Avast stops file copies and new MS patches for XP against Spectre and Meltdown

Avast Free (Program version 17.9.2322 build 17.9.3761.0) does not permit successful installation of the two new MS update patches for XP, which patches are intended to help against Spectre and Meltdown!

See http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/171814-posready-2009-updates-ported-to-windows-xp-sp3-enu/?do=findComment&comment=1149126 (and go backwards from that post).

Note - Avast interferes with the copying of files, and so interferes with the copy operations in those patches.

Hello,
do you speak about KB4056615 & KB4056941 ?
as far i’m concerned , 2 hours ago WU has purposed me to update and and everything went OK like in my screen
on the other hand , no more issue with the copying of file like some of you with my xp sp3

still no update message on my W7 and W8.1 but they have AMD CPUs unlike my XP and W10 with Intel ,I do not know if that’s the reason?

chris5 - thanks.

Yes, I have the copying problem now, apparently caused by Avast.

Questions:

  1. Did you have the copying problem before installing KB4056615 & KB4056941 ?

  2. If yes, did installing KB4056615 & KB4056941 cure that problem?

  3. What version of Avast do you have?

Oui, j’ai maintenant le problème de copie, apparemment causé par Avast.

Des questions:

  1. Avez-vous eu le problème de copie avant d’installer KB4056615 & KB4056941?

  2. Si oui, est-ce que l’installation de KB4056615 & KB4056941 a résolu ce problème?

  3. Quelle version d’Avast avez-vous?

Just to emphasize - in XP 32-bit, Avast Free (Program version 17.9.2322 build 17.9.3761.0) INTERFERES WITH COPYING FILES from a source folder on my C:\ drive to any target folder on my C:\ drive.

That is very bad and must be fixed.

It also interferes with the installation of the two protective MS updates KB4056615 and KB4056941.

See the active discussions at http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/171814-posready-2009-updates-ported-to-windows-xp-sp3-enu/?do=findComment&comment=1149192 and the PRECEDING pages - you should probably go back five pages.

I’ll get this escalated to the Avast team now.

Hello,

1) Did you have the copying problem before installing KB4056615 & KB4056941 ?
No , but I know some french xp users have ... only since 17.9.2322 (that I have too , to answer at your 3) ) [url=https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=212197.0]French discussion[/url] about this issue with last avast release
2) If yes, did installing KB4056615 & KB4056941 cure that problem?
I have the impression that it's the opposite ??? yesterday when I wanted to download [url=https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/27150?v=t]Intel-SA-00086 Detection Tool[/url] to know if my CPU was vulnerable , I had errors while diszipping (files used by other process) , unlocked explorer.exe and OK. about this tool, can you try it with xp and tell me if it works. At home, it works with W7 and W10 but not with XP (the message: ... the tool is not a valid win32 application)

Chris05 - Yes - your “French discussion” starts with exactly the same problem as on my XP machine. (And before the Spectre and Meltdown issue arose, which also matches one experience I had around Christmas time.)

Alikhan - Please note, and use Google Translate if necessary.

Thanks.

I never understood what you meant here with reference to Google Translate?

Alikhan - only if you don’t speak French. But if you do, then very good, as that post at Chriso5’s link above is very clear.

My French is decent, but GT often helps (although still not always).

I have a small batch file that I use frequently (several times a day) to backup volatile files, bookmarks, emails etc. and whilst this doesn’t copy from C:\ and to sub-folders of C:, but to my secondary drive. I also copy from another partition (same drive as C:) to my secondary drive. These would then subsequently be backed up using disk-imaging software.

Yesterday this kept stalling “e:\data” “f:\curbkup\data”, not only stalling it completely locked it up, whilst I could use and close other running programs, my batch file and cmd.exe refused to be closed and the computer wouldn’t shut down.

I have been using this for absolute years without issue, so I REM (ed) out lines of the batch file to see if I could find the cause. It still kept failing despite this, I also changed the destination folders and it still stalled. So for every test I ended up having to do a hard shutdown.

This morning I continued my quest to resolve this starting off by disabling avast including the Behaviour Shield, but no, that didn’t appear to make a difference. I completely redid the batch file and saved under a new file name and this worked.

I enabled the avast shields again and ran the batch file directly not via a shortcut and it worked. I then ran the batch file from my shortcut and no problem. Essentially the batch file was back to what it was again, but I did cull a line of the batch file. I couldn’t see why this would have an impact as it had been working for years without issue.

So this may not be the same issue as yours as I had no C:\ source and C:\ destination sub-folders.

Just weird that this would suddenly happen and despite my trying to track it down, today it is now back to normal, with essentially the same batch file commands.

For a week, when the problem of copying (with xp) was reported on the French forum, I also tried to reproduce the problem by copying files from one partition to another, on an external hard drive or via my local network, I never managed to come across an error.
By cons, by using winrar, I encountered a similar problem.
Can not ZIP or UNZIP basics files (.txt, jpg, .pdf) → error = denied access

by disabling avast everything is working again.
by reactivating, blocked again

Edit:However, even after the error, I can close windows normally without blocking, this may be due to the use of the Austlogic tool which quickly forces the closing of the files remained open to the closing of windows ?

Edit2:sorry, false alarm for winrar , it was just blocked by the ransomware shield to modify the files in my sensitive folders. work fine now, still no problem with copying files (oups)

With the problem that files can not copy correctly under Windows XP sp3 x86 when Avast 17.9.3761.0 is installed is not exactly a small problem (Have this problem myself). Not enough Avast offline installer of previous versions can not outsmart without precise control of the network, a switch / tick should ensure that no more recent version of Avast is loaded during installation. It is very annoying when such problems arise.

@glnz
KB4056615 is not working properly, wait until successor patch becomes available.

:slight_smile:

it is true that this problem seems important (penalizing) for those who are affected. :-
They really need a fix .

For me , no issue with copying file and KB4056615 works fine unlike you
Related ?

gustave d. has posted about this same copy problem on this forum at
https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=212786.0

It’s in French, but it’s the same exact issue.

KB4056615 is another issue and has nothing to do with the problem with Avast version 17.9.3761.0. There are messages from users who have trouble installing KB4056615 (ntfs.sys, ntkrnlmp.exe, ntkrnlpa.exe, ntkrpamp.exe, ntoskrnl.exe) or after installation problems with the NTFS file system (NTFS permissions). I myself had no problem with the installation of KB4056615 in 3 PCs, but where I have uninstalled on the basis of the messages again and wait in the short term whether follow-up updates appear.

Update:

A test with Avast Free Antivirus Version 17.9.3761.0 under Windows XP sp3 x86 update as of April 2014 and update as of December 2017 was both times the problem when copying conspicuous.

@glnz

In the MSFN forum I have recommended you, based on the current situation when Avast version 17.9.3761.0 is installed, because of the problem that files under Windows XP sp3 x86 can not copy correctly, for the time being to install any Windows updates until the problem is solved with Avast (or uninstall Avast before). If you continue to follow the topic in the MSFN forum you will see that there are some users who have a problem with the installation of KB4056615 under Windows XP sp3 x86, respectively after the installation there are problems with the NTFS permissions. I will wait for a follow-up patch and stay with the kernel (KB4018490, File Version 5.1.2600.7259) from May 2017.

PS.: I do not use the same user name in various forums.

:slight_smile:

And from the info I got it seems to be a Microsoft screweup as ESET and Kaspersky are experiencing similar thing despite having everything Microsoft demanded from them.

Hello,
however ,issue for copying file on xp is also related to NTFS system files.
People on the French forum say they have no problem copying if they go through a partition FAT32

Cosmics - understood - thanks.

But others here should know that the copying problem started BEFORE KB4056615 - it is a real, separate problem with this version of Avast on XP machines.

The French agree. We are united!

@chris05

My thought that due to the current situation with Specter and Meltdown, regarding the ntfs.sys driver (infers therefrom that on the emergency patch KB4056615, where not only the kernel is updated, but also ntfs.sys), Avast has also implemented a protection with the current version which unfortunately leads to this problem under Windows XP.

@glnz

There had already opened a topic in the German-speaking part of the forum at the end of December 2017.
https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=212512.0

:slight_smile:

My XP System disks are all formatted to NTFS.