explorer.exe crashes, even after uninstalling AVAST

[sverx]

Hi there,
I've got a Win98 (First Edition) box and I installed Avast! 4 Home.

Since then the process explorer.exe keeps on crashing every time I press the windows "Start" button and I select something from the list (say "Programs" for instance).

It's a GPF (General Protection Fault) in module "unknown".
So I uninstalled Avast... but the problem didn't disappear... :|

I installed again Avast! 4 Home (I need an antivirus, anyway) then I came here to ask for help...

Does anybody know what's that? Never seen before that problem?
And -if it's possible- WHERE can I find the list of the DLLs (and every other file too) installed by Avast? Because I really think it's a DLL-related problem...

ThanksIA

Sverx

[Lisandro]

Hi there, I've got a Win98 (First Edition) box and I installed Avast! 4 Home.

It's a GPF (General Protection Fault) in module "unknown".
So I uninstalled Avast... but the problem didn't disappear...

After uninstalling the problem was not solved, so, probably, it's not avast  
I'm not an expert on Windows 98 but maybe there is some kind of debugger (Dr. Watson ?) that could say a little bit more.

Do you have any other antivirus installed in your computer?
Did you have in the past? Which one?
Do you use a firewall? Which one?

Can you try to repair your avast installation/
Go to Control Panel > Add/Remove programs > avast! antivirus > Remove
Then choose Repair function in the pop up window (Repair).

[Spyros]

Sverx,

Have you tried going to windows update? Maybe it's just an I.E. problem.

Also (long shot): Have you played around with the speed of your Graphics Accelerator in the near past?

[sverx]

Thanks for the answer

First of all I guess that even uninstalling Avast! the uninstallation process doesn't restore the original system DLLs, right?

Anyway, let's say I can uninstall Avast! again... then how can I know which DLLs got replaced? Can I have a list of them thru the support? So that then I can check which DLL version should be installed with Win98 and find the one who's "guilty"...

Anyway, to answer you: yes, I had AVG 6.0 before. I couldn't upgrade to 7.0 because that version wanted IE5.0 and I don't want to install it. No firewall on that PC.

Thanks for your help. And I hope you can post here the list of the system files replaced during the installation...

[Eddy]

I would say time to upgrade to a OS that was created this century.

And to completly uninstall Avast, there is a util for it on the website.

The way I see it:

old OS + no firewall + old IE + (likely) more obsolete applications = GREAT SECURITY RISK

If you want to find out more about the error, you could turn on DrWatson and check the log it is creating.

[sverx]

Win2K it's not for free, you know. I use Win98 (bought with my previous PC) and Fedora in dualboot mode.

The way I see it is:

Win2k + New IE = Great Security Risk

Win98 + Security Fix + Opera + NO IE + NO TCP/UDP ports open = Not An Interesting Target to most of dangers out on the net...

Thanks, I'm going to search for that complete uninstall you told me

[Lisandro]

Win98 + Security Fix + Opera + NO IE + NO TCP/UDP ports open = Not An Interesting Target to most of dangers out on the net...

No, you must have an antivirus and a firewall... Otherwise, useless   :'(
avast works great into Windows 98. You have a conflict with other application  :'(

[sverx]

No, you must have an antivirus

Ok, that's why I downloaded Avast!, that's why I had AVG 6.0 ...
...

avast works great into Windows 98. You have a conflict with other application

Come on, I'm sure Avast is a great program. But I'm also sure that the problem appeared only after the installation of Avast. And didn't disappeared after the uninstall. Anyway I'd try to find the problem by myself if I could have a list of what Avast installed in my SYSTEM directory... I'm quite sure it's because of a _NEW_ or _REPLACED_ DLL...

No other programs were installed in the last month, at least...

[Starfighter]

You could try to re-install Avast again.... that way it will put in all the files again--so that when you try to uninstall it again, maybe then it will get all the files deleted properly (unlike perhaps last time)

As an aside, I agree with Technical-- Win 98 (esp. SE) works great with all the MS update patches.  Avast works fine with Win98SE (although some experience the avast ?related? shutdown problems).  I have Avast on 1 machine with Win98FE, and on the other with Win98SE... both work perfectly.

As for the explorer crashes etc., it could also be caused by spyware... or hardwdare problems such as bad RAM, a bad HD, defective motherboard etc...  or a registry screw up.
To see if it's a registry screw up, check out my next message.
Also, if that doesn't help, you can try this program:
http://www.hoverdesk.net/freeware.htm
(regseeker) and do a registry clean... that could help with cleaning out the errors).

[Starfighter]

With Win 98, on the taskbar--go Start, programs, accessories, system tools,  windows applications.... and look for the application called "System Information" and use under its Tools section the system file checker and also registry checker etc... to trouble shoot, as well as  Dr. Watson....

Should help.    
As for testing spyware, I like ad-aware and spybot search and destroy (google search for 'em)

[Lisandro]

Come on, I'm sure Avast is a great program. But I'm also sure that the problem appeared only after the installation of Avast. And didn't disappeared after the uninstall. Anyway I'd try to find the problem by myself if I could have a list of what Avast installed in my SYSTEM directory... I'm quite sure it's because of a _NEW_ or _REPLACED_ DLL...
No other programs were installed in the last month, at least...

I'm not saying it's not avast. Just that it's compatible with Windows 98 and if you have a good installation it works perfectly like you said.
I have Windows XP so I can only post the contents of avast folder (and not windows\system... sorry  ).

[garyb]

I don't know if this is any help to you or not, but I installed an earlier build of Avast on my old win98SE box back in March/04.
Whenever I installed anything on there I would always do a System File Checker before and after to see what had changed.

Here's a copy of the log from back then, but it was an older build... and I can't duplicate it now because I've since upgraded to XP.

Microsoft System File Checker

Log file generated on 3/1/04 at 10:32 PM

Started verify scan using verification data file:
   "C:\WINDOWS\Default.sfc"

                             Previous    Previous  New         New       CRC
File             Change      Version     Date      Version     Date      Match
---------------- ----------- ----------- --------- ----------- --------- ------
[C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM]
MSVCI70.dll      Added                             7.00.9466.0 1/5/02          
MSVCP70.dll      Added                             7.00.9466.0 1/5/02          
MSVCR70.dll      Added                             7.00.9466.0 1/5/02          
MFC70.dll        Added                             7.00.9466.0 1/5/02          
actskin4.ocx     Added                             4, 2, 7, 3  12/25/02        
AVASTSS.scr      Added                             4, 1, 334,  1/29/04        

220   folders examined.
1442   files examined.
6   files added to verification data file.
0   files removed from verification data file.
0   files updated in verification data file.
0   files restored.
0   file changes ignored.

I don't see anything there that would do any damage, all it did was add some dlls.
Hopefully this might point you or someone else in the right direction

[Respect2Glory]

Anyway, let's say I can uninstall Avast! again... then how can I know which DLLs got replaced? Can I have a list of them thru the support? So that then I can check which DLL version should be installed with Win98 and find the one who's "guilty"...

TotalUninstall is a program that records & shows changes that programs make during the installation process, so you can undo everything a program has done. (Freeware by Gabi Martau) TU Homepage: http://www.geocities.com/ggmartau/index.html and also I reviewed TU on my website (with directions for use): http://respect2glory.150m.com/security.html

Respect2Glory
Http://Respect2Glory.150m.com

[CharleyO]

*

Svex - I also use W98 though I have SE. Avast has never caused a problem with my computer. I would like to suggest that your main problem is the use of an IE less than version 5. Actually, any version of IE less than version 6 is very unsafe. So, you most likely have spyware (and who knows what else) that is causing your problem. Perhaps running "HJT" will show you your problem(s) ...  which I would venture to say are very many.

*

[sverx]

Oh-oh, lots of answers Thanks everybody for the help... anyway...
... problem is gone

Well, I guess I should give you some details. Curious?

Using DrWatson (and a lot of luck!) I found that probably COMCTL32.dll was the file replaced. I took it again from the Win98 CABS file and rebooted... voilà Now everything works ok

So I wanted to find IF it could be possible that Avast! was the reason for such a problem. I uninstalled it, reinstalled it completely (default installation), then again uninstalled it, then installed it again (did I tell you I needed an antivirus? ) ...

nothing.

So, really, I have no reason to keep on thinking it was Avast! fault. Really, maybe I installed another program a couple of days ago and I don't remember... mmm...

So now I'm going to "deep" test  Avast and -probably- write an article for a computer-related newsletter here in Italy and say if Avast is -IMHO- a good program or not. Of course I'll say that the tech forums here are full of people that are ready to help you Thanks once more.

All the other stuff:

any version of IE less than version 6 is very unsafe

Any version of IE is very unsafe, that's why I use Opera since years (and security is not the only reason...)

So, you most likely have spyware (and who knows what else) that is causing your problem

No, I have AdAware and SpyBot S&D... and who knows what else

Once again thanks everybody

Sverx