Avast Scanning C:\Windows\System32\_avast_\*.tmp for days

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Hi,

I have been using Avast for years but it is now failing to scan for viruses correctly. If I do a quick scan all is fine. But if I do a full scan it gets to C:\Windows\System32_avast_*.tmp files and will sit there for days. I’ve tried defining a custom scan and telling it not to scan in the C:\Windows\System32_avast_ directory, but it still does so anyway.

Could someone please tell me what is going on and how to stop it?

Many thanks,

David

2

try avast repair

controlpanel > Ad/remove programs > avast > uninstall/change > repair option … wait a minute and reboot

any change?

3

First the C:\Windows\System32_avast_\ location given I think is incorrect - I believe it is C:\WINDOWS\Temp_avast_.

This is where avast unpacks or creates tmp file so that they may be scanned - so setting an exclusion could be counter productive effectively creating a loop.

When avast has successfully completed a scan then the contents of the C:\WINDOWS\Temp_avast_*.tmp files are removed. Only two files should remain whilst avast is running AvastLock.txt and Webshlock.txt, see attached image for a) folder location and b) the files normally found in this folder.

What other security based software do you have installed, antivirus, anti-spy/malware, firewall, etc. ?

4

Thanks for the reply. The location is definitely correct according to the Avast screen. See attachment (not sure if I have done the right thing as I tried to paste the image and it wouldn’t let me?).

I’m running Malwarebytes Pro and Zonealarm free firewall. I completely uninstalled Avast, installed Avira and that ran full scans without any problems. I then uninstalled Avira (including all the bits the uninstall left behind) and re-installed Avast. But I got exactly the same problem. Again, I told it not to scan the C:\WINDOWS\Temp_avast_ directory but again it did. Once it gets to that directory it stays there for hours and shows 0% in the main display. If I do a quick scan it runs quite quickly.

The version I’m running is 2015.10.0.2208 with virus definitions 150224-1. Malwarebytes Pro and Zonealarm are the latest versions too.

In desperation I’ve deleted the directory and I’m running another scan. I noticed that all the files in the directory were dated July 2014 so I hope they are no longer needed!

5

something to try … delete all avast rules in ZoneAlarm, reboot and create new rules when ZoneAlarm ask

6

Well I don’t know how it has happened but the avast folder is where avast unpacks or moves files to in order to be scanned - that most certainly shouldn’t be in the system32 folder. It, avast is by its nature is a temporary location. This is the C:\WINDOWS\Temp_avast_ temp folder location in both my winXP Pro and win7 system.

I just wonder if your environment variable aren’t pointing at C:\WINDOWS\Temp\ as the temporary folder.

The files in that location are as said temp files with the exception of two I mentioned so they shouldn’t be a problem if removed. Given the date of the files in that folder July 2014, they shouldn’t have been there that long, so something could have stopped avast removing them (locked by another security application/function).

Were there any files in the C:\WINDOWS\Temp_avast_ temp folder and if so is the last created/modified date current ?

EDIT: Lets see if your deletion of the files in the C:\WINDOWS\system32_avast_ folder makes any difference.