Author Topic: Dos under XP  (Read 12243 times)

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Offline Lisandro

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Dos under XP
« on: July 15, 2003, 03:53:27 AM »
I used McAfee for one year or two; Norton AntiVirus for a long time (it brings lot of complications to remove from Windows Registry). Then I go to AVG Grisoft (perhaps the version 7.0 will not be free  >:().
When I tryed Avast, everything seems to be working..., except that I could not use DOS programs under XP. Executables seems to be "bypassed" in command line and the user just receive another prompt: C:\>  ???.
I have to use pkzip and pkunzip (earlier versions) (I know that WinZip 9.0 Beta exists and Command Line for it too, I have and use them). But I have to use the older versions for security reasons... If you are laughing on this, sorry, but it works better on complex systems like mine  :D).
Desintalling Avast, the programs work again.
Anybody knows about this?

This is my first post in avast forums... I'm proud  8)
« Last Edit: January 06, 2005, 01:23:34 AM by Technical »
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jdong

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Re:Dos under XP
« Reply #1 on: July 15, 2003, 04:14:27 AM »
Never had to run DOS programs under XP... so I don't know about it... Now that you mention it, I've been wondering why the old command.com seemed to be faster under XP with Avast... :)

Offline Lisandro

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Re:Dos under XP
« Reply #2 on: July 15, 2003, 05:02:08 AM »
I didn´t say that command.com (or cmd) is faster under XP.
Just that Avast does not allow to use DOS sesions under XP because the applications does not run...  :'(
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eda

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Re:Dos under XP
« Reply #3 on: July 15, 2003, 12:10:57 PM »
Hi Technical,

I've just tried to run DOS program under Windows XP and I have no problem. I open the resident window and the program was checked for viruses and run without any problem... I tried Brief editor and one graphical card game (it switched to the full screen). Aplication was executed from cmd window and everything was OK...

regards   Eduard

Offline Lisandro

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Re:Dos under XP
« Reply #4 on: July 16, 2003, 05:34:43 AM »
See my message at .exe forum line. I repeat it here because it works perfectly  :)

Fantastic!!! :) ;)
The very best advice! Works perfectly!
When I notify the first time, my config.nt - except the comments (REM) - myhas the following lines:

dos=high, umb
device=%SystemRoot%\system32\himem.sys
files=40

because, Avast was not installed. After I install, the file config.nt immediatly changed with another line (with my correct path):

device=x:\short_path_to_avast4\aswmonds.sys

I booted and tryed to use Avast. Nothing changed, I could not use DOS .exe. When I put a REM before the line:

REM device=x:\short_path_to_avast4\aswmonds.sys

the executables works perfectly!  ;)

Very best thanks to Jindrich Kubec!  :o

Did I lost any Avast features?
Everything seems to work fine...
The best Antivirus Help and Support! 8)
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jdong

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Re:Dos under XP
« Reply #5 on: July 17, 2003, 03:38:26 PM »
Hmm, I wonder what that driver does...

whocares

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Re:Dos under XP
« Reply #6 on: July 17, 2003, 06:35:33 PM »
aswMonDS.sys:

AvMon Helper DOS Device Driver
Resident Scanner/NT DOS-based Watchdog

Hi,

have you checked the functionality of Avast resident scanner both in DOS_box and Win ?
eg. with www.eicar.com ?

Offline Lisandro

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Re:Dos under XP
« Reply #7 on: July 18, 2003, 03:30:11 AM »
Oh! God!

The residents pop-up at windows (when I download the file) and when I run Avast. The log file is:

*
* avast! Report
* This file is generated automatically
*
* Task 'Simple user interface' used
* Started on Thursday, July 17, 2003 10:19:06 PM
*

A:\eicar.com [L] EICAR Test-NOT virus!! (0)
A:\eicar.com.txt [L] EICAR Test-NOT virus!! (0)
A:\eicar_com.zip\eicar.com [L] EICAR Test-NOT virus!! (0)
A:\eicarcom2.zip\eicar_com.zip\eicar.com [L] EICAR Test-NOT virus!! (0)
A:\EICAR_CO.ZIP\eicar.com [L] EICAR Test-NOT virus!! (0)
Infected files: 5
Total files: 280
Total folders: 44
Total size: 20.1 M

*
* Task stopped: Thursday, July 17, 2003 10:22:03 PM
* Run-time was 2 minute(s), 57 second(s)
*

But, when I tryed to run pkunzip, the DOS-resident (under XP) does not pop-out...  :'(

Any way to solve this except removing the REM comment from the config.nt file? If I did, I cannot run my DOS programs under Avast  :'(
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Offline Lisandro

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Re:Dos under XP
« Reply #8 on: July 19, 2003, 10:27:38 PM »
 :)
Hello, everybody who has read my last posted messages. I´m technical and the first thing I want to say is that avast Help Support is the best of av companies. Specially acknowledgments to Jindrich Kubec who were vey patient with me.

I had a problem using DOS under XP using avast 4.0 Home edition and pieces of the Norton Sys-temWorks 2003 (except NAV).

The solution was manually editing two Registry keys (apparently corrupted by Norton Anti-Virus Removal Utility):

   HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\VirtualDeviceDrivers
   HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet002\Control\VirtualDeviceDrivers

   They have to be formatted as: string,0,string,0,string,0,...,0,0
   But in my case it looks that some idiotic program (probably Symantec?) did:
   string,0,0,string,0,string,0,0

   You may try to export the key in the file, remove one zero from the first double zeros.
   Be sure the strings end with double zeros.
   Then import it back and reboot.
   You should then see there the record for \<avast directory>\aswMonVd.dll

-------------------------
The whole history (read just if you have the same problems than I)

The symptoms were:

a) into a cmd window it was forbidden to use DOS programs (16-bits). The user just get the prompt after the command and nothing happens, e.g.:
   C:\pkunzip -n *.zip {enter}
   C:\
By the way, with the WinZip Command Line 1.1 Beta1 the same effect were noted. This application
is the command line version of WinZip 9.0 Beta (www.winzip.com)

b) the cmd window just not ‘change’ its name with the command. In AutoIt 2.64 scripts (www.hiddensoft.com) (the best macro maker for Windows, thanks to Jonathan Bennett). Sending a Run command to cmd windows (e.g.: Run, C:\\pkzip.exe -n *.zip  or  RunWait, %COMSPEC% /C copy c:\\*.zip a:\\,, hide), the cmd window remains with the title C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe). The commands (programs) are not executed.

To solve the problem:

1. The first thing avast Help Support team thought was that the aswmonds.sys resident drive for DOS was not correctly registered in Windows. This is correct but, at that time, we don´t know the cause. We tried to edit the file C:\Windows\System32\Config.nt that looks like:
   dos=high, umb
   device=%SystemRoot%\system32\himem.sys
   files=40
   device=\<avast directory>\aswmonds.sys

If the user set the last line as a comment:
   REM device=\<avast directory>\aswmonds.sys

The cmd window will work and DOS programs too (see letters a) and b) above). But, the DOS resident driver wouldn´t be loaded and the computer would not be completely protected against virus.

2. After this, we tried to find which program in my computer was responsible for this behavior. Obviously, we thought in Norton SystemWorks 2003 Suite. The NAV component was never in-stalled in this computer but, as everyone recommends, I use Norton Anti-Virus Removal Utility:  http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/nav.nsf/949e46314f0916a0852565d00073bbfd/33497f6e8a319ece88256ace0076cc02/$FILE/Rnav2003.exe

3. Apparently, this program corrupted two Registry keys (see rnav_log.txt which is generated by the application):

   HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\VirtualDeviceDrivers
   HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet002\Control\VirtualDeviceDrivers

   It should have format: string,0,string,0,string,0,...,0,0

   But in my case it looks that some idiotic program (probably Symantec?) did:
   string,0,0,string,0,string,0,0
   You may try to export the key in the file, remove one zero from the first double zeros.
   Be sure the strings end with double zeros.
   Then import it back and reboot.

   You should then see there the record for aswmonvd.dll.
   Just one record is enough (maybe you see more than one line like this:
   Text: C:\Arquivos de programas\Avast\aswMonVd.dll

4. Other topics to see:

   a) There must be aswMonVD.dll in your Avast directory.

   b) If you did, don't forget to 'un-REM' the statement in config.nt (see To solve the problem, 1, above)

   c) There must be the following records in the registry:
   
   Key name: HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\VirtualDeviceDrivers
   Value name: VDD
   Type: REG_MULTI_SZ
   Type number: 00000007
   Text: \<avast directory>\aswMonVd.dll
   
   Key name: HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet002\Control\VirtualDeviceDrivers
   Value name: VDD
   Type: REG_MULTI_SZ
   Type number: 00000007
   Text: \<avast directory>\aswMonVd.dll

   These records are automatilly generated by avast setup installation program. But, if you have any piece of Norton SystemWorks 2003 installed – remember that NAV is incompatible with avast – you probably may have to edit manually the Registry keys above (or, if the avast team found another way…)

   d) Reboot. The avast must work after that and all other DOS programs. ;)
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Offline Lisandro

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Re:Dos under XP
« Reply #9 on: July 25, 2003, 05:07:08 AM »
Everything is working one week after the solution...
Thanks, avast.  ;)
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