Avast NOT starting at bootup

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

It was starting, that is before I ran COMBOFIX to cure a problem. It seems to have removed AVAST?

I can manually start it, but not the resident protection it seems?

I can find the settings to start with Windows?

How do I rectify this?

2

I doubt it has removed avast as if you had version 4.8 that has a self-defence module which should prevent this.

However, if you ran combofix from safe mode avast wouldn’t have been running so it would be possible, but I doubt it got rid of avast perhaps the ashDisp.exe and even then I would have though you would have had to agree to any actions.

So would you care to expand on exactly what isn’t starting ?
What is your Operating System ?

What avast processes are running in Task Manager, they begin with ash or asw, see image ?

3

David,

I doubt it has removed avast as if you had version 4.8 that has a self-defence module which should prevent this.

Something has disappeared it seems.

However, if you ran combofix from safe mode avast wouldn’t have been running so it would be
possible, but I doubt it got rid of avast perhaps the
ashDisp.exe and even then I would have though you would have had to agree to any actions.

Ran it under Windows Real mode, not Safe Mode.

So would you care to expand on exactly what isn’t starting ?

I do not see the SysTray Icon. Using PC Mag’s StartUpCop I do NOT see any AVAST apps starting. Under the SERVICES (SERVICES.MSC) I see 2 AVAST services set to MANUAL. Try changing them to automatic and they deny access? These are the Mail and Web Scanner. Is this ‘normal’?

What is your Operating System ?

WinXP Pro SP 3.

What avast processes are running in Task Manager, they begin with ash or asw, see image ?

Seem to have all but ASHDISP? I started it and I see the Systray Icon now? Hmm, that seems to provide the on-access protection? What is the best way to make this start with Windows? Add it to the STARTUP folder?

4

No, it’s just the icon, not the on-access protection itself (ashserv.exe).

  1. Check the option in the Appearance tab of settings.
    or
  2. Repair your avast installation through Control Panel.
    or
  3. Make a link to ashdisp.exe in your startup folder
    or
  4. Add the path to ashDisp.exe into a value named avast! in the Windows Registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
    See picture here: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=26155.msg213891#msg213891
5

Well it is as I suggested it or something has killed ‘only’ the avast system tray icon which isn’t a security concern, but provides the interface to the on-access scanners and the program settings, etc.

Thought may question on what version of avast you have is unanswered possibly because you can’t access the avast icon’s about avast option ;D

The two services you tried to change to automatic are meant to be on manual and the denial of access should be the self-defence at work. There are 4 avast services, two automatic two manual, see image.

Try what Tech suggests for the restoration of the icon.

6

Tech, David,

  1. Check the option in the Appearance tab of settings.
    or

The icon WAS checked already, and does show when I manually started it. Did not enable it to be started with Windows however.

  1. Repair your avast installation through Control Panel.
    or

Beyond me how to? Nothing to do with Avast there?

  1. Make a link to ashdisp.exe in your startup folder
    or

I used PC Mag’s StartUpCop to add a new startup item. Put it into RUN it says…

  1. Add the path to ashDisp.exe into a value named avast! in the Windows Registry
    key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
    See picture here: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=26155.msg213891#msg213891

Check that one, the instructions as a NO-GO, at least on XP? Can not create a new name called ‘avast!’, it complains about the name. ‘avast’ would work, but I used StartUpCop instead.

7

What do you mean? Where (in which program) did you not enable it?

Go to Control Panel > Add/Remove programs > avast! antivirus > Remove. Then choose Repair function in the popup window (Repair).

Ok, no problems.
I suppose run is HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion[u]Run[/u]

8

Tech,

Quote from: ispalten on Today at 09:18:44 PM
Did not enable it to be started with Windows however.
What do you mean? Where (in which program) did you not enable it?

With ashDisp running in the Systray I opened the settings and the icon was checked. However, it did not start automatically with Windows.

Quote from: ispalten on Today at 09:18:44 PM
Beyond me how to? Nothing to do with Avast there?
Go to Control Panel > Add/Remove programs > avast! antivirus > Remove. Then choose Repair function in the popup window (Repair).

Ahh, NEVER thought of doing that. I guess because not all programs have a ‘repair’ function when you start the un-install.

Quote from: ispalten on Today at 09:18:44 PM
I used PC Mag’s StartUpCop to add a new startup item. Put it into RUN it says…
Ok, no problems.
I suppose run is HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

I would think so too, however, it isn’t there? It does now autostart, and StartUpCop says it is in Registry(Run)? It actually went into “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\run”. Either one should work, but I think in this case it would be for the current user only, not all users. Since I’m the only user, I’ll not worry about this.

9

I suggest an installation from the scratch:

  1. Uninstall avast from Control Panel first.
  2. Boot.
  3. Download the latest version of Avast Uninstall and use it for complete uninstallation.
  4. Boot.
  5. Install again the latest avast! version.
  6. Boot.
  7. Check and post the results.
10

OK, did it and all is OK. I removed it with Revo Uninstaller to make sure I got the ‘manufactured’ registry entry made by StartUpCop (which it did).

Thanks for your help.

11

Glad you’ve finally succeed :wink: