Avast 17.1.2286 causes "The application failed to start correctly 0xc00000e5"

Hi,

I updated to Avast 17.1.2286 on Win 10 64bit and when I rebooted all my applications (Including Avast) fail to start with “The application failed to start correctly 0xc00000e5”. The only thing I can to is recover to a restore point. Then Chrome fails to start because Avast still updates to the new SafeZone browser which I think has same dll’s - only way to fix is to reinstall Chrome.

I do have the virtualisation turned off (as run VirtualBox too) and have COMODO firewall installed.

Any ideas please?

Cheers,

Gareth

Follow instructions: https://www.avast.com/faq.php?article=AVKB33#artTitle

Hi Asyn,

Thanks for you reply but if I update to 17.1.2286 and then no applications are allowed to start, then how will the support tool be allowed to start?

Cheers,

Gareth

  • Which Avast…? (Free/Pro/IS/Premier)
  • Other security related software installed…?
  • Which AV(s) did you use before Avast…?

Avast: Free.
Other security: COMODO Firewall, Win 10 Firewall and Spybot.
AV before Avast: None.

First, be sure to get rid of Spybot…!!

Then:

  1. Download Avast Free Antivirus: https://files.avast.com/iavs9x/avast_free_antivirus_setup_offline.exe
  2. Follow instructions: https://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility (Run this tool for all prior installed Avast versions…!!)
  3. Reinstall Avast with the downloaded installer from point 1.
  4. Reboot.

What’s bad about SpyBot?

Same problem here after trying to update Avast to the latest version. Both on my Desktop and on my Laptop. Fresh install from the offline installer yielded the same result. I also have Comodo installed.

I have almost the same problem, but the error is 0xc0000005, not 0xc00000e5. I updated to Avast Free 17.1.2286 on Windows 7 Pro 64-bit this morning, and many of my normal programs failed to start with the 0xc0000005 error. Rebooting did not help. The I disabled all of the Avast Shields, and my other programs started normally. I enabled the Shields one at a time, and narrowed the problem to the Behavior Shield, which I have now disabled permanently! I may try to uninstall this component because Avast! complains about it being disabled. This means, though, that Avast! is running crippled. Unless Avast! can fix the problem I may have to look for another Anti-Virus program.

By the way, I do NOT use Comodo.

Ok, finally fixed it after what seemed like forty reboots and two system restores. I found that: I had to run the Avast uninstaller many times in Safe mode, uninstalled COMODO firewall, removed SpyBot (very difficult as disabled the startup items tray element and it wants to reinstall) - the key thing to look at here is to look at Windows Defender and see if it will work for ‘real time protection’ when Avast has been uninstalled - if not then SpyBot is still being loaded in some shape or form (or you have something else acting like AV - could be parts of COMODO firewall) - the clincher here was by chance that Win 10 complained that both Defender and SpyBot were off, so I chose Defender only.

At the point of Defender working and Avast not installed I did create a new restore point just in case.

And… after installing Avast then Chrome failed to run so had to reinstall.

And… the Avast cleaner does not work in Safe Mode after downloading if you just boot to safe mode (Windows key + shift + click on power button), probably down to some Win10 program checker. You have to run the cleaner outside of Safe Mode and follow its instructions and get it to restart into Safe Mode then it will run. After running, run again just to be sure no other installations.

I hope these notes help you. And thank you to everybody who replied and helped me :).

I’ve had a similar problem to you/this with my Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit system.

As soon as I rebooted after triggering the update from (I think) the last Avast Free v12.3.2280 (or 12.3.2279) to Avast Free v17.1.2286 (build 17.1.3394.0) a lot of the programs initiated during boot up won’t start, and trigger an error box. One specific error box was for “conhost.exe” with “The instruction at 0xea403182 referenced memory at 0x00000000. The memory could not be read.”

I also could not start the programs Windows Explorer, the Task Manager, or the program ZTREEWIN, from either the Start menu or the Task Bar icon. Once I’d selected from the right-click menu of the Avast icon the “Avast shields control” menu and the “Disable for 10 minutes” sub-menu item I could start Windows Explorer, the Task Manager and the wonderful ZTREEWIN (ZTW.exe).

Because of the disaster that, for me, v17.1.2286 is I’m now looking at either returning to the previous version, or swapping to Sophos anti-virus package.

You’re welcome and thanks for the feedback.

See culprit and simpler workround at https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=196471.msg1365022#msg1365022

spybot is useless today when you have malwarebytes instead. spybot can’t keep up with the malware today.