Avast 4.7- Can't Load 3prty Skins 

DavidR · 2006-08-15T12:36:23.000Z

Snap, just downloaded the g5_by_szcraftec.aswcs without problem.

What skins did you try to download ?
Did you get the error before the download completed, what was the exact error message ?

For example the g5_by_szcraftec.aswcs skin if you right click and choose ‘save as’ or ‘save link as’ depending on your browser, etc. you can choose the download location rather than the desktop, which on occasion can cause problems (not that I have heard this for the avast skins).

Double click on the file g5_by_szcraftec.aswcs and it should install it or you may have to indicate which program to associate (open) the aswcs extension “C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashsimpl.exe”

system · 2006-08-16T08:16:17.000Z

I am running VISTA 5472, Internet Explorer7 , I still have no solution to the problem! Any more advise.
I have tried a couple of different skins.
It used to run fine until I download the new upgrade.
I am running AVAST PRO 4.7

igor0 · 2006-08-16T08:21:08.000Z

A few questions:
“The new upgrade” of what? avast! or Vista?
Are you saying that all the other skins worked on Vista 5472 with previous builds of avast!, and stopped working after the program update? Did you reinstall avast! (I mean - if you didn’t, the skins installed previously should still be there, i.e. there shouldn’t be any need to download them again).

So, what are the skins that do work?

When exactly do you get the error - when you click on the skin (to install it), or when starting the Simple User interface subsequently? Or when browsing the skin selection dialog maybe?

system · 2006-08-16T08:26:47.000Z

When it downloads and trys to run automatically, the error is " unknown paramater"
If I try to open up skins from inside ‘Avast Simple’ , the window which displays the different skins doesnt show the others that I downloaded, it only shows the two that came with the program.
Yes, I have made sure that the downloaded skins are in the skin directory, all is as it should be , but doesnt find them.
Help! :-\

system · 2006-08-16T10:18:50.000Z

Ok , I used to have VISTA 5472 and AVAST 4.7. something. All skins worked fine then. I had a magor problem last week with my computer (virus) and lost most of my data. I then did a clean install of VISTA again and had to install all programs again. When I got the AVAST 4.7 Home download It came with skins (silver panel SZC-KDE). Those both work. I then upgraded to AVAST PRO put in the serial code and my system then downloaded the PRO files and updated me to PRO.
Since I install the AVAST Home I have gone to the web page and click on the link to download a skin. It downloads to my computer and automatically tries to run the skin. When this happens I get the error (unknown paramater). I have gotten the other downloaded skins and put them in the SKIN Folder where the (silver panel, SZC-KDE) is kept. If I open the ‘AVAST program simple’ and go into MENU then SKINS, the skins WINDOW only shows the original skins that came with the original download (silver panel), it doesnt show the other skins that I have put in their. SOme of the others are - SZC-KDE, Bionic , G5, Black Vibe.
Have I explained enough detail for you to assist me ?

DavidR · 2006-08-16T11:54:18.000Z

The aswcs file that you download is compressed and needs to be unpacked (as my previous mentioned. Until it is unpacked the skin won’t show up in the list as the actual skin is an .asws file, note the missing ’ c ’ (for compressed), only the .asws files show up in the list.

Double click on the file g5_by_szcraftec.aswcs and it should install it or you may have to indicate which program to associate (open) the aswcs extension "C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashsimpl.exe"

system · 2006-08-16T14:22:47.000Z

Guys Im not a complete nuffy. The files are unpacked, they just dont load! :o

Vlk · 2006-08-16T14:29:55.000Z

Hmm, just tried it on Vista and no problem whatsoever here…

So, you’re saying the *.asws files don’t even SHOW in the list (even though they’re present in the \data\skins folder)

Thanks
Vlk

system · 2006-08-16T14:46:34.000Z

Thats correct!!!

igor0 · 2006-08-16T14:50:21.000Z

How exactly did you unpack the skins, btw?

system · 2006-08-16T15:11:59.000Z

Well they unpack when I try to run them by right click and then running ashsimple2.exe. ashsimple.exe didnt do it.

igor0 · 2006-08-16T15:35:14.000Z

ashSimpl2.exe doesn’t contain any skin unpacking code (because it doesn’t support skins) - so it must have been ashSimple.exe who unpacked the files, but failed to load them afterwards (unless you unpacked them manually using the ashSkPck.exe tool).
Strange… there shouldn’t be much difference between the skins. So, what skins do you have in the skin selection list?
What if you download e.g. the old Blue Panel - does the same error occur?

Is there anything in avast! Log Viewer? (in the Error cathegory or above)

system · 2006-08-16T16:24:14.000Z

Same - “unknown parameter”.
I am going to install Pro again see if it fixrs. I just downloaded it again.
What do you think?

igor0 · 2006-08-16T17:51:07.000Z

I don’t think it will make any difference (regarding the Simple User Interface start) - the executables are identical.

What skins do you have in the skin selection list?
Is there anything in avast! Log Viewer? (in the Error cathegory or above)

Lisandro · 2006-08-16T17:53:36.000Z

igor post:14:

Unless you unpacked them manually using the ashSkPck.exe tool.

What’s the purpose of this tool? What can we do with it?

igor0 · 2006-08-17T08:27:43.000Z

As Sasha would certainly tell you, it’s used to pack the skins after you make them; you can use it for the opposite action as well, however.

Lisandro · 2006-08-17T11:57:25.000Z

igor post:18:

As Sasha would certainly tell you, it’s used to pack the skins after you make them; you can use it for the opposite action as well, however.

I thought you couldn’t unpack the skins with it… at least, I did not get ‘parts’ of the skin (like unpacking an archive file into its files)…
How can I do that (if possible like you’ve saying)?

igor0 · 2006-08-17T12:16:31.000Z

I didn’t mean unpack into parts (bitmaps, sounds, etc.) - just the conversion between the compressed form (.aswcs) and uncompressed form (.asws) of the skin.

Lisandro · 2006-08-17T13:41:44.000Z

igor post:20:

I didn’t mean unpack into parts (bitmaps, sounds, etc.) - just the conversion between the compressed form (.aswcs) and uncompressed form (.asws) of the skin.

Besides the few bytes that we can ‘save’ from HDD, is there any performance issue related to these two forms of skins?

igor0 · 2006-08-17T14:04:14.000Z

I must say I don’t know much about the skins…
I think it’s just that avast! needs the unpacked ones, there are packed versions on the download page and this tool makes it possible to convert between those two - nothing spectacular.

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