Avast is increasing the occurrences of BSODs related to it

I’m getting avast related BSODs in a daily basis. Or every other day. But since july mid until now it is happening. In a litle bit most past I have sent dumps to avast.

The increase in the number occurrences seems to be due to other avast component than usual. In the not distant past, the problematic component was the aswSP.sys. Now, at the top of the error stack, there is the aswSnx.sys file, with the aswSP.sys coming after.

My affected system is Windows XP SP3 with Avast! 6.0.1203 free, windows firewall and MBAM free (non resident).

Any other antivirus or security program that could be interfering?
Previous antivirus?

  • Upload any minidump or memory.dmp files, zipped to reduce size. Give the zip file you are uploading a unique name (e.g. forumusername-mem-dump.zip, etc), so they can identify it. It might not be a bad idea to create a text file (readme.txt) with any relevant information, avast topic URL, user name, etc. etc. in the zip file. Not to mention posting the name of the file you uploaded in the topic acts as another searchable reference.

  • Memory dump locations, Mini Dump files in, C:\Windows\Minidump\ - Full Kernel dump file, C:\windows\memory.dmp

Upload the zip file to the ftp server ftp://ftp.avast.com/incoming:

  • Using Internet Explorer, Connect to the link and drag the file into the Right pane and drop it, that starts the upload, you don’t have read access to this folder.
    Or
  • Upload it using the Run command-line in Windows: Windows Key + R (to get the run box), copy and paste this [nobbc]explorer ftp://ftp.avast.com/incoming[/nobbc] and drag the file into the window, from another explorer window.

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Excuse if I’m teaching your granny to suck eggs:

  • First you have to create your zip file with the unique name, containing the dump files and the readme.txt file, before you even consider connection to the ftp location [nobbc]explorer ftp://ftp.avast.com/incoming[/nobbc]. You do not have read permissions on the [nobbc]explorer ftp://ftp.avast.com/incoming[/nobbc] location, so you won’t see it has been uploaded.

Now you make your first windows explorer connection to the ftp link [nobbc]explorer ftp://ftp.avast.com/incoming[/nobbc], now open another explorer window where you locate your unique zip file containing the dump and readme.txt files; drag and drop that file into the other explorer window (right hand side), no need to click enter or any other action.

No. All previous antivirus were deinstalled via control panel and right after, it was removed via AV specific remover.

Thanks.
It should be good to review this instruction since in my windows configuration it led to open the zip I just created.

It (apereantly) worked that way. Thanks again.

  1. On my tests with XP Pro & IE8, drag and drop does just that drops the file it doesn’t open it. So I have no idea what happened on your browser/OS.

Ok, ok. It should be a configuration issue and it is pointless hunting it. I tried to send the files for another way. What I would like to know is wheather I got to send the AVVido-minidumps.zip. Case the answer is “no”, I could sent it by command line. By the way I just got to send it. Good luck to the Avast team finding a solution. Thanks.

If you have sent the c:\windows\memory.dmp, this contains much more information than the limited minidump files. Then there probably isn’t a need to send those, though it couldn’t hurt to send them with the same information e.g. readme.txt file.