I run a nightly backup of Windows 7 and it creates a nightly System Image file available for restoring the Windows 7 System Image. I have used the Windows Restore function feature twice on my two W7 SP1 x64 computers, once on each computer. Both times that I have used it AIS would not start after a reboot even after using the Start function in the AIS GUI and would not start if I used the Fix function in the AIS GUI. So both times that I have used the Windows Restore which otherwise worked great, I have had to uninstall and reinstall AIS using the AIS installer file. That worked great except of course I had to manually re-set all my personal preference in AIS and recreate a couple of Custom Scans that I use. Will this inconvienence ever be fixed by avast!? Even Firefox has the option during an uninstall to save all of your personal preferences.
I don’t know where the problem lies in this case, but I do know that I have used the Windows 7 restore function twice once each on two different desktops both running W7 SP1 x64 and the same problem has occurred both times with AIS but not with any other application that I have on my computers.
My guess is that maybe there is a problem in W7 Windows System Image backup function that does not allow it to back up AIS into a restorable state. Could someone with avast! please check and see if avast! can recreate this problem. Thanks
I’d like to suggest a couple of partial “workarounds”, instead of uninstalling and reinstalling Avast.
1_ When you try to “fix it” from the main GUI, you should reboot immediately after before concluding it isn’t fixing anything.
2_ What happens if before the backup you stop Avast service and shields? For stopping the service, I would think you would need first to disable the defense module from Avast settings → troubleshooting. Trying / testing a reboot after that and leaving Avast disabled before the backup might help?
3_ If having to uninstall and reinstall, instead you should try a simpler Repair from “Add/Remove Programs”, and then reboot immediately. Only after the reboot, check if Avast is working and if your settings were left untouched.
There might be other partial workarounds. In any case, these might be “valid” workarounds for INfrequent backups. If this is for each and every night, I would not consider these as practical workarounds and a more “clean and permanent” real solution should be found.
#2 I don’t care for. Too much of a headache since I run Nightly Windows backups and rarely have to use the Restore.
#3 I forgot about #3. If I need to do a Windows Restore again in the future and AIS does not start after the Windows Restore I will try and remember to try #3 before doing an uninstall and re-install. Doing an uninstall and re-install wouldn’t be such a pain if avast! allowed users to keep their preferences during an uninstall. ;D One can always keep hoping 8)
I just want to stress out, for #3, to reboot immediately after the repair has finished, since Avast GUI and Windows not always would display the correct info after the repair of Avast. The reboot tends to solve the info discrepancy problem, but the repair instructions don’t include the recommendation (as it is not always “strictly” needed for Avast to “work”).
Thanks but I checked them after the reinstall and they are fine including the license expiration date. I was hoping that the reinstall would extend my license expiration date. Oh well ;D. AIS even quickly updated the virus definition from the 12th to the 15th No reboot required in this case.
I kept waiting for AIS to put back my old set of user preferences after the reinstall. I am still waiting ;D Actually my fingers did the resetting of my user preferences.
;D One can always keep hoping 8)