Fresh Windows XP Pro + Free Avast V6 = Windows doesnt startup

[tuhis]

Fresh Windows XP Pro + Free Avast V6 = Windows doesnt startup
So that is my problem and Im unsure what to do. I actually installed it to two different laptops and now they both have the very same problem and wont even start up windows. It goes to the black Windows loading screen and computer just restarts after that.

Is there a way for me to remove Avast without starting the computer or is there some other solution for this? 

[ady4um]

Start under Windows Safe Mode (tap F8 while booting) and uninstall Avast, if that's what you really want.

Do you already have XP with SP3 installed?

[tuhis]

Computer did not start even in safe mode. And yes I have XP with SP3 installed.

[ady4um]

If that's the case, I am not so sure that Avast is the real culprit. I'm not saying it can't be, but it seems to me that Avast was just a coincidence.

[tuhis]

But doesnt it seem odd that both of the two computers worked just fine prior installing Avast. After installing it to both of them and then rebooting the computers they both had the same exact problem?

And avast was the first thing I installed to both computers after updating windows and other drivers.

[DavidCo]

updating windows and other drivers

Was the update & drivers the same in both cases?
Did you update graphics drivers?

[tuhis]

updating windows and other drivers

Was the update & drivers the same in both cases?
Did you update graphics drivers?

No, it was not. I didnt necessarily update the drivers but installed them from CD's that were provided with the laptops. Drivers for Audio, Graphics and Networking and after installing these I had to reboot the computer.

[ady4um]

@tuhis,

Avast has its conflicts; I don't deny it (at all). But if you can't boot into Windows Safe Mode in *any* of those computers, I would tend to think that Avast is not the direct main problem (although I haven't discarded it, since I have no real proof of it being "innocent" nor "guilty").

What I could also say is that there are other common items between those systems you are building that could also be as suspicious as Avast (and probably more, but that's my personal guess).

[DavidCo]

The inability to boot into 'safe mode' can be a very important clue.
Safe mode should boot with only Windows stuff

For a 3rd party vendor (ie: nVidia or ...) to get Windows cert' logo they must not add start up items to sys32 folder, because this can start up in safe mode and if a 3rd party vendor puts a .dll etc into sys32 and it goes wrong (corrupt etc) then your 'get out of goal free' could fail.

Also by updating Windows to SP3 etc might need later drivers than those on the original CD

I can't remember the Windows XP disc - can you do a restore point go-back from it?
 

[lonewolf1958]

Ive had avast for years but recently I have been having the same boot problem. Vista 64 bit premium. It boots the the cylon looking eye then it hangs for 2 hours the 1st time them the windows circle comes up then goes to log in. Thin boots to a blank desktop. with the wait circle going for ever never getting my icons nor able to open start menu or IE. So I open task manager with ctrl alt del and restart. then does the same thing but only takes 30 minutes or less but finely I'm in windows. Then later when I need to do another reboot it repetes the same thing. This time I unchecked boot start up scan but too afraid to try it yet because I do not want to wait 3 hours to get back into windows. Also safemode boots to a blank desktop taking just as long.