Avast programme update seems to cause XP to reboot, need safe mode

[jim-in-hemel]

Hi
I bought Avast antivirus in October 2010 and all seemed fine  until the software asked me to load a new version of the programme last week.  When I restarted, XP rebooted and would not let me continue normally until I had restored from 12th May.  When I was going normally again, I clicked on the Avast icon: the net page told me that my system needs restarting because of the update.  Every time I power down my computer and power it up next time I need it, I have to go through the same ten minute rigmarole again.

How do I check whether the problem is triggered by the new programme, and, if so, solve the problem?

[DavidR]

The system restore can have unforeseen consequences, so you may have to do a clean reinstall:
- Download the latest version of avast, 6.0.1125 and save it to your HDD, somewhere you can find it again (if you didn't save your last download). Use that when you reinstall.

- Download the avast! Uninstall Utility, aswClear.exe find it here and save it to your HDD (it has uninstall tools for both 5.x and 6.0.x).

• 1. Now uninstall avast! (using add remove programs, if you can't do that start from the next step), reboot.
• 2. run the avast! Uninstall Utility from safe mode, first for 5.x if previously installed and then for 6.0, once complete reboot into normal mode.
• 3. install the latest version, reboot.

[jim-in-hemel]

Thank you very much, DavidR, for your detailed description of how to reload Avast.  I am thinking that this does not help me to prove whether or not Avast is responsible, or something else that happened at the same time.  It would be a lot of work to do, and pointless if it is not Avast, or if the problem is Avast and is going to continue in the future.

Is there not some simple way of preventing Avast from upgrading to the new programme (for the time being)?

[DavidR]

You're welcome.

Unfortunately that boat has sailed having done a system restore and potential information is history.

Program updates don't update automatically like the virus definitions, they are set to Ask. If you don't acknowledge the notification then it won't be installed. You can also set program updates to manual, but then you get nagged because you have effectively disabled them (and have to make more changes to exclude that notice).

In all honesty I don't believe preventing the update is the way to go.

[jim-in-hemel]

Thanks again DavidR.  I must be so thick - can’t see your logic.

(Sorry for long spiel…)

1. Around 13th May: New Avast programme update: I approve.  It downloads, says to restart.

2. Power down.  Restart on 14th.  Windows XP fails, reboots.  ‘Recover last good version’ fails.  Safe mode: set restore point to 12th gets system up.  Despite the dreaded System Restore, all seems to work fine.

3. Restart from now on is déja vu - something keeps confounding the System.  Must restore-point back to the 12th each time.

4. Click Avast icon: 'In order to complete install or update of avast! av, computer must be restarted'.  Yes, "boat has sailed" but that’s because I began the programme update process in step 1, not from "having done a system restore".  I have no manual control over installing this Avast programme any more.  Like Sisyphus forever rolling the boulder up the mountain but unable to park it, the process won’t stop.

5. Is, indeed, the new Avast programme the cause or some other?

6. If only I could cancel approval or stop the half-baked update zapping every restart, then I would know if Avast triggers the bug.

7. Yes, freezing programme level means 'nagged' every restart until bug solved (or a newer version likes my computer).  Better than tedious restore-pointing that ends up the same - I continue using the old Avast.

8. If I reload the whole Avast as you say, surely there will be no difference from the current attempted programme update with its registry etc changes: restart will fail if Avast triggers the fault; but it will fail if it’s some other cause – which one?.

9. The only case I see for reloading Avast is strong suspicion it was bad before the update, and though it worked OK then, the update threw it in such chaos that it now prevents restart.  This corruption would have happened before I did any system restores.  Much more likely it’s the update changing some system file IMHO.

Please accept apologies for troubling you to set me right on this.

[DavidR]

Once you use system restore the system is no longer in the same condition, as that can mess up avast too (we have seen it in the forums) so investigation isn't likely to find the true cause.

So all of what you say, as valid as it is can't be checked against the system as it is now.

Which is why the clean reinstall is usually the quickest and easiest way to resolve the current problem, which is effectively a corrupt installation of avast. Why that happened, is anybodies guess as there is little to examine after using system restore.

[jim-in-hemel]

I still contend that the problem is the update, not the need to re-install Avast.  (There has been another post today complaining that an update is affecting XP, though with different symptoms, by Lars-Erik: “Windows hangs after latest update  ” (2011-05-19 07:52:42PM was the time on the version I read).  OK, I admit you are not being deluged with reports of problems like mine.)

My system works every time I restore it to 12th May point.  Avast is not giving me any error messages.  I am sorry to hear that that you have come across so many problems with Microsoft System Restore, but is it *always* such an ogre? – is it absolutely incapable of working properly every time?

Could you just humour me by contemplating whether there is a way to undo the approval I gave to activate the update (or thwart the update somehow)?  If this is anathema to you then could you please pass this issue round your colleagues to see whether one might do so?

PS  I love your images of paragliding and/or parachuting.  I started to learn hang gliding years ago and hope to take it up again.

[DavidR]

Program updates aren't something to be revoked as they aren't set to Auto update but to Ask (avastUI, Settings, Updates, Program Updates), so if notified you don't have to accept it just let the pop-up clear, or set it to manual.

Doing this would need additional action in the avastUI, Settings, Status Bar, Components Monitored and uncheck the Program version option.

I have no colleagues, I don't work for avast, I'm just an avast user like you.