Yesterday, avast updated and required a reboot. On boot up, the computer hung on the back ground desktop image and stayed there, no icons or taskbar. I rebooted into safe mode for a restore point (XP SP2) for the day before and the computer booted fine, until I dialed up and then a short time later, avast asked to reboot and it started all over again. I finally uninstalled avast and the computer booted fine.
I figured I would to a registry cleanup and removed all traces I could find of avast and re-install 4.7.
All was well until avast updated to 4.8 and on reboot, stopped at the background desktop image and I was unable to get any further.
So now I have once again uninstalled avast.
I have XP sp2, running Online Armor free, SuRun as a limited user along with ms software restriction policy (srp).
Before I start to remove other security programs (OA maybe?) I was wondering if anyone else may have had a similar issue with May 20’s update.
I will download the newest version as I only have 4.7 from April. I am on dial up (HS will never come way out here) so I will download it this weekend from my son’s place, who has DSL, and try it.
If not, I will remove one of the start up security programs at a time and see which one is causing it.
There are some others live threads about problems with Online Armor firewall.
If you use System Restore, I’ll suggest an installation from the scratch:
Uninstall avast from Control Panel first.
Boot.
Download the latest version of Avast Uninstall and use it for complete uninstallation.
It appears that the issue is now resolved, at least till the next screw-up. After a 3 1/2 hour download of avast 4.8 (aren’t you glad you all have high speed?), I installed and after the reboot, the computer stopped at the back ground desk top image and wouldn’t proceed further.
This time, I booted into safe mode and uninstalled Online Armor and then it booted fine into windows.
So rack that up to another incompatibility issue in the weird and wacky world of security programs.
I had used Comodo before OA and decided on OA, as it is less obtrusive. I think until I decide to try another marathon computer fixing battle, I am going to use the native XP FW for now.
Before giving up on Online Armor,
may I ask if you had set all the Avast functions to Trusted?
OA is no doubt picking up the changes in Avast *.exe files due to the upgrade from 4.7 to 4.8 and will need to be told to re-allow and re-trust them.
There is also a possibility that your un-installing and re-installing security applications has led to a corrupted Windows Security Centre repository.
Are you getting any warnings from the WSC?
If so, there are ways to re-create a clean repository and you may find KB933062 interesting and helpful.
Also, have you tried setting Avast to delay the start of its services?
Incidentally, which OA version are you using?
The problems Tech refers to were about version 2.1.0.119 (about a month ago).
The current v131 is quite happy with Avast! 4.8 (and Sandboxie, for that matter).
Good luck
Just a quick update as this will be a recurring problem with OA, and maybe HIPS in general, put OA in learning mode when Avast updates. This issue seems to be quite common as windows doesn’t get to the desktop to allow OA to ask if you want to allow the new version of Avast to load.
However, I on the other hand have uninstalled OA and am running an old friend that rarely if ever gives me grief, good old Kerio 2.15. Security programs are getting far too complicated and with several different ones trying to “take control” of security when windows starts, I am surprised that there aren’t alot more problems.
I guess the KISS approach doesn’t apply here.
Today I’ve dropped PCTools on a Vista installation and turn back to the old Vista firewall.
I can live without outbound protection (I’ve already blocked with Advanced Configuration of Vista Firewall the ones I don’t want to update)… it was delaying the boot and, from time to time, messing and blocking connection.
Maybe I’ll wait for Alwil firewall… maybe I can just live in peace without outbound control