AVAST 6 Free has crashed my system and ruined my day.

[SpeedyPC]

RedRaleigh, why didn't you upgrade to SP3?
Any failure in removing old antivirus could have an impact on avast (or any other antivirus installation).

+1 And you should installed SP3

[RedRaleigh]

RedRaleigh, why didn't you upgrade to SP3?
Any failure in removing old antivirus could have an impact on avast (or any other antivirus installation).

Because I've always kept up with MS hotfixes and there weren't a lot of new features in SP3 that my non-networked box needed. Are you saying, for example, the SP3 SSPI would fix problems with my avast install? Other than avast, I have not experienced any other install problems. I'd rather not take a chance installing SP3 just for the sake of installing avast.

[Lisandro]

Are you saying, for example, the SP3 SSPI would fix problems with my avast install?

avast 6 requires XP SP2 as minimum. But I'm quite sure SP3 won't hurt. I, technically, can't understand why people avoid having SP3. It's an OS improvement. It's not just an accessory thing.

[Asyn]

I, technically, can't understand why people avoid having SP3. It's an OS improvement. It's not just an accessory thing.

+1
asyn

[YoKenny]

avast 6 requires XP SP2 as minimum. But I'm quite sure SP3 won't hurt. I, technically, can't understand why people avoid having SP3. It's an OS improvement. It's not just an accessory thing.

See:
Support for Windows XP Service Pack 2 ends on July 13, 2010
http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifean31

SP3 provides many Critical system updates and several performance improvements.

[schmidthouse]

RedRaleigh, why didn't you upgrade to SP3?

Yes, my question exactly

[RedRaleigh]

Are you saying, for example, the SP3 SSPI would fix problems with my avast install?

avast 6 requires XP SP2 as minimum. But I'm quite sure SP3 won't hurt. I, technically, can't understand why people avoid having SP3. It's an OS improvement. It's not just an accessory thing.

OK, so we can eliminate *not* having SP3 as the problem.

Re: SP3 not hurting: As I recall, lots of people had problems installing SP3 when it was released and subsequently. google it. I'd rather not take a chance right now and then have to spend time recovering from a potential bad install.

I have to say, though, that installing SP3 seems like a side issue. I've experienced no problems installing and uninstalling practically every other antivirus software out there on my SP2 box. I might try avast on my Win7 Pro laptop at some later time.

Rather that continue to go around in circles, the moderator might want to consider this thread closed.

Thanks to everyone for their input.

RR

[Nesivos]

If you feel like troubleshooting this further there is a Vipre removal tool at:

http://www.sunbelt-software.com/ihs/cs&vclean.exe

The link above leads to Malware which AIS promptly blocked before allowing download

[Gopher John]

The link above leads to Malware which AIS promptly blocked before allowing download

http://www.virustotal.com/url-scan/report.html?id=7d710634231ac383f64538500255ce07-1300286406

http://www.virustotal.com/file-scan/report.html?id=8f8650e92e10740750b1949bb0c0d46329a44900bb5797af5f86ed59cebf4c72-1300290010

File name:
cs%26vclean.exe
Submission date:
2011-03-16 15:40:10 (UTC)
Current status:
queued queued analysing finished
Result:
5/ 43 (11.6%)

Three of the five can be counted as one.  G-Data, Avast 4 and Avast 5 all use roughly the same virus signatures.  This likely is a false positive.

[doktornotor]

The link above leads to Malware which AIS promptly blocked before allowing download

Looks like as yet another FP...  The site is definitely legit.

[RedRaleigh]

If you feel like troubleshooting this further there is a Vipre removal tool at:

http://www.sunbelt-software.com/ihs/cs&vclean.exe

The link above leads to Malware which AIS promptly blocked before allowing download

False positive.

[DavidR]

Jotti isn't as good as virustotal as it is Linux based versions of AVs. VirusTotal has more AVs and is using the windows based versions of avast and other AVs.

Not to mention your image shows a scan from 2010-06-29, a lifetime ago in terms of AVs. So you should have had it scan the file again.

I rather suspect that that avast is detecting unencrypted signatures in the Viper routine.

[doktornotor]

I rather suspect that that avast is detecting unencrypted signatures in the Viper routine.

Virus signatures in removal tool? 

[DavidR]

They have to know what they are looking for.

Plus since they are also going to be deleting something that too would be considered suspect.

The big problem we have and leads to speculation is no one has said what the malware name is ?

[Nesivos]

AIS blocked it.  Good enough for me

I never ever override what could to be a false positive. There are always multiple products that will perform a computer task that you need done or want to do that are not identified by AIS as Malware.  I would rather find a program that will do what I need or want that doesn't generate a false positive.

No harm comes to my computer from not putting the blocked program in the exclusions list.

On the other hand I will only use other programs to find possible problems that AIS misses.  Of course if another program identifies some software as Malware, Trojan etc that AIS missed I will also remove the program.

Bottom line is that I don't hold by the concept of false positive override.   This may prevent me from using certain programs but will not hurt the computer.  Better safe than sorry when it comes to security.  It is a lot safer that way and has never preventing me from doing anything I wanted or needed to do on my computer.

Just the way I do things