Avast! install.

Like Eddy mentioned, try removing the option of "starting with windows" and see if the 98SE can smoothly load & enter to the GUI then.

Post back your results and some more details and we will make some workable decisions so you can finally enjoy this favorite technology.

[TimeTraveller]

Is this a legitimate version of windows?
yes legit version of Windows

Do you have all patches/updates installed for win98?
yes all available updates identified by Windows Update from MicroSoft applied

Have you tried it with only Avast loading at boottime?
No

Have you tried a hot boot with only Avast running?
No

Did you installed ALL mobo drivers? Don't have any. It's not like this compute came from the factory recently. What mobo drivers would we be looking for and why would this be an issue, since it shutsdown beautifully when AVAST isn't running.

Do you have the MS-windows shutdown patch applied?  don't know, assuming it's part of the gazillion patches and updates I ran after the clean install of Window98SE. Or would I have to specifically search out that patch?

[Eddy]

Bad mobo drivers can cause windows to function not properly.

The shutdown patch does not come with the updates. (do not install it, yet)

Try the other two things you answered with no. If it doesn't solve anything, at least it excludes some things.

btw, did Avast ever worked on this system with 98se?

[inthewildteam]

Just a thought,
is anything in your autoexec.bat file searching for a programme that isn't there?

[TimeTraveller]

>Have you tried it with only Avast loading at boottime?
>Have you tried a hot boot with only Avast running?

These two look like the same thing to me, maybe you could elaborate. Anyway, what I did was disable everything in the startup except the 2 Avast items. The shutdown went beautifully, so I guess we're looking at some kind of conflict with some other application here, eh?


>is anything in your autoexec.bat file searching for a programme that isn't there
Autoexec.bat is empty.

>btw, did Avast ever worked on this system with 98se?
No, this is the first time I have used this product. As I said, it is a clean install of Win98SE.

[igor]

Hmm, I can't see any difference between shutdown and restart, from avast's point of view. Does it help when you stop the avast! on-access protection before initiating the restart?

[inthewildteam]

I'm mystified, have you read this from Microsoft?

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=150516

try booting as they suggest (confirmation start-up)

post back, cos my parents are using my last pc with 98se and avast with no problems

[Eddy]

These two look like the same thing to me, maybe you could elaborate. Anyway, what I did was disable everything in the startup except the 2 Avast items. The shutdown went beautifully, so I guess we're looking at some kind of conflict with some other application here, eh?

You can see what is loading at boottime with startup.cpl or msconfig.
If you use the system other things can become active. You can see/stop them with the taskmanager.
You see, they may look like the same to you, but they are not.

Since you left Avast loading at boottime and disabled the rest. It is not a problem of Avast. Reenable everything. Prevent one thing from loading and try a hot boot. Repeat this till you found what is causing the problem.

Also look at the taskmanager what is running before trying the hot boot.

[TimeTraveller]

 >Does it help when you stop the avast! on-access protection before initiating the restart?

I tried stopping the Avast service before shutdown/restart and it still hangs

>Like Eddy mentioned, try removing the option of "starting with windows" and see if the 98SE can smoothly load & enter to the GUI then

I'm not sure what you mean here, but I think you mean remove from the startup. In any case the problem is on the Shutdown part of the Shutdown/Restart cycle where Win98SE hangs.

[inthewildteam]

Shouldn't a new install of 98se have an autoexe.bat file with some "rem" entries by default of the installation?

What about config.sys, anything here?

[Eddy]

autoexec.bat and config.sys shouldn't have much in it after a clean install. If the have there is definatly something wrong. Anyway, whatever they have in it shouldn't be relevant in this case since the problem occures while trying a hot boot. Not when windows starts.

[inthewildteam]

autoexec.bat and config.sys shouldn't have much in it after a clean install. If the have there is definatly something wrong. Anyway, whatever they have in it shouldn't be relevant in this case since the problem occures while trying a hot boot. Not when windows starts.

perhaps config.sys is over-riding command.com on hot restart with a different command?

I'm going from memory here so I need help Eddy, what about io.sys as it loads before to pass control from the bios?

I've been a long time gone from those days, and just throwing some ideas into the mix.

[inthewildteam]

to further complicate this (not that i want to) I noticed the original post was about a Dell

Was this new install by a system restore disk (old disk now) or by a stand alone copy of win98se?