"Blackscreen" syndrome

Hi all,
if you have experience with “blackscreen” syndrome after installing/updating avast!, could you please give us a hint whether you have some other
security software installed (e.g. Online Armor)?

thanks a lot,
Pavel

I bet most of these black screens are on Win8. Which is idiotic for the most part. It just crashes and doesn’t tell you a single thing what went wrong. Old BSOD’s at least told you which module failed. But with rubbish Win8, just the single colored screen and thats it. A debugging nightmare.

You debug the same way, view the memory.dmp in WinDbg http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/gg463009.aspx
if no memory.dmp is actually created even if it says so in event viewer change the location of the Dump file: to something like D:\MEMORY.DMP

The blackscreen and freezing of my Vista 64 Business is an installation with basically the OS only and all updates for this system installed + Secunia PSI and that’s it. It did have Avast! 7 installed on it before.

And your support still did not respond to a ticket I sent in (which is now on day 7 with any anything asked at all).
Pfft.
This issue I have already is now 2 weeks and ongoing…

Excuse me Reizor, but I have a Brand New Windows 8 Dell Inspiron 15 3521 PC and so far I have NOT had a single BSOD (Blue/Black Screen of Death). Please note that I have the Dell X64 Windows 8 Recovery DVD and Completely Wiped the System of Dell’s Preinstalled McAfee Software. A lot of people forget that Windows Vista and Windows ME were actually Worse than Windows 8, and that Windows 8 did improve with Microsoft’s General Release (Non-Service-Pack) Windows Update which by the way did NOT make it in time to get onto all RETAIL Windows 8 DVD’s (My Early Copy $39.99 U.S.A. Download + $14.99 U.S.A. Dollar Back Up Disk did NOT have it), but it was added onto OEM Installations. Just FYI.

Sorry, just realized your Screen Name is Rejzor, NOT Reizor, my mistake.

Hi Pavel,

I earlier had this discussion in feedback section of avast, the final remark was an activator or loader is causing the black screen in windows 8 with avast 8 installed. This doesn’t happen when installing it, but after restarting! after the login page. Only a moving cursor and alt+ctrl+del works. Of course you can open the explorer from taskmanager :o but behind the explorer window is still black with nothing…

eg: of activator/loader are mini kms activator, P8_v25, Kj etc.

You can overcome the black screen by custom installation avoiding behavior shield.
I am not sure will this be helpful to you, but i like avast 8. :slight_smile:

Nithin.2spans160: Do you have Microsoft’s General Release Update for Windows 8 Installed? A lot of people don’t realize that if you are on a Metered Internet Connection, the General Release Update will NOT Automatically download from Windows Update for Windows 8. Everyone who has the problem who is using Windows 8 should check and see if they have Microsoft’s General Release Update Installed as it is supposed to fix problems with some types of Non-Avast Security Software and Windows 8 BSOD’s.

Yes, i will check that.

I just finished updated avast free on Windows 7, and it prompted me to restart my computer. After restart, my desktop appeared without any icons, and a windows error message stating that windows could not find my “Desktop” folder. I then tried to restart the system but accidently hit the sleep button instead. After trying to initialize startup again, I have found that I have an entirely black screen, and that absolutely no video is being shown through either the onboard motherboard video, or through my external video card. Has anyone had such a symptom as this?

@kevpan815

Can you give a KB number?

I am an average non-nerd/tech old mother type that downloaded the upgrade. On restart I got the black screen. I know enough to go to safe mode. My son has finals this week and cannot help me. I have windows 7 or 8.

I followed the thread to the windows fix but I don’t know which one to download as there are 3 options. Can someone please post more info on how to get out of this jam? That way when my son is available he can walk me through this.

I thank-you in advance for your kind consideration in this matter.

go to this link forzeal.com/avast-black-screen-problem and solve your problem :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile: easy and efficient. sorry This blog has moved to http://www.weblogcode.org

I use Windows 8 Pro x64 with avast! 8 Premier and another pc Windows 8 pro x32 with avast! Free anitivirus.

After installing avast! 2 problem happened:

  1. After login “blank screen” happened! and
  2. “Change PC settings” option not start!

I solved those problems by adding 2 file in Behavior Shield > Trusted Process. The file 2 are:

  1. C:\Windows\explorer.exe [solve “blank screen” problem]
  2. CWindows\ImmersiveControlPanel\SystemSettings.exe [Solve “Change PC settings” running problem]

Those problem also solved by unchecking “Monitor the system for unauthorized modifications” in Behavior Shield settings.

@Zenit: It was actually Dell’s Support Website where I found the information about the Windows 8 Critical Mini Non-Service-Pack Windows 8 Update and how it fixes problems with Windows 8 and Some Anti-Virus Programs from having a Conflict with each other. This Free Windows 8 Update was Released on the same day that Windows 8 went Public Download for $39.99 (which the Temporary Reduced Launch Price has now ended), it was also Dell 's Support Website where I read it does not download from Windows Update on a Metered Connection. I should also note that I recently Clean Installed using my DELL OEM Windows 8 DVD and this Dell OEM Windows 8 DVD does not have the update on it either. You can find the Update either by searching Dell’s Windows 8 FAQ in the DELL Windows 8 Forum, or search Microsoft Dot Com Slash Downloads for something called Windows 8 Cumulative General Release Update.

KB2756872.

I know nothing about computers. I am running Windows XP Professional Service Pack 3. dual Pentium 4.

It started when Avast! told me to update last week. I installed the update and allowed the reboot. Upon reboot, my computer crashed, then when I pushed the button to shut it off and restart it, it did the scan thing. All files were checked and I thought everything was ok.

The windows would not start at all. It was a black screen with an hourglass.
I pushed the power switch and shut it down, then restarted it. I eventually used F8 and tried Safe Mode, no luck. So I used F8 then selected “Boot from last good configuration” or something like that. That worked, but Avast is broken.

I notice in the registration window, it says I have zero days left, but the date of expiration is the middle of next month.

I am using a paid-for version of Avast! Not the free one.

(See Attachment).

I tried to repair from the Control Panel, and did a reboot when asked, Avast! is still Broken!

I do not run any other security software on this machine. I do not use malware software or any other trash software, just Avast!

It’s a hybrid machine built by a computer tech. I run MSSQL Server for the time clock and internal network.

The machine in the next office is running fine, Windows 7 and Avast! is working fine on it.

Just an update:

I have finally got Avast! working again.
I uninstalled Avast! and re-installed it from the original package I had downloaded in 2011.
Using the registration file I saved from when I purchased it, I was able to install and update without issue.
Now version 8 is running fine on my machine.

It appears that this problem is NOT being caused by Windows 8 if other people are having the same problem on “Other Windows OS’s” like Windows XP and Windows 7!

P.S. I do get a Lengthy Black Screen Delay on a 2010 Dell Netbook PC that I am currently running an Evaluation Copy of Windows Server 2012 with Avast 7.0 E-mail Server Security 30 Day Trial, but it does eventually Boot Up. I had trouble with Windows 8 slowing down this Machine so I downloaded Windows Server 2012 for it from my Microsoft Tech Net Subscription until I can find something better to run on it, and no I do not use the PC for Production Use.