After install Home Ed., XP's 'Search' function gone

[BaldDude]

Hi,

I've download the home edition and i installed it an rebooted... Before i did that i  disabled my firewall and i removed anything related to my previous antivirus program from the registry... (I'm running XP SP2)

1st install: Fired up the program and it exited with a message about an internal error...

2nd and 3rd time like the 1st one.... Tried to repair with repair function but the add/remove button didn't do anything....

4th install: Some DLL file was missing so the proggie didn't start... Repair function not working again...

Then i tried to search for that DLL file with the search option in the taskbar... Before i installed the home edition that function worked perfectly... now it was gone in explorer and in the taskbar.  The search assistant was totally empty... There was nothing in it no more...  All blank...

I uninstalled avast and vióla there was the search assistant... Now... What's going on here ... I love your program cuz it even found some virii that my 'old' scanner missed...

I have reinstalled it with the hope you know what to do to get my search function back again... I also don't have an icon in the tray... Tried to fix that with the help of the answers in the forum but that didn't help either...


BaldDude

[DukeNukem]

Why did you disable your firewall?

[BaldDude]

I use ZoneAlaram... And it's known for some odd glitches... So i turned it off before installation...

[BaldDude]

Well... Windows Mediaplayer, Messenger, ZD Wireless, XP
Search Assistant and even my just reinstalled 'old' antivirus
program don't work... Maybe some other proggies don't work
either no more but i haven't checked that out yet...

I wanted to test this program for our business... We have 2
servers and 12 machines with eTrust Antivirus running but it
couldn't find a virus even if it was using the Hubble telescope!

If i have so much trouble installing a program and seeing so
much people needing help on a truckload of different problems
i think i'm going to say thanks but no thanks...Sorry...


Admin you can close this post...

[Vlk]

Isn't this avast PRofessional Edition instead?
If so, it would make some sense...

Thanks
Vlk

[techie101]

BaldDuke,

Lets try to get things under control.  There is more going on here than with Avast.
The lack of icons on the Explorer bar and missing data blocks usually are indicative of corrupted files within Windows.

1.  Uninstall Avast using the utility found here:
http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_uninstall_util.html

2.  Then, run a Diskscan and Defrag setting the Diskscan to Thorough and auto fix errors.

3.  Now, go online and run a full virus scan either from Symantec or TrendMicro.

4.  Then, run an antispyware scan.  If you do not have a scanner, download Adaware from www.lavasoft.de.

5.  Do a Windows Update and download all critical updates and patches.

6.  Ok, now that you have done a Diskscan, Defrag, Spyware scan, online virus check and update Windows....you can sit down for awhile and rest    

7.  I want you do shut down ALL none essential programs. (This is usually all except Systray and Explorer).
Obtain the latest version of Avast...4.5.549
Install it.  Assuming it installs ok, run a manual PROGRAM update.  This insures that the most current build AND database are installed.

If you get this far, then open up the Avast scanner (right click on the A ball and Start Avast Antivirus.
Set it to scan all your drives...Thorough and Archives.

This should do it.
***Please make note of any error messges pertaining to missing or corrupted files etc.  Write down the FULL message as it pops up.  Speaking of these error messages in general terms as you have, makes it difficult for me to analyze what might be going on.  Ok?

Let me know if you have difficulty and we will continue.

Good luck.

[Lisandro]

Isn't this avast PRofessional Edition instead?
If so, it would make some sense... Thanks Vlk

I'm very curious... What is the trick?  

[Eddy]

If i have so much trouble installing a program and seeing so
much people needing help on a truckload of different problems
i think i'm going to say thanks but no thanks...Sorry...

Remember that you only see people with problems. The ones who don't have rpoblems are happy with it and mostly won't come here. Have you looked at the support websites from other av vendors? If you did, you would have noticed they have even more people with problems and the help they get is not as fast as you get here.

And about the problem(s) you have:
It looks more like a bad installation of the OS and doesn't look like Avast has anything to do with it as far as I can tell now on the very small info you have given us sofar.


Don't give up that easily. Let's try to solve the problem so you can evalute Avast is it is ment to be.

[Vlk]

It can actually also be a corrupt installation of the ScriptBlocker (if he's using the Pro Edition - that's why I was asking).

To me, it sounds like the scripts are not working...

[Lisandro]

It can actually also be a corrupt installation of the ScriptBlocker (if he's using the Pro Edition - that's why I was asking).

Do you mean a downgrade from Professional to Home version?
Or just a clean install of the Professional?

To me, it sounds like the scripts are not working...

And then? What should the user do? Repair the installation?