boot scan - interpret the log?

I ran a boot scan and have no idea if it was done properly - it completed when I wasn’t in front of my computer. I can’t tell if I’m looking at the right log file and if so, what does it say? 0 viruses? More? Help?

CmdLine - quick
aswBoot.exe /A:“" /L:“English” /KBD:2
CmdLine end
SafeBoot: 0
CreateKbThread
new CKbBuffer
CKbBuffer::Init
CKbBuffer::Init end
NtCreateEvent(g_hStopEvent)
dep_osBeginThread - KbThread
CreateKbThread end
NtInitializeRegistry
KbThread start
ReadRegistry
DATA=C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA
PROG=C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4
BUILD=1368
Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2
SystemRoot=C:\WINDOWS
TEMP=C:\WINDOWS\TEMP
TMP=C:\WINDOWS\TEMP
ReadRegistry end
CreateTemp
CreateTemp end
cmnbInit
SetFolders
SetFolders end
aswEnginDllMain(DLL_PROCESS_ATTACH)
InitLog
InitLog end
CmdLine - full
aswBoot.exe /A:"
” /L:“English” /KBD:2
CmdLine end
Unschedule
61,00,75,00,74,00,6F,00,63,00,68,00,65,00,63,00,
6B,00,20,00,61,00,75,00,74,00,6F,00,63,00,68,00,
6B,00,20,00,2A,00,00,00,61,00,73,00,77,00,42,00,
6F,00,6F,00,74,00,2E,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,20,00,
2F,00,41,00,3A,00,22,00,2A,00,22,00,20,00,2F,00,
4C,00,3A,00,22,00,45,00,6E,00,67,00,6C,00,69,00,
73,00,68,00,22,00,20,00,2F,00,4B,00,42,00,44,00,
3A,00,32,00,00,00,00,00,
Unschedule end
LoadResources
LoadResources end
InitReport
InitReport end
NtSetEvent(g_hInitEvent) - 1
InitKeyboard
FreeMemory: 2966491136
g_dwKbdNum: 2
avworkInitialize
s_dwKbdClassCnt: 2
InitKeyboard end
NtSetEvent(g_hInitEvent) - 2
GetKey
FreeMemory: 2884100096
CKbBuffer::Wait
CKbBuffer::Get
CKbBuffer::Get end
CKbBuffer::Wait end
ProcessArea
avfilesScanAdd *MBR0
avfilesScanAdd *RAW:C:\ [Fs: 000700ff, NTFS; Dev: 07, 00000020]
avfilesScanAdd E:\ [Fs: 00000000, RAW; Dev: 07, 00000121]
avfilesScanAdd F:\ [Fs: 00000000, RAW; Dev: 07, 00000121]
avfilesScanAdd G:\ [Fs: 00000000, RAW; Dev: 07, 00000121]
avfilesScanAdd H:\ [Fs: 00000000, RAW; Dev: 07, 00000121]
avfilesScanRealMulti begin
avfilesScanRealMulti finished
avworkClose
TerminateKbThread
GetKey end (?/00)
CloseKeyboard
CloseKeyboard end
KbThread stop
CKbBuffer::~CKbBuffer
CKbBuffer::~CKbBuffer end
aswEnginDllMain(DLL_PROCESS_DETACH)
cmnbFree
FreeResources
CloseReport
CloseLog

You would be better looking at the plain language report, C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\report\aswBoot.txt.

Thanks, that was much more intuitive! I’m still a little dissapointed that I had to log onto a support forum to figure that out. I mean, wouldn’t it be easy for there to be a pop-up window after booting that showed those results? Are new users of this software just left to dig around and search for help to find something as simple as a report on how many infections were found after a scan? Come on…

Well that would I guess a little complex considering the boot-time scan is running outside of the normal windows, so I don’t know how parameters could be set after the scan and before the normal boot completes to achieve this.

I suppose if avast can schedule the boot-time scan (unlike other AVs) then it may be possible to set it up prior to the boot-time scan as a runonce registry entry or something like that to run notepad and open aswboot.txt, but I don’t know how they would go about that.

However, the boot-time scan is an interactive scan, unless automated actions upon detection have been set (personally I don’t advise that); so if something was found then when you came back it would be waiting for your decision. Otherwise once completed successfully then windows should complete the normal boot, so my assumption (not good I know) would be if windows had booted normally that the scan had completed successfully and not found anything.

Was that the case when you checked the aswBoot.txt ?

Many new users are often totally unaware of the schedule boot-time option, even though on installation avast offers it.

Yes, the aswBoot showed no infected files.

I’ve not had any AV software for years but this morning picked up a virus and have been dealing with it all day. I run a small business on one computer that can’t die or I’m sunk. So my solution today has been to use Zone Alarm as a firewall and Avast as my antivirus. Any comments? I also ran a free web-based scan and also installed Malwarebytes. Each of the things I’ve used today has found a DIFFERENT virus. That’s not good for a few reasons. First it means I have crap on my computer thats bad, and second that none of the services are finding all of them - each is finding its own “flavor” I guess… this stuff is so nebulous.

I’m also wondering about how much Zone Alarm and Avast will slow down my computer…I HATE resource hog programs.

ZoneAlarm will slow down your system.

Outpost firewall is good but any software firewall will slow down your system so it helps to know your system specifications as to CPU speed and type and amount of RAM plus the operating system and Service Pack level.

Firstly if you report the detections that have been made, malware name, file name and location, what detected it, etc. would help us to get a handle on if it may be one particular of infection, means of entry.

Secondly not having an AV for some time isn’t wise as any concerns about resource use (avast is relatively light compared to some others), if you get a full blown infection.

Thirdly if you can’t afford to lose it you have to back it up and have a recovery strategy, this is even more important if your business depends on it.

– SYSTEM BACK-UP & RECOVERY
If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.
If you have a back-up and recovery plan, you can recover from anything in minutes, not hours or days.

  1. back-up all the things that you don’t want to lose, data files, like documents, spreadsheets, emails, email account details, registration keys, address book, favourites/bookmarks, downloaded files/programs, etc. the list goes on and on but if you don’t want to lose it back it up. There are many back-up programs that can simplify this task and run it every day.

  2. Recovery - re-installing your system really is a poor choice and one of last resort. There are tools (Drive Imaging software) that take exact images of your Partitions or Hard Disks and these images can be restored in minutes if you suffer a major catastrophe and that doesn’t have to be a virus attack.

I do a weekly image of my partitions and save them to my 2nd hard disk, they can also be saved to off-line storage, DVD, USB external hard disk, etc. as part of my weekly system maintenance.

So if the worst comes to the worst at most I lose:
A. 6 days worth of program updates or new installations, but with my daily back-up I can recover most of that.
B. less than one days data files, emails, etc.
None of these is a problem and much quicker than a system reinstall and I don’t have to go on-line to download the myriad of security updates needed to secure my system where there is a chance to get reinfected whilst my system has vulnerabilities because of these missing patches. Not to mention all my system tweaks and program settings are retained and I will have saved myself many hours of work and a huge amount of stress.

Many of these programs cost, there are some free ones, but it will take some research on your part to find these tools and decide on what is best for you from reviews, user feed back, etc. good luck.