avast! encounters problem...

General Topics
1

:frowning:

I’ve read the other posts search returned for this subject. They are similar to my problem but the suggested fixes (repair) did not work.

Chronology

I was cruising the Internet when some virus warnings popped up. I could not believe they were real (I’m paranoid) so I Ctrl-Alt-Del each of the programs that I had running. Windows 98se. I ran Avast 4.8 with everything updated. It was a full thorough scan. Memory and Startup passed muster. Then early in the scan the Avast skin disappeared and the ‘avast! encounters problem…’ screen appears. I did the report and sent it.

I un-installed/reinstalled Avast with the same failure. I did the report again and sent it.

I rolled my operating system drive (which included the Avast files) back to 02/20/09 and tried again after updating the program and the virus definitions. Same failure. I sent the report again - updated.

In all I have submitted four such reports. They contain a better description of what I did prior to the fault than I can reproduce here (poor memory).

I then tried the repair technique that I found in this forum. That failed likewise. No report sent.

I have found that when the fault occurs the scanned folder is C:\Windows\System. The last two consecutive scans faulted on the 2116th file. No reports sent. These failures have been preceded by the sirens from Avast and an announcement that Avast has found a virus.

As soon as I finish this post I am going to attempt to determine which file that might be. Of course I will be assuming that Avast scans from the top of the drive (top of page in My Computer) to the bottom doing a root folder sub-folder sub-folder etc. to the last sub-folder file then back to the next folder down the page from the root etc.

I am going to spend the time trying that but if I am wrong about the scans progression through the folders and files, would someone please set me straight.

Beyond my effort to find the file (#2116) and somehow replace it or delete/rename it, what other suggestion are out there that may end my inability to scan my system for virus infections?

Thanks,

Rod

2

Did you try the boot time scan ?
You could also try Superantispyware in safe mode. it works with windows 98

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/180902

http://www.superantispyware.com/index.html

3

It did not take long for me to find out that isolating which program (#2116) was will not work.

So from the reports that I have sent I will add this;

Time of this report: 3/6/09, 6:21:30 PM
Computer name: DESK TOP
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 98 SE
Processor: AMD-K6™ 3D processor, MMX, ~397Mhz
System memory: 130564 KB (installed), 744 KB (available), 2093056 KB (virtual)
Language: 0409-0409-0409-0409 (SLangID, SLCID, ULangID, ULCID)

Fault source

C:\PROGRAM FILES\AVAST4\ASHSIMPL.EXE caused an Access Violation at location bff7b9a6 in module KERNEL32.DLL.
=> 0xBFF7B9A6: FF 76 04 E8 13 89 FF FF 5E C2 04 00 56 8B 74 24 08 8A 06 3C ÿv.è.‰ÿÿ^Â…V‹t$.Š.<
=> 0xBFF7B9A6: FF7604 push ds:[esi]+04

Time of this report: 3/7/09, 11:22:33 AM
Computer name: DESK TOP
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 98 SE
Processor: AMD-K6™ 3D processor, MMX, ~398Mhz
System memory: 130564 KB (installed), 3612 KB (available), 2093056 KB (virtual)
Language: 0409-0409-0409-0409 (SLangID, SLCID, ULangID, ULCID)

Fault source

C:\PROGRAM FILES\AVAST4\ASHSIMPL.EXE caused an Access Violation at location bff7b9a6 in module KERNEL32.DLL.
=> 0xBFF7B9A6: FF 76 04 E8 13 89 FF FF 5E C2 04 00 56 8B 74 24 08 8A 06 3C ÿv.è.‰ÿ^Â…V‹t$.Š.<
=> 0xBFF7B9A6: FF7604 push ds:[esi]+04

Time of this report: 3/7/09, 11:58:14 AM
Computer name: DESK TOP
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 98 SE
Processor: AMD-K6™ 3D processor, MMX, ~398Mhz
System memory: 130564 KB (installed), 1992 KB (available), 2093056 KB (virtual)
Language: 0409-0409-0409-0409 (SLangID, SLCID, ULangID, ULCID)

Fault source

C:\PROGRAM FILES\AVAST4\ASHSIMPL.EXE caused an Access Violation at location bff7b9a6 in module KERNEL32.DLL.
=> 0xBFF7B9A6: FF 76 04 E8 13 89 FF FF 5E C2 04 00 56 8B 74 24 08 8A 06 3C ÿv.è.‰ÿÿ^Â…V‹t$.Š.<
=> 0xBFF7B9A6: FF7604 push ds:[esi]+04

Obviously this is the same fault all three times so what variable is ‘esi’ that is being manipulated? And is the push ds:[esi]+04 a legal register address? Why would this instruction cause a virus alert? Or did some code above the address put something in the wrong place?

The Avast programmers will know the answers to these questions. I pose them as prompts.

Rod

4

I tried the Superantispyware on Desktop (it’s name). Bomb. I made several attempts to run the software. Only one of them ran. All of the others ended up in infinite loops when I tried to cancel after a fault of some sort. That was with both the cancel button and the X in the upper right corner of the screen.

I have made copious other attempts to get around this problem. The last of which involved deleting all of the files from the installation folder except AshShell.dll (which refused to delete because Windows was using it). Next I had an identical copy of Avast + defs running on an Identical version of 98SE on my notebook. I copied the installation folder (excluding the AshShell.dll file) into the installation folder just cleared of all but one file. Copy refused to copy __snake, __strike & __vizer (all *.aswf files) from Notebook (its name) to Desktop. These files turned out to be in the Skins folder on Notebook so I just ignored them. (highly suspect names for computer files, What?)

The reboot of Desktop was picture perfect. The setup for Avast did not require any changes. NOTE here that this group of files that I copied from Notebook produced a complete scan of Notebook without problems. On Desktop that was not the case. I received the same error caused by the same routine ashsimpl.dll.

That to me indicates that there is an incompatibility between the software and the CPU on the two machines. They are different.

Anyway Avast is dropping 98 from its supported software the end of this year. I am taking these problems as a prelude to that event. For my two 98SE OSs I am saying goodbye to Avast. As the pirate might say, “Avast, matey. Mind yer station. Next thing you know you’ll be man over board!”

My XP OS will ride along for a while yet.

Thanks for you help.

Rod