Avast can't open database file 14 [SOLVED]

system · 2006-11-02T23:19:40.000Z

Since the October update Avast generates about 250 errors in the log within a second at boot. Thus it’s just at booting up the system Avast behaves like this. While the system is up running no errors are logged. The update did take place the 31th of October with the version number 4.7.892.

All errors includes the same line: "Error description: “unable to open database file [14]” with the ID 90. According to the small fragments of information given in the log it looks like it’s not able to read some parts of the database, at least the fragments appear in all different kinds of languages.

I don’t know if this has anything to do with the fact that Avast now uses SQTL as database and for certain I don’t know what has to be tweaked to get this to work. On the other hand SQTL was used before this version I’m having problems with, so I believe it’s somekind of conflict going on.

Cheers
// KimTjik

DavidR · 2006-11-03T00:15:14.000Z

Try 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.

system · 2006-11-03T19:11:56.000Z

Repair didn’t change anything. I then followed the advice to uninstall and then reinstall avast; I wish I hadn’t done that because it got even worse.

Now I get all kinds of errors in the log: 282 errors on one reboot of the system. It’s a more mixed bag of errors and the the interface can’t be opened as well.

I will read some of the other posts here and see if I can find a solution. Otherwise I probably pass this version of Avast and use another program or stay in Linux all the time until a better version is released.

DavidR · 2006-11-03T19:29:05.000Z

Are there any common errors ?
What other security based software do you have that might block have an impact at boot, e.g. SpySweeper, Spyware Doctor (StartUpGuard), PrevX, WinPatrol, ProcessGuard, etc. ?

The last Program update was Version 4.7.892, September 25, 2006, is that the one you meant ?
There have been no Program updates around 31 Oct apart from VPS updates which shouldn’t have had that effect, unless a detection of a virus meant the removal of an important file, did you recently have any detections ?

system · 2006-11-03T19:51:38.000Z

I have solved it… but not satisfactory!

The problem with this version is that it’s not capable of automatically configure according to selected installation target. Previous versions have been installed successfully to whatever target you choose.

My standard setup for all software is to install them on a separate partition. Hence I keep the C: exclusively for the operating system and drivers (there’s a lot of advantages doing this, since a potential crash do less damage and the os become more portable, for example as a back-up image). Therefore Avast has always (ok, since I started using it) been installed to this particular partition in a catalogue I call “security”.

I haven’t been debugging the Avast files and don’t intend to, since it would just consume a lot of time. I hope the developers fix this annoyance. Anyway this explains the coherency among the errors: Avast is constantly searching for files in a specific location and not according to the installation process.

Let’s see if there will be any improvements in the future so I can move it back to were it belongs in my system.

alanrf · 2006-11-03T21:20:50.000Z

It may be that I have misunderstood the way you wish to have avast installed.

However, I just removed avast from my system and then re-installed the current release (4.7.892) onto a partition on a different drive from the C: drive.

I have no errors reported during the installation or during a few restarts since the install and avast is working as usual.

This is also been the long term configuration for avast of one of the folks I support. I just confirmed that no problems have been experienced with avast on that system.

Both the systems mentioned here are WinXP SP2.

DavidR · 2006-11-03T21:48:39.000Z

KimTjik post:5:

I have solved it… but not satisfactory!

The problem with this version is that it’s not capable of automatically configure according to selected installation target. Previous versions have been installed successfully to whatever target you choose.

My standard setup for all software is to install them on a separate partition. Hence I keep the C: exclusively for the operating system and drivers (there’s a lot of advantages doing this, since a potential crash do less damage and the os become more portable, for example as a back-up image). Therefore Avast has always (ok, since I started using it) been installed to this particular partition in a catalogue I call “security”.

I haven’t been debugging the Avast files and don’t intend to, since it would just consume a lot of time. I hope the developers fix this annoyance. Anyway this explains the coherency among the errors: Avast is constantly searching for files in a specific location and not according to the installation process.

Let’s see if there will be any improvements in the future so I can move it back to were it belongs in my system.

My avast has always been installed on drive D: (second partition on Primary disk 0) where I too keep most of my installed Programs and no problems.

Unfortunately if you aren’t prepared to do a little checking, I didn’t ask you to debug anything, just a sample of the common errors you say are happening. Without information, I don’t see how the developers can fix this annoyance.

So if you want us to help you you need to help us and answer our questions, this could not only help you but possibly others.

I have done a search of the forums for unable to open database file [14] and this only returns 1 hit so you can see it isn’t a common occurrence, http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=22430.msg187492#msg187492.

Lisandro · 2006-11-04T03:12:06.000Z

KimTjik post:5:

The problem with this version is that it’s not capable of automatically configure according to selected installation target. Previous versions have been installed successfully to whatever target you choose.

For me, it works… which are the errors you’re experiencing?

KimTjik post:5:

My standard setup for all software is to install them on a separate partition. Hence I keep the C: exclusively for the operating system and drivers (there’s a lot of advantages doing this, since a potential crash do less damage and the os become more portable, for example as a back-up image). Therefore Avast has always (ok, since I started using it) been installed to this particular partition in a catalogue I call “security”.

I agree that using a second partition to files, data, documents, etc. is a very good procedure due to reinstall the operational system.
But, I think programs should be managed as the operational system. You must reinstall them and not just using an ‘old’ folder at another partition. Not all the times this will work.

KimTjik post:5:

Avast is constantly searching for files in a specific location and not according to the installation process.

Are you refering to a new, clean, installation of avast, from the scratch?

system · 2006-11-04T10:43:30.000Z

Huh, I’ve got a lot of replies to answer!

Debugging: of course I can send a report. What I meant was that I don’t want to at the moment personally spend the time going through such a list. I don’t depend on XP anyway.

Installation: was a clean one with reboots between uninstallation and a new installation. I might give it another shoot using aswclean.exe if it could be that Avast doesn’t uninstall correctly.

Folders/installation target: All installations are done as new, I just follow my already memorized setup.

For the moment Avast is installed according to default settings, which works without any errors. If I decide to do another try this evening I report back to you. Let’s see it might be that it works the 6th time and I’ll be left with no clue what so ever!

Thanks for your help!

system · 2006-11-04T11:38:12.000Z

I didn’t wait. This is another try, now installed to the e: partition.

Steps:

uninstall Avast (default installation to C:)
reboot and run aswclear.exe and another reboot
installation to e: partition (not to an old used folder)
regestry looks like it should

Result:

not 300+ errors but slowely piling up; now after five minutes over 20
Avast can’t be opened
it doesn’t actually run even though so indicated (you can’t scan files or e-mails)
in other words it’s useless in its current state

I attach log files of errors and setup (a lot of “not okay” what that now means?).

Lisandro · 2006-11-04T12:45:19.000Z

Are you coping old files over the new avast installation? I mean, avast4.mdb or avast4.ini file, or whatever other file on avast setup folder?

Initialization of storage functions is wrong!

This is an error message related, generally, to old storage methods.
Since version 4.7.807 a new data storage called SQLT is used by avast! Which version are you using?

E:\Säkerhet\

I think the problem could be in the non default acented caracther on the path: ä
I have already this problem in the past.
Alwil does not solve it… it comes back from time to time :-\
If I try right now, I’ll have problems too… I gave up to use acented caracthers on the avast installation path :-\

system · 2006-11-04T14:55:17.000Z

I think the problem could be in the non default acented caracther on the path: ä I have already this problem in the past.

Good tip! If it has been the case before, it might as well be what I'm experiencing.

Clip and paste folders/files: no I made sure everything was completely clean. When it comes to Avast! I wouldn’t even have use of some saved data. Some other programs though work this way, but what I usually do then is to simply back-up the folders in question and see if I can integrate them to a new installation.

I try your recommendation and put Avast! into a folder without any special character.

Thanks!

(I’m really happy that my system boots up in about 30 seconds!)

system · 2006-11-04T15:13:20.000Z

Thanks mate that did the trick!

“Ä” or some other special character is obviously to readable for this version of Avast!. Strange though this problems is fixed in some version and then forgotten in others. It’s actually the first program I encounter to suffer from this.

Nevertheless Avast! is in my view one of the best anti-virus programs for home-users.

Again, thanks!

Lisandro · 2006-11-04T20:21:20.000Z

KimTjik post:13:

Thanks mate that did the trick!

Bingo
I hope Alwil take a look, again, on this one

Announcements