Hello,
I have a DSL connection, so am always online. I came home today to find my computer locked up. On doing a hard reboot, I had a popup saying Avast! needed to update, so I clicked on it. It seemed to update to 4.5-561. However, when I go to start up Avast!, I am unable to start it. I wanted to run a scan manually. My copy of Avast! is a paid for Avast Pro. My computer is running Win 2000 sp 2. My computer specs are as follows:
AMD XP 2400+
512 MB RAM
MB is an ASUS A7V8X-X
When I try to start Avast!, I get an error message of:
I tried unistalling my copy of Avast! Pro and redownloading the new version. The new version won’t take my Registration Key, and still gives me the same error message, when I try to start Avast!
Thakfully, my other machine is running Fedora 2, so I am able to be online. But, with my Windoze box, I must have anti-virus and firewall running when online.
Have you tried a repair of avast? go: start>>control panel>>add/remove programs>>Avast>> change/remove>> repair, and make sure you connected to the internet. As for avast not taking the reg key, there was a bug with the key generater but there was a update fixing this.
There was a problem with the key generation. This has been fixed in 4.5.561. If you have the key from last year (or even earlier) it may be causing. Contact your reselller or Alwil and verify this.
Thank you both for your help. I realized that I only had part of my key inserted, so I fixed that. I downloaded the newest version of Avast! Pro and all is working, BUT I found that the problem I am having is that if I have SpySweeper running, I can’t start up the part of Avast! where you run a task to do a scan. In fact, if I right-click on the Avast! icon in the systray (the blue ball with the “a” in it), and select “start avast! Anti-virus,” nothing happens at all. If I go to the Start menu and start up Avast!, I get the above mentioned error message about “C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashSimpl.exe” not being found. I have sent a help ticket to Webroot (SpySweeper) to see what they can suggest. I feel it is probably more their problem of SpySweeper blocking Avast!, than Avast’s problem. Can anyone from Avast! comment on this? Thank you.
Have you checked to see if “C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashSimpl.exe” does exist using windows explorer? If it does, try doing a repair of avast.
Add Remove programs, avast! Anti-Virus, Change/Remove button and scroll down to Repair, click next and follow. You need to be on-line to do this.
Hello and thanks again for your suggestions…BUT, first I have to say I must reported the error message incorrectly. It is saying that Avast can’t find the file specified:
Splash cannot execute the following program:
c:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4[b]ashEnhcd.exe[/b]
First I checked to see that I have the ashEnhcd.exe file, and it is there, (as well as the ashSimple.exe file). I tried your suggestion of repairing Avast! I went to Settings, Control Panel, then Add/Remove Programs. When I double click on avast! anti-virus, It takes me to Avast anti-virus set-up. The options I have (no scrollbars to be found), are Change, Uninstall, or Update. I have tried both Change and Update. It says I am up to date. I still am having the same problem: unless I disable SpySweeper, I cannot start avast! at all by right clicking on the systray icon (blue ball with a in it). If I go to the Start menu, Programs, Avast anti-virus, Avast anti-virus, I get the Avast Professional screen where it scans your memory, then a pop-up box with the above mentioned error message:
Splash cannot execute the following program:
c:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashEnhcd.exe
The only option is to click “ok” in the box which terminates the Avast start-up screen. If I shutdown SpySweeper, I can start up the Avast! Enhanced UI either by right clicking the systray Avast! icon or through the Start menu.
Any other suggestions are much appreciated. This only started happening the last time Avast! updated yesterday.
The repair option is there, it is the last option in the window but is just out of sight. Notice the scroll bar at the right of the image? and the ^ v arrows above and below the bar, use these or drag the bar down to reveal the repair option.
In case the repair function does not remedy a functional problem, and one has to uninstall Avast and do a new install, is there a way to keep the settings ?
Hanspeter
Unfortunatelly not… It’s a pity.
We asked this feature a lot into the ‘WISHLIST’ thread.
Anyway, you can save: C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\Data\avast4.ini file and C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\Data\defTask.xml
Some settings will be lost anyway… :-\