Avast crashes

Hello everybody!
I have a problem with avast if I ask avast to scan my disk.
The memory test passes fine then I demand a scan of my disk and I get a message from Windows XP that there is a problem and Windows will close Avast.
Here the discription of the error

Type de l’événement : Erreur
Source de l’événement : Application Error
Catégorie de l’événement : Aucun
ID de l’événement : 1000
Date : 02/06/2007
Heure : 16:13:18
Utilisateur : N/A
Ordinateur : SALOON
Description :
Application défaillante ashsimpl.exe, version 4.7.997.0, module défaillant actskin4.ocx, version 4.2.7.3, adresse de défaillance 0x00025109.

Pour plus d’informations, consultez le centre Aide et support à l’adresse http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Données :
0000: 41 70 70 6c 69 63 61 74 Applicat
0008: 69 6f 6e 20 46 61 69 6c ion Fail
0010: 75 72 65 20 20 61 73 68 ure ash
0018: 73 69 6d 70 6c 2e 65 78 simpl.ex
0020: 65 20 34 2e 37 2e 39 39 e 4.7.99
0028: 37 2e 30 20 69 6e 20 61 7.0 in a
0030: 63 74 73 6b 69 6e 34 2e ctskin4.
0038: 6f 63 78 20 34 2e 32 2e ocx 4.2.
0040: 37 2e 33 20 61 74 20 6f 7.3 at o
0048: 66 66 73 65 74 20 30 30 ffset 00
0050: 30 32 35 31 30 39 0d 0a 025109…

After this scan failure I demanded another scan and the scan just stopped, Avast closed and there was not even an error message!

I am using Windows XP service pack 2 (updated) and the family édition of Avast (Avast! version 4.7 Edition familiale, version: May2007 (4.7.1001).

I would appreciate all help

This is the module that is at fault, actskin4.ocx although this is used by avast for the skins, it isn’t an avast process. Though this doesn’t seem to be directly related to the problem (a crash rather than a failure), it would be worth a try.

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.

  • About the “usigetskin failed” issue, if the avast! repair does not solve it:
    You will have to register ACTSKIN4.OCX
    Follow the instructions:

Select START → RUN…
Enter the following command:
If you have Windows XP:
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\REGSVR32.EXE ACTSKIN4.OCX
Press OK (or Enter).
A message saying that the file was successfully registered should appear…

If that fails:
For some reason, ActiveSkin (the 3rd party library avast uses for skinning) does not seem to be working on your system. As a workaround, we may disable skinning in avast - that should solve the problem. Program Settings, Common, and uncheck any option with skins mentioned (see image, avast-no-skin).

If you are unable to access the above you can do this manually. To do that, open the file \data\avast4.ini, look up the [UserInterface] section, and add the following entry: StartWithSkin=0

Hi DavidR,
Thank you for your reply.
I used the repair and Avast gave me no sign that there is something wrong. Then I used the command (C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\REGSVR32.EXE ACTSKIN4.OCX) and Windows answered something like that it is ok.
Afterwards I tried to make a few scans with Avast but all crashed.
I am using the Creative Suite CS2 from Adobe and I thought Avast may have a problem with a part of that Suite which is called VersionCue. I found no information on the internet site of Adobe but stopped the service of VersionCue. Then I demanded another scan from Avast and received a blue screen.
The indications were:
stop 0x0000008E
win32k.sys
I think now that the problem I have doesn’t come from Avast.
But I would give a try to enter the line “StartWithSkin=0” into “avast4.ini” but I don’t know where I should put it. First line would be good? I found there already this in “avast4.ini” : “EnableSkins=0”.

This is the default location C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\avast4.ini, though you have probably found the correct file.

I don’t believe the location of the ‘new’ line for StartWithSkin=0 doesn’t matter so long as it is in the [UserInterface] section, directly after the [UserInterface] line would be fine, don’t worry about the EnableSkins=0 line, it is in mine also and even though I use skins it has no effect on me.

On occasion if you have another skinning application installed like windows blinds it can have an impact/conflict. I don’t know if the Creative Suite CS2 has any skinning so I can’t say if that may have an impact, though I can’t see why with it disabled there is a BSOD on another scan attempt. Once again the win32k.sys isn’t an avast file.

I would suggest a google search on stop 0x0000008E some of which relate to RAM fi you also add the win32k.sys to the search it may reduce the number of hits and reveal more targeted information. http://www.google.com/search?q=stop+0x0000008E+win32k.sys I’m not entirely sure if this is related, but that is the difficult task of defining the exact problem in a BSOD, the error messages aren’t that helpful and some stop error numbers have multiple uses.

I would enable the CS2 again and make the change to avast4.ini and see if you are OK with scans from a non-skinned interface.

I tried with “StartWithSkin=0” but the result is the same. I will look for solutions in a Windows-Forum. If ever there is something interesting for the Avast-Forum I post it in this threat. Thank you for your help

Good luck with that and any feed back would be good.

How long have you had avast and did the scan previously work ?

It is a long shot but you could try a clean reinstall of avast.
Download the avast! Uninstall Utility, find it here and save it to your HDD so you can find it later.
It would probably be best to first download the latest version of avast http://www.avast.com/eng/programs.html and save it to your HDD, somewhere you can find it again. Use that when you reinstall.

Now, uninstall, reboot, run the uninstall utility, reboot, install using the latest verision you downloaded, reboot.

If you run ashSimp2.exe from avast folder, will it work?

Having reread the original post, I don’t think it is a problem with skinning as the SUI skin is displayed after the memory scan but crashes on initiating the scan.

The memory test passes fine then I demand a scan of my disk and I get a message from Windows XP that there is a problem and Windows will close Avast.

Since the StartWithSkin=0 had no effect and I assume a crash on initiating the scan from the skinless version of the SUI (as maxTwo said the result was the same) ?

I tried with "StartWithSkin=0" but the result is the same.

Maybe you’re right David, I haven’t thought in the way you’ve posted…
Anyway, it won’t harm if the user posts the results of this test: run ashSimp2.exe

I will try the unistall utility of Avast. Until now I have used uninstall service of windows (start → panneau de configuration → ajout/suppression de programme). I will also try “ashSimp2.exe”.
@DavidR: I used Avast already a bit less than a year. Someone installed it together with AntiVir and that worked just fine (I know that you normally don’t use two AV). Two month ago I bought a bigger hard disk, installed my Windows SP1 and had a lot of problems to update to SP2. I called the Microsoft Service Center and in the end I could update to SP2. I installed afterwards Adobe Creative Suite and Avast (As I don’t know how to configurate with AntiVir I don’t use AntiVir any more). That’s were the problems began (crash of Avast, blue screen) but I am convinced that the problem comes more from the OS and not from Avast. After that I reinstalled Windows but this time I prepared a CD which combines SP1 and SP2 (I found the discription on the site of Microsoft). Then I installed Adobe Creative Suite and Avast and I am here in the Avast-Forum because I found the same kind of problems.-
Meanwhile I used a software called Everest to analyse my computer. The only thing Everest tells me is that the Bios of the motherboard and the grafic card is older than two years (both from october 2003).
O.K. I will try the uninstall utility of Avast and “ashSimp2.exe” and indicate the results at least thursday.

Normal installations shouldn’t require any manual adjust from the user specially on the services level. I mean: if you install avast correctly, you shouldn’t change any of the default state of its services.

It does not work fine… just wait for a problem, for a crash…

The problem is a non-good uninstallation of Antivir in my opinion.

[quote author=maxTwo link=topic=28678.msg234967#msg234967 date=1181113176]
After that I reinstalled Windows but this time I prepared a CD which combines SP1 and SP2 (I found the discription on the site of Microsoft). Then I installed Adobe Creative Suite and Avast and I am here in the Avast-Forum because I found the same kind of problems.[/quote
Do you mean that in a clean installation of avast you’ve find the same troubles?
Which other security program are actually installed in your computer?