Conflict between MBSA and Avast ?

[wieweethet]

Hello,

For several days I try to resolve a problem with MBSA, which was running fine in the past.
 
After starting MBSA the message : downloading security update information from Microsoft...
appears. Then, after downloading for about 1 minute AvastSvc.exe jumps to 95 to 100 % CPU and stays there.
After a long time MBSA says : Failed to download security update databases.

In trying to solve this issue I deïnstalled Avast and MBSA, cleaned registry for both entries, rebooted several times, used CCleaner and also its registry cleaner and installed again Avast and MBSA.
Still the same problem using the default settings of MBSA.
My system : Windows XP Home SP3. MBSA 2.2 Avast 6.0.1289, def. 111014-0.

Temporarily switching off the Avast shields give the normal MBSA behaviour.

What is here the issue ?

[Nesivos]

In following the posts on this forum I have noticed a number of problems with Avast 6.0.1289 running on a XP SP3 computer.

Just saying

Someone else will probably come along who can help you troubleshoot your problem.  I don't use XP anymore so I can't help you.

If you don't get a response to your post just send a private message to either DavidR or Essexboy.  I am pretty sure that either one can help you.

[Nesivos]

Just installed and ran MBSA on my W7 SP1 x64 computers.  AIS 6.0.1289 AIS and W7 Firewalls with default settings.

It installed and ran fine.  It even found some security problems that required a reboot to complete the security update which I had neglected to do.  I rebooted and the problem was corrected.

[YoKenny]

How much RAM does your XP Home system have

MBSA runs fine on my XP Pro system but it takes a long time to complete.

[DavidR]

Well I never use the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer as I keep my system up to date, you could simply visit windows update directly rather than install a program to do this for you.

So I can't say I have ever had an issue with this. But I have just downloaded this and it downloaded in about a second and no CPU issue.

I generally don't install applications, but it installed just fine and has run a scan without issue.

[YoKenny]

That only showed that you installed Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer but you did not run it.

Its nasty and cold here today with rain that would make an English person feel right at home. 

Wish I could find a place that could deliver fresh Fish-n-Chips to my home.

[DavidR]

Try reading my post in its entirety, the images show it was downloaded (the problem the OP also reported) and my comments that it was installed and run.

I generally don't install applications, but it installed just fine and has run a scan without issue.

[Nesivos]

I don't believe I had a problem with the Security updates getting downloaded.

MSBA said "downloading security updates" for maybe 5-10 seconds and then it said scanning.

Everything ran just fine.

The OPs problem sounds to me like either like a Firewall problem or another of the avast! 6.0.1289 Windows XP SP3 related problems.   I have noticed that a lot of the people posting a problem here are XP SP3 users using it with 6.0.1289.   I believe Windows XP was just passed by Windows 7 as the most used Windows OS.

I wonder if Avast will even support avast! 7.x on XP computers?  ISTM that there will be even more problems with avast! 7.x running on XP SP3 then there are with 6.x. JMO

[DavidR]

<snip>
I wonder if Avast will even support avast! 7.x on XP computers?  ISTM that there will be even more problems with avast! 7.x running on XP SP3 then there are with 6.x. JMO

Well that really is a no brainer, considering that A) avast 7 beta at least is likely to come out early next year and B) XP is still supported until April 2014. So I would say that given avasts previous history of support for older OSes with even win2k currently supported that XP will be supported in avast7.

Since avast7 will also be looking at working with windows8, there may well be features that will work with windows8 which may not be supported in winXP (or possibly other later versions).

So lets not start any rumours about avast7 not supporting XP.

[wieweethet]

Dear Nesivos,
My firewall : ZoneAlarm version:9.2.057.000 TrueVector version:9.2.057.000
Driver version:9.2.035.000.

Dear YoKenny,
My RAM-amount is 1536 MB, must be no problem I think.

Dear DavidR,
Off course you can get the updates in an other way, but MBSA does much more than taking care of the updates.
I like to have a verification of my systems security especially after modifications.

My last flawless run of MBSA was on 2011-07-05.
Should I try to get an Avast version of that time to check if the version is the cause ?
To all contributors : thank you.

[Nesivos]

<snip>
I wonder if Avast will even support avast! 7.x on XP computers?  ISTM that there will be even more problems with avast! 7.x running on XP SP3 then there are with 6.x. JMO

Well that really is a no brainer, considering that A) avast 7 beta at least is likely to come out early next year and B) XP is still supported until April 2014. So I would say that given avasts previous history of support for older OSes with even win2k currently supported that XP will be supported in avast7.

Since avast7 will also be looking at working with windows8, there may well be features that will work with windows8 which may not be supported in winXP (or possibly other later versions).

So lets not start any rumours about avast7 not supporting XP.

When you go to the Microsoft Product Lifecycle Search website it says that Windows XP Home "Extended Support Date" is indeed in April 2014 however there is no more "Mainstream Support".   However, according to the same website all support for Windows Home XP SP3 ended two years after its release date which was in April 2008.

Support ends 24 months after the next service pack releases or at the end of the product's support lifecycle, whichever comes first.

http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/search/default.aspx?alpha=Windows+XP

http://www.neowin.net/news/main/08/04/15/windows-xp-sp3-release-dates

The bottom line is that XP development and updates are no longer being done by Microsoft except for Security updates.  The product is essentially a dieing one.

There are numerous differences in W8 vs XP in terms of the coding.   While avast! 7.x will no doubt work with XP SP3 I wouldn't think that Avast is gearing its development of avast! 7.x to be compatible with XP SP3 but most likely W7 and W8.  I expect to see numerous problems running avast! 7.x on an XP SP3 computer.  More than we see now.  JMO

[Nesivos]

Dear Nesivos,
My firewall : ZoneAlarm version:9.2.057.000 TrueVector version:9.2.057.000
Driver version:9.2.035.000.

To all contributors : thank you.

Take a look here

http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=84809.0

[YoKenny]

Dear Nesivos,
My firewall : ZoneAlarm version:9.2.057.000 TrueVector version:9.2.057.000
Driver version:9.2.035.000.

To all contributors : thank you.

Take a look here

http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=84809.0

That is an absolutely useless help topic as luckyvic never did resolve his problem.

You should quit offering help on XP systems as you only run Windows 7 and leave XP help to DavidR as he knows it much better than you.

[Nesivos]

Dear Nesivos,
My firewall : ZoneAlarm version:9.2.057.000 TrueVector version:9.2.057.000
Driver version:9.2.035.000.

To all contributors : thank you.

Take a look here

http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=84809.0

That is an absolutely useless help topic as luckyvic never did resolve his problem.

You should quit offering help on XP systems as you only run Windows 7 and leave XP help to DavidR as he knows it much better than you.

I try and do that as a rule.  I will try and do as you suggest as it is good advice.

Thanks for the reminder.

[wieweethet]

Can we go back to the topic.
I decided to test the performance of MBSA with an older Avast prog installed.
If the Avast behaviour w.r.t. MBSA was changed over time,
then there should be no MBSA-problem with an older Avast prog.

Removed Avast in safe mode with aswClear.exe. Rebooted. Used CCleaner, also for registry.
Installed 6.0.1000, def.version 110223-0. Switched off autoupdate.
Did run MBSA --> no problem !
Is this the proof ?

Then, let Avast update itself to 6.0.1289, def.version 111017-0.
Rebooted.
Did run MBSA --> what a surprise, again no problem !!

Now, i'm finished.

(by the way, my Preview button did not work)