Avast won't start normally

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

I have been using Avast for over a year without any real problem but now when I want to open Avast by double clicking the Icon, it just won’t start. The only solution I have found is to right click on the Icon then select ‘‘Run as administrator’’. Also, the Avast ball (resident scanner) is no longer showing on the bar at the bottom of the screen.

I have tried to uninstall and reinstall but it did not change anything. What could this be due to?

System specifics:
OS: Vista basic
ZoneAlarm
Spybot
Adaware

2

this is a feature of vista
I do not run vista
but the run as administrator is something I have seen on this forum before
hang tight for a more definitive answer
IN other words
No big deal- we just have to find the fix
did you try a search on administrator and Vista?
ps
let em know if Vista 32 or Vista 64

3

Did you change UAC state?

  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

What other security based software do you have that might block new startup entries, e.g. Spybot S&D (TeaTimer), AdAware (AdWatch), SpySweeper, Spyware Doctor (StartUpGuard), PrevX, WinPatrol, ProcessGuard, etc.?

4

But this has started to happen just a few days ago…It was working just fine before. Could this be related to the last MS updates? I have not changed anything since then.

Also, what about the avast ball icon that is no longer showing in the tray? Does it mean that I do not have the resident scanner on? I went under menu/settings/appearance and the ‘‘Show Avast Tray Icon’’ is selected…

I have Vista basic (32)

5

Maybe, but I don’t think so.

Is ashServ.exe running in your computer? This is the resident protection.
The icon on system tray is just the icon, ashDisp.exe.

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.
6

Thanks a lot for the advices.

It is getting late here so I will look into this later this weekend and get back to you with the results.

7

Ok, we’ll be here to help.

8

Hi, I am having the same problem - when I first downloaded aVast the resident icon was there - and I could disable it when I ran AdWatch. Then one day it just disppeared from the system tray. It shows up in the tray properties as a “past item” and I can’t figure out how to get it back where it belongs. Last night I removed the program completely and re-installed it. Same result. But it appears to be updating definitions.

Help, please? Thanks.

9

cagranny44, AdWatch is removing the icon, or Windows Defender…
Please, follow the directions on Reply #2.

10

OK troubleshooting an intermittent version of this problem

New to Avast. Downloaded the virus protection a week or so ago. Upon boot up Avast starts sometimes not others

This is a CLEAN INSTALL (virgin HD)

3GHz P4 w/1 GB RAM
Windoze XP-PRO-SP3
Firefox 3.6.2 ( and IE-8 but not a primary browser)
Adobe Acrobat Pro 9.3
A USB CD Carousel Manager
Microtek Scanner
Nero Free CD ROM Burner

NO OTHER SOFTWARE, Avast was added LAST

The red ball starts up with a red X every time, clears sometimes after 30 sec or so during the boot sequence, wont clear other times. When it wont clear the program is unresponsive “Fix it” button in upper right does nothing, program thinks for a minute but does not clear the problem.

Did the "Uninstall/boot/clean/boot/reinstall as suggested in earlier thread no help

What now ?

Dave

11

Do you mean it delay to start or that it does not start at all?

12

Some of the time (~50%) it will not start at all on boot up. Once it is in this mode nothing I do will get it to start

13

Hello??? Any further action on this problem>?