Cannot open Avast Antivirus!

[system]

Hi there,

I have been a user of avast! for about half a year now and rate it very highly. However it seems that now I am having a few problems with it that have got me a bit worried.

Firstly, the icons in the systray often do not appear (a problem I had in the past which just ‘went away’ and now is back). Although checking the task manager shows they are in fact running it is annoying as it means I cannot access their options etc.

Secondly, I cannot for the life of me get access to the avast! program itself (i.e. I cannot open the interface to run scans, change options etc). It just fails to load entirely. I have tried completely reinstalling avast but this did not help.

Some background info that might be useful: avast warned me it found some worm or other (sorry I cannot remember the name of the worm) in a .exe file as part of a package I had downloaded ages ago. I moved it to the chest and manually deleted the file itself and everything it came with. Not sure if this is the reason avast is playing up but thought I should let you know.

Furthermore I have scanned my system using the avast cleaner and the boot-time scan but it has found nothing. I thought that this therefore means there may be some problem with my registry etc, but would really appreciate any ideas and thoughts from the people on this forum before I get fed up and just go ahead and reinstall or repair Windows XP!!

Okay so thank you for bearing with me through the description, I really hope that some people can help me and get me back to being a happy avast user again!!

Thanks in advance,

Ewan

[Eddy]

1. Uninstall avast
2. run the avast uninstall util from the website
3. reboot
4. install avast

[system]

I wonder how many times, Eddy had to reply that in the forums… :

[Lisandro]

@EwanP post:1

Firstly, the icons in the systray often do not appear (a problem I had in the past which just ‘went away’ and now is back). Although checking the task manager shows they are in fact running it is annoying as it means I cannot access their options etc.

Do you have an entry for ashdisp.exe into your startup entries (registry or startup folder)?

@EwanP post:1

Secondly, I cannot for the life of me get access to the avast! program itself (i.e. I cannot open the interface to run scans, change options etc). It just fails to load entirely. I have tried completely reinstalling avast but this did not help.

If you try running ashsimp2.exe from avast folder, will it run?

Do you use SpySweeper application?

[system]

@Tech

Do you have an entry for ashdisp.exe into your startup entries (registry or startup folder)?

No I don’t appear to have this

@Tech

If you try running ashsimp2.exe from avast folder, will it run?

No it won’t!

@Tech

Do you use SpySweeper application?

No I do not

Thanks for your help, but now a few weeks after a clean reinstall of Windows yet again I cannot get the main program window to open. This is v frustrating as I know now it is not due to any virus etc!!

[Lisandro]

Ewan, will any solution posted here help?
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=17222.0;topicseenc

@EwanP post:5

No I don’t appear to have this
No it won’t!

This is strange… for sure, avast! is not well installed in your computer. Some application could be preventing this:

1. Startup monitors: TeaTimer, WinPatrol.
2. Other antivirus (even uninstalled).
3. Other security programs: ProcessGuard, PrevX.
4. Incompatibility issues: MSN ToolBar, ZoneAlarm.
5. Programs that can change avast! entries: SpySweeper, HijackThis, Registry cleaners.
6. Skin problems: registration (C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\REGSVR32.EXE ACTSKIN4.OCX), translucent effects activated, troubles with ashsimp2.exe (from avast! folder) to run.