I’m running Windows XP SP3 with Avast 6 and every 10 days or so I will do an overnight Boot-Time Scan. More often than not I check my computer in the morning after the scan is completed and the desktop background picture is gone and the Windows Theme is changed from Classic to Classic (Modified). Is this normal?
I can’t say it is, but it sounds like this is intermittent from your post when your machine boots back up…is this correct?
May I ask why you are doing a boot scan so often? We only recommend doing a boot scan only if you find or suspect a problem. Normally most users do a Quick scan weekly or less, and a Full scan monthly (depending on your usage or what you use the machine for), but a Boot scan if you find an infection or suspect a problem. Remember, Avast is always running in the background and scanning things…unless you disabled something on purpose like a Real-Time Shield. So there really is no need to do this Boot-time scan so often.
Regardless, we still need to figure out why your desktop is changing after doing a boot scan.
- What version of Avast did you install? Be specific 6.0.?
- What product of Avast did you install? Free, Pro, AIS?
- What other security software do you currently have or did you have in the past on this machine including:
- Antivirus (AV)
- Firewall (FW)
- Trial versions of AV, FW and other security programs
- Other security software
- If they were in the past, how did you remove them (the vendor’s uninstaller’s tool or another way)?
- Are your other software and MS Updates current?
- Have you done any Avast scans (Quick, Full) and if so are you clean?
I am running the most up to date version (6.0.1091) of Avast Free with auto update. As far as antivirus programs I have not run anything but Avast on this computer but for malware/spyware software I currently use Malwarebytes, SuperAntispyware, Spyware Blaster and Spybot. I keep up to date with all of these applications and with all of the Windows and Microsoft updates. This only started happening with Avast 6 so it might go away with a future update.
I only do boot scans when I encounter an Avast warning or pop-up, such as the Winamp Agent problem I mentioned in this thread:
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=77150.0;topicseen
I have run scans on Malwarebytes, SuperAntispyware and Avast and have found nothing malicious so far.
Since we have had other users here have problems with SB, I would recommend that you uninstall it (and Teatimer):
Uninstall Spybot S&D w/Teatimer: http://www.safer-networking.org/en/howto/uninstall.html.
- How to disable Spybot-S&D (temporarily). http://www.safer-networking.org/en/howto/disable.html . Even though it says temporarily, the resident parts of SpyBot Search & Destroy must be enabled manually if disabled in this manner. TeaTimer doesn’t load into memory at all when disabled.
- SB fails to detect: http://www.brighthub.com/computing/smb-security/articles/65492.aspx
Reboot your machine after uninstalling.
Let your machine run for good 24- 48 hours like you normally do and see if this fixes your problems and report back.
Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you.