Can no longer use Avast boot-time scan or access safe mode.

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Hello,

As part of my weekly maintenance routine I run the Avast boot-time scan. This last scan was unsuccessful. It shutdown as usual but when restarting, instead of going to the blue screen and running through the scan the screen went to black and stayed that way.

After giving it some time to think about what it was doing, I powered it down manually. I decided to try to enter safe mode but could not. It allows me to choose to enter safe mode but stalls while trying to start.

Everything else appears to be functioning normally eg: I can start Windows normally, programs seem to be working (including Avast anti-virus) and most important, I can still access all of my files.

So I’m not panicing yet. I’ve tried various help sites and consulted my “XP Bible” but haven’t found a solution yet. I’m worried that this could be the small tip of a looming problem.

What is preventing safe mode and boot-time scan from loading correctly and how can I fix the problem?

Thanks

2

Regarding the boot-time scan - is there anything in the \DATA\log\aswBoot.log file?

3

Yes. I’ve attached a copy of the .log in text format.

4

It seems that the boot-time scan actually started…
Are you sure that it wasn’t running when the “screen went to black”? I.e. was there any disk activity at the moment?

Did you install any low-level programs before this happened, or did you change any Windows settings? I know that some programs add a special parameter into boot.in (/noguiboot, or something like that) that somehow disables the display of the avast! boot-time scanner (amongst others; the Windows logo isn’t displayed either).

5

Piers,

please post the contents of the file C:\Boot.ini (note: it’s hidden by default)

BTW haven’t you installed something like SoftICE recently?

thanks
Vlk

PS. I love your website!

6

Hello,

Thank you Vlk for the compliment on my website! It helps my insecurity complex.

I had noticed the Windows logo was missing. That was actually some time ago, but to be honest, I didn’t mourn its absence so I didn’t think anything of it. Careless. I think that’s the only thing missing during normal start up.

Now, after tapping at F8 repeatedly to ensure the computer is paying attention during start up (thank I didn’t use msconfig!) and selecting Safe Mode from the Advanced Options Menu the computer continues to load. The list stalls at mup.sys.

When I ask it to do the boot-scan it just goes black. No list, but yes it does sound like its mulling something over.

SoftICE (I suspect that qualifies as a low-level program?) was installed for, maybe twenty minutes. I uninstalled it when I realized how far over my head it was. My reaction was similar to that an aspiring surgeon might have after witnessing their first autopsy in med school: It wasn’t what I was expecting.

I’ve attached a text file of the Boot.ini for you and I can type out a list of my currently installed programs if you need it.

Thanks,
Piers

7

As I was saying, I’ve attached that txt file…

8

Remove the /noguiboot option from the file.

That will solve all the problems.

SoftICE is known to leave this option in the file even when uninstalled. This pretty sucks but is a known problem… :slight_smile:

Cheers
Vlk

9

Hello,

Oh joy, I can see the Windows start up logo again. More importantly I can see the boot-scan run. It even boots normally when I Esc.

I still can’t boot into safe mode though. It hangs in the same spot as before.

I will run the scan through completely in the morning and post the aswBoot.log file for you again. Maybe it will find something. Should I try anything else?

Thanks.

10

I think these 2 problems are completely unrelated. I don’t know, however, what can prevent Windows from booting into safe mode… a missing vital app/driver?

11

Hello,

I’ve attached the aswBoot.log.

Missing vital app/driver? I ran a Spybot system internals check for registry inconsistencies and it says it cannot find three things:

Paint.exe
Cmmgr.exe
Setup.exe

I know where Paint.exe went because I uninstalled it.

Googling Cmmgr produced very few entries. F-Secure mention it in their Virus Descriptions in relation to a variant of the Klez worm, but just to say that it doesn’t infect that file. The only other English reference I could find was a PDF published by the Laboratoire de l’Accélérateur Linéaire called “HOW TO CHECK AND LAUNCH A SERVER APPLICATION RUNNING ON LAL VACUUM STATIONS” where it is connected with initializing environment variables. So I haven’t found an explanation of its purpose yet. Sorry, I’ll keep looking.

And the last one, Setup.exe – couldn’t that be just about any setup application?

Can you recommend another option?

Thank you.

12

I still haven’t had any luck solving this on my own. Though I would still appreciate any help or suggestions, I understand this problem is not related to the avast software. Would it be more appropriate to switch the topic to another section?

13

Piers
Have you tried doing a repair? If nothing else is working, you might want to try this but read the instuctions carefully.

SFC /SCANNOW
Use Run and then paste the above command on the run line and hit enter.
Make sure the WinXP disk is in the CD Rom Drive.
This will check the system files against the original install and make sure none are missing.
You will need to run Windows Update after this is completed.

14

Hi,

Thank you for your suggestion Bob.

I was all set to go ahead. My only concern was whether or not I could choose which files were replaced. But I ran into an unexpected snag.

When SCANNOW said that files required for Windows to run properly needed to be copied to the DLL Cache and would I insert my Windows XP CD-ROM I obligingly popped in the CD that came with my computer.

To those who would attempt to run a SCANNOW without knowing difference between the Windows XP Professional CD and a Restore CD – it doesn’t work.

Here’s why, for those with Restore CD’s should be in the know. Restore CD’s are the resourceful brainchildren of the standard computer manufacturer. Included in pre-packaged computer systems they contain everything from your OS (which you need) to superfluous bothers like AOL online (which you don’t need).

I have an E-Machine. I purchased it second hand and hadn’t yet had cause to use the so-called Restore CD. I say so-called because the Restore CD doesn’t so much restore in the sense of touch up or repair. No, the Restore CD is more like a nuke and pave which completely reformats the entire hard disk before installing everything again according to precise manufacturer specifications, i.e. no customization. Fortunately, it warns the user of its intent and impending disaster may be avoided by the literate if not computer-literate.

So I went looking for a work around. SCANNOW prompts for the XP CD if the DLL cache folder, or part of it, is corrupted for some reason. It is also possible to import the entire I386 file to the hard drive and then modify the registry to tell SCANNOW to use this source path for the files instead of going straight to the CD.

Seems plausible, but my attempt was foiled again. My I386 file is concealed along with the rest of the installation files inside of a .GHO file: a disk image file from Symantec’s Ghost.

If I were to purchase Ghost, will it let me read the .GHO and extract the I386 file? Or am I looking in the wrong place for a solution?

Regards,
Piers

15

Piers, I have a suspicion that the “Emachine” might be the problem. You might find that bios settings are peculiar to that machine and also some firmware of various cards are altered as Emachines do deals with the card suppliers.

I think that (in the UK) they come pre-configured to use a particular isp for dial-up and resist any attempt to change this because of firmware issues. The work around is to identify the card in question and load different drivers to get your choice of isp back. This might also extend to the bios and operating system.

Hopefully you note that I’m saying “I think, not …they do”

As your hard drive was written as a batch of hard drives I would think that you might not be able to guarantee a complete extraction of the “ghost” file. You might be able to use Knoppix cd bootable linux distro to access the partition the rescue disk refers to and burn the files to cd to get the file.

This is the shortened reply btw!

16

Hello,

So, after all this time, how did things finally turn out? Well, the truth is: I gave up. inthewildteam was right about the EMachine being the problem. I borrowed a copy of Norton’s Ghost, just in case, but it didn’t like installing to XP Home.

Since I’ve never used Linux before, I didn’t trust myself to be able to figure it out. Meddling with things I don’t know enough about is what got me into this in the first place. I’ve read good things about the newer Linux distributions; it seems to be developing some more user friendly platforms. I’ve been told that Linux is less GUI, more text. I’m less text friendly than I should be, or would like to be. In the world according to Piers, GUIs are synonymous with life preservers.

Problems like this though, which might be solved by knowing Linux, are good encouragement to get over it and learn.

So I didn’t solve the problem, I threw in the towel and reformatted the drive.

Now that inthewildteam has pointed it out, I can’t say I am very pleased with this pre-configuration issue.

When I decided to reformat, I thought I’d upgrade to a larger hard drive, but the restore disk couldn’t find its ghost. Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I have the uneasy suspicion that means I can’t replace my hard drive and continue using my Windows. Okay, so one of the fans is starting to sound like a bi plane, can I replace it? No, it’s welded to the motherboard.

EMachines claims this (and the peculiar bios settings and the software bundling, etc.) is for consumer convenience. Perhaps this is true, since most people don’t tend to meddle with their machines themselves. Perhaps they are being prudent. Still, like so many things regarding computers, it seems that certain companies take active steps to maintain a co-dependent relationship with consumer lack of knowledge.

But I am fond of meddling, and prefer to be firmly in control of anything that might lose over 100GB of stored files. So their policy does not impress me as convenient, instead it smacks of deterrence and gets me thinking about how difficult using a sautering iron could possibly be.

Not good since I’m supposed to be a reformed meddler. Perhaps I should be an informed meddler instead? :smiley:

I am now in the market for a new computer. I will not purchase another EMachine – first or second hand. Other manufacturers appear to have similar policies. So the best solution for a consumer like me might be to build my own, or at least pick out the parts and find someone tolerant enough to build it while I watch, or even better, someone tolerant enough to help me build it.

I will putter on over to the Off-Topic section to start a thread soliciting advice on computer components. Perhaps someone will venture a convincing argument for either Intel or AMD CPUs.

Thanks again everyone for your help,
Piers

17

All you said above is true about almost all “branded” computers. My last 2 computers have either been custom built for me to my specifications or built by me. I will be buying a new computer very soon and because time will be an issue, I will have the new one custom built to my specs again. I take too long at building one. :slight_smile:

It is true that “branded” computers do take steps to make consumers dependent because they need that for new business. If it were easy and understanable to the average user to make even simple repairs, then the sales of new computers would go down. That’s bad for there business. No matter what their ads may say, never think that those companies are building computers for you … it’s a business and business’ need profit.

18

Dell and HP as far as I am aware have a similar customised installation.

Many of the people who were having problems with WinXP SP2 update were users of proprietary systems.