Have the latest version installed and have had this problem since day one which was about 3 months ago. Every time I shut down my couputer hangs and displays this message. “ashdisp.exe not responding” It will sit like this forever and never shut down until I hit the End Process button? Anyone know why this is happening and how to fix it?
Thanks,
Ken
I suggest a forum search as this topic has been covered previously, try this one http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=16398.0
There are some questions that may help us to help you.
What is your OS?
Do you have any other security applications?
What is your firewall?
There doesn’t happen to be something running in the background such as VRDB generation when idle, etc.
What is your OS?
Windows XP Pro, SP2 with all current updates
Do you have any other security applications?
Well, I do have Adaware Personal, Spybot S&D (Teatimer disabled) and Microsoft AntiSpyware Beta1. Nothing else.
What is your firewall?
I’m using the standard Windows Firewall.
There doesn't happen to be something running in the background such as VRDB generation when idle, etc.
Not sure what VRDB is? There isn’t any background stuff running that I’m aware of outside of normal Windows stuff.
This computer sits on a LAN ith 4 others connected to the internet by ICS on one box that acts as DHCP server and Internet Gateway. Other puters have pretty much the same software, etc with the exception of AV software. The others have either Norton or AVG.
The URL you posted didn’t tell me anything?
Ken
I was thinking something like teatimer, etc. that could well have an interaction with ashDisp.exe so it would still be in use at shut down. So that is ruled out.
Did this system ever have another AV installed?
If so what was it and how was it removed?
The link was more speculative showing that there could be other security software in the mix. I don’t use the MS anti-spyware but elements of that are resident I believe, you could temporally disable that and see if it makes a difference.
Have you tried a repair of avast. Add Remove programs, select ‘avast! Anti-Virus,’ click the Change/Remove button and scroll down to Repair, click next and follow. You need to be on-line to do this.
If that doesn’t work try, uninstall, reboot, install, reboot.
The “VRDB” is short for Virus recovery database, which is
the 4th listing on the main Avast Interface.
So AFTER you have tried a “repair” of Avast and that 4th
listing has no date besides it, to “generate” it you will need
to click “Generate VRDB Now” from the “VRDB” menu item.
Then, by default, it will “re-generate” every 21 days.
The Editor of Spyware Weekly Newsletter has some
critical comments about the XP SP2 firewall :
"I promised myself a while back not to go on another anti-Microsoft rant, that I would write calmly about any goofs they make. It has been a hard promise to keep at times. And now, I must break that promise. If I don’t rant about this, I will burst at the seams.
The function of a software firewall is simple. It allows the user to control the computer’s access to other computers. To do that, it blocks attempts to send unauthorized data out over a network, as well as the attempts of other computers to send data to the protected computer. A proper firewall allows data into or out of the computer, only when the user gives the firewall permission to do so. I think most people will agree that this is an accurate description of the proper function of a software firewall.
So I am left to wonder if the Microsoft programmers who designed the Windows Firewall have lost their freakin minds. While the Windows Firewall will block network access like any other firewall, the settings which determine whether or not an attempt to access the network is permitted is stored in the registry. Any piece of software is allowed to edit that part of the registry and give itself permission to send or receive data over the network.
There are several viruses, worms and spyware programs that edit the registry settings for the Windows Firewall. Even if the user discovers a virus infection and cleans it successfully, that computer can be reinfected at any time, if the virus edited the firewall settings. Many network worms can infect a computer if it discovers certain unsecured network ports. It happened to me once, when I turned off my firewall and forgot to turn it back on.
Changes to a firewall’s settings should be possible only through the firewall program’s interface. Those changes should be saved into an encrypted file, which cannot be altered by any other program. Those settings should not EVER be written to the registry, where they can be altered by any other program running on the PC. It takes only the smallest shred of common sense to realize this.
Where was the common sense when they were creating the Windows Firewall? This is like hiring security guards to keep gate crashers away from a party but allowing the guests to write their own invitations.
But wait, there’s more!
Someone discovered recently that the Windows Firewall interface won’t even tell the user about an opened port, if the registry entry granting it permission has a malformed name. Not only can a malicious programmer give his evil creation permission to bypass the firewall, he can hide the fact that he’s done it!
It is boneheaded mistakes like this which make it difficult to use Windows safely. God help us all when Microsoft begins to make its own antivirus software. The only reason Microsoft’s antispyware program works well probably is because Microsoft didn’t write it.
This is the point where I should recommend a proper firewall. Unfortunately, the company that created the firewall that I used to recommend, Kerio, plans to exit the firewall market.
I use an older version of Kerio firewall, version 2.15. I never liked any of the more recent versions. If you plan to try it, I suggest you download it quickly. The download page might disappear soon. "
WELL, I FINALLY FIXED THIS PROBLEM. AFTER LOADING AVAST ON ANOTHER PUTER ON MY LAN I ENCOUNTERED THIS SAME PROBLEM? WTF? ANYWHO, I FINALLY FIXED IT THIS PAST WEEK WHEN I UNINSTALLED AVAST AND INSTALLED NORTON ANTIVIRUS INSTEAD. THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY. I GUESS I GOT WHAT I PAID FOR THOUGH!
KEN
Sorry we can’t help you if you go to NAV…
In fact, NAV was probably the bad guy here and avoid you to install avast properly.
I’ve used NAV and well know how difficult is to get rid from it.
Oh… NAV is a resource hog for sure.