"File System Shield Program Not Found"

[grayscot12]

When I click on the Win 7 tray troubleshooter icon, it warns me to turn on Avast AntiVirus system.  I click on the Avast tray icon and Enable all shields, but the Windows message is still there.  Click on it and menu opens up to turn on Avast; click on this and then on the UAC request and get the error message as above in the subject.  Meanwhile, I find through Process Explorer, the program that has been hogging 85% of CPUs for the past two days is Avast Free.  I am refused access to stop the service directly or through the tree.  I try to uninstall Avast and nothing happens. No doubt these refusals to my own program requests are meant to defeat malware gaining control, but I must be able to uninstall an anti-virus program gone over to the other side!  How?

I'm using Win 7 Home, 32-bit and so far as I know have the latest updates.

While I'm at it, I get notes from Avast that my settings for my email program are preventing Avast from checking incoming emails, but I have modified the settings to conform to the instructions in the Zoot email settings for mail being forwarded from Yahoo, but still get such messages. 

Also, the update messages and flags for Avast are intrusive, block the view, and startle me  inappropriately with their volume.  Have almost been pushed to uninstall for that alone.  Why irritate people?

[DavidR]

Try a repair of avast:
XP - Add Remove programs, select 'avast! Anti-Virus,' click the Change/Remove button and scroll down to Repair, click next and follow.

Vista, win7 - Control Panel, Programs & Features, uninstall a program, select 'avast! Anti-Virus,' click the Change/Remove button and scroll down to Repair, click next and follow.

You may need to reboot after the repair.

You need to change the settings that zoot says if you want avast to scan the email, presumably it uses SSL.
- avast! 6.x: SSL Problems The Mail Shield may not scan some e-mails - see https://support.avast.com/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=842.

[grayscot12]

Neither "Change" nor "Update" in the repair menu worked. Each of these minor operations takes 30 minutes to hours to complete at 100% CPU usuage with no other programs running but Avast.  I've uninstalled it but will not reinstall unless there is some explanation for this.  Either some malware has gained access to the program or there is a seriously flaw in it.  Either way....

[ady4um]

I don't know if this was your case, but some users had a problem between 2012JAN24 and 2012JAN25 with the engine update. The problem was already solved (by updating to a newer engine date http://www.avast.com/download-update).

You should try http://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility in Windows Safe Mode and then download the latest stable version of the same avast you used (Free / Pro trail / AIS trial). Install the latest stable version of the program and reboot. Then update.

Please report back.

[grayscot12]

Uninstall
CC
Four AV removal tools in Safe Mode
Re-install
Wait-n-see

but cost was two days severely limited service and five hours bopping back and forth here and in safe mode.
If it was a faulty engine update (and no, update did not identify or solve any engine change problem), it better not happen again.

[ady4um]

As I said, I don't know if indeed was the same problem. It took other users much less effort (and time) to solve the problem (as described above), and other users didn't even see the issue at all.