Author Topic: Can no longer use Avast boot-time scan or access safe mode.  (Read 13847 times)

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piers

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Can no longer use Avast boot-time scan or access safe mode.
« on: August 29, 2004, 06:26:14 PM »
Hello,

As part of my weekly maintenance routine I run the Avast boot-time scan.  This last scan was unsuccessful.  It shutdown as usual but when restarting, instead of going to the blue screen and running through the scan the screen went to black and stayed that way.

After giving it some time to think about what it was doing, I powered it down manually.  I decided to try to enter safe mode but could not.  It allows me to choose to enter safe mode but stalls while trying to start.  

Everything else appears to be functioning normally eg: I can start Windows normally, programs seem to be working (including Avast anti-virus) and most important, I can still access all of my files.  

So I'm not panicing yet.  I've tried various help sites and consulted my "XP Bible" but haven't found a solution yet.  I'm worried that this could be the small tip of a looming problem.  

What is preventing safe mode and boot-time scan from loading correctly and how can I fix the problem?

Thanks

Offline igor

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Re:Can no longer use Avast boot-time scan or access safe mode.
« Reply #1 on: August 29, 2004, 07:52:56 PM »
Regarding the boot-time scan - is there anything in the <avast4>\DATA\log\aswBoot.log file?

piers

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Re:Can no longer use Avast boot-time scan or access safe mode.
« Reply #2 on: August 29, 2004, 08:06:29 PM »
Regarding the boot-time scan - is there anything in the <avast4>\DATA\log\aswBoot.log file?

Yes.  I've attached a copy of the .log in text format.  

Offline igor

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Re:Can no longer use Avast boot-time scan or access safe mode.
« Reply #3 on: August 30, 2004, 09:44:11 AM »
It seems that the boot-time scan actually started...
Are you sure that it wasn't running when the "screen went to black"? I.e. was there any disk activity at the moment?

Did you install any low-level programs before this happened, or did you change any Windows settings? I know that some programs add a special parameter into boot.in (/noguiboot, or something like that) that somehow disables the display of the avast! boot-time scanner (amongst others; the Windows logo isn't displayed either).

Offline Vlk

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Re:Can no longer use Avast boot-time scan or access safe mode.
« Reply #4 on: August 30, 2004, 09:56:35 AM »
Piers,

please post the contents of the file C:\Boot.ini (note: it's hidden by default)

BTW haven't you installed something like SoftICE recently?

thanks
Vlk


PS. I love your website!
« Last Edit: August 30, 2004, 10:01:16 AM by Vlk »
If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving's not for you.

piers

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Re:Can no longer use Avast boot-time scan or access safe mode.
« Reply #5 on: August 30, 2004, 10:59:53 PM »
Hello,

Thank you Vlk for the compliment on my website!  It helps my insecurity complex.

I had noticed the Windows logo was missing.  That was actually some time ago, but to be honest, I didn't mourn its absence so I didn't think anything of it.  Careless.  I think that’s the only thing missing during normal start up.  

Now, after tapping at F8 repeatedly to ensure the computer is paying attention during start up (thank <insert your choice of divinity here> I didn’t use msconfig!) and selecting Safe Mode from the Advanced Options Menu the computer continues to load.  The list stalls at mup.sys.  

When I ask it to do the boot-scan it just goes black.  No list, but yes it does sound like its mulling something over.

SoftICE (I suspect that qualifies as a low-level program?) was installed for, maybe twenty minutes.  I uninstalled it when I realized how far over my head it was.  My reaction was similar to that an aspiring surgeon might have after witnessing their first autopsy in med school:  It wasn’t what I was expecting.

I've attached a text file of the Boot.ini for you and I can type out a list of my currently installed programs if you need it.

Thanks,
Piers

piers

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Re:Can no longer use Avast boot-time scan or access safe mode.
« Reply #6 on: August 30, 2004, 11:01:52 PM »
As I was saying, I've attached that txt file...

Offline Vlk

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Re:Can no longer use Avast boot-time scan or access safe mode.
« Reply #7 on: August 30, 2004, 11:15:56 PM »
Remove the /noguiboot option from the file.

That will solve all the problems.


SoftICE is known to leave this option in the file even when uninstalled. This pretty sucks but is a known problem... :)


Cheers
Vlk
If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving's not for you.

piers

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Re:Can no longer use Avast boot-time scan or access safe mode.
« Reply #8 on: August 31, 2004, 04:13:44 AM »
Hello,

Oh joy, I can see the Windows start up logo again.  More importantly I can see the boot-scan run.  It even boots normally when I Esc.  

I still can't boot into safe mode though.  It hangs in the same spot as before.  

I will run the scan through completely in the morning and post the aswBoot.log file for you again.  Maybe it will find something.  Should I try anything else?

Thanks.

Offline igor

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Re:Can no longer use Avast boot-time scan or access safe mode.
« Reply #9 on: August 31, 2004, 09:37:36 AM »
I think these 2 problems are completely unrelated. I don't know, however, what can prevent Windows from booting into safe mode... a missing vital app/driver?

piers

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Re:Can no longer use Avast boot-time scan or access safe mode.
« Reply #10 on: August 31, 2004, 03:36:11 PM »
Hello,

I’ve attached the aswBoot.log.

Missing vital app/driver?  I ran a Spybot system internals check for registry inconsistencies and it says it cannot find three things:

Paint.exe
Cmmgr.exe
Setup.exe

I know where Paint.exe went because I uninstalled it.  

Googling Cmmgr produced very few entries.  F-Secure mention it in their Virus Descriptions in relation to a variant of the Klez worm, but just to say that it doesn’t infect that file.  The only other English reference I could find was a PDF published by the Laboratoire de l'Accélérateur Linéaire called “HOW TO CHECK AND LAUNCH A SERVER APPLICATION RUNNING ON LAL VACUUM STATIONS” where it is connected with initializing environment variables.  So I haven’t found an explanation of its purpose yet.  Sorry, I'll keep looking.

And the last one, Setup.exe – couldn’t that be just about any setup application?

Can you recommend another option?

Thank you.

piers

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Re:Can no longer use Avast boot-time scan or access safe mode.
« Reply #11 on: September 08, 2004, 01:42:29 PM »
I still haven't had any luck solving this on my own.  Though I would still appreciate any help or suggestions, I understand this problem is not related to the avast software.  Would it be more appropriate to switch the topic to another section?

Offline bob3160

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Re:Can no longer use Avast boot-time scan or access safe mode.
« Reply #12 on: September 09, 2004, 11:53:04 PM »
Piers
Have you tried doing a repair? If nothing else is working, you might want to try this but read the instuctions carefully.

SFC /SCANNOW
Use Run and then paste the above command on the run line and hit enter.
Make sure the WinXP disk is in the CD Rom Drive
.
This will check the system files against the original install and make sure none are missing.
You will need to run Windows Update after this is completed.

Free Security Seminar: https://bit.ly/bobg2023  -  Important: http://www.organdonor.gov/ -- My Web Site: http://bob3160.strikingly.com/ - Win 11 Pro v22H2 64bit, 16 Gig Ram, 1TB SSD, Avast Free 23.5.6066, How to Successfully Install Avast http://goo.gl/VLXdeRepair & Clean Install https://goo.gl/t7aJGq -- My Online Activity https://bit.ly/BobGInternet

piers

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Re:Can no longer use Avast boot-time scan or access safe mode.
« Reply #13 on: September 21, 2004, 12:18:56 AM »
Hi,

Thank you for your suggestion Bob.  

I was all set to go ahead.  My only concern was whether or not I could choose which files were replaced.  But I ran into an unexpected snag.  

When SCANNOW said that files required for Windows to run properly needed to be copied to the DLL Cache and would I insert my Windows XP CD-ROM I obligingly popped in the CD that came with my computer.  

To those who would attempt to run a SCANNOW without knowing difference between the Windows XP Professional CD and a Restore CD -- it doesn't work.  

Here's why, for those with Restore CD's should be in the know.  Restore CD's are the resourceful brainchildren of the standard computer manufacturer.  Included in pre-packaged computer systems they contain everything from your OS (which you need) to superfluous bothers like AOL online (which you don't need).  

I have an E-Machine.  I purchased it second hand and hadn't yet had cause to use the so-called Restore CD.  I say so-called because the Restore CD doesn't so much restore in the sense of touch up or repair.  No, the Restore CD is more like a nuke and pave which completely reformats the entire hard disk before installing everything again according to precise manufacturer specifications, i.e. no customization.  Fortunately, it warns the user of its intent and impending disaster may be avoided by the literate if not computer-literate.

So I went looking for a work around.  SCANNOW prompts for the XP CD if the DLL cache folder, or part of it, is corrupted for some reason.  It is also possible to import the entire I386 file to the hard drive and then modify the registry to tell SCANNOW to use this source path for the files instead of going straight to the CD.

Seems plausible, but my attempt was foiled again.  My I386 file is concealed along with the rest of the installation files inside of a .GHO file: a disk image file from Symantec’s Ghost.

If I were to purchase Ghost, will it let me read the .GHO and extract the I386 file?  Or am I looking in the wrong place for a solution?  

Regards,
Piers

inthewildteam

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Re:Can no longer use Avast boot-time scan or access safe mode.
« Reply #14 on: September 21, 2004, 01:51:52 AM »
Piers, I have a suspicion that the "Emachine" might be the problem.  You might find that bios settings are peculiar to that machine and also some firmware of various cards are altered as Emachines do deals with the card suppliers.

I think that (in the UK) they come pre-configured to use a particular isp for dial-up and resist any attempt to change this because of firmware issues.  The work around is to identify the card in question and load different drivers to get your choice of isp back.  This might also extend to the bios and operating system.

Hopefully you note that I'm saying "I think, not ....they do"

As your hard drive was written as a batch of hard drives I would think that you might not be able to guarantee a complete extraction of the "ghost" file.  You might be able to use Knoppix cd bootable linux distro to access the partition the rescue disk refers to and burn the files to cd to get the file.

This is the shortened reply btw!