Can't access files to put in virus chest

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

"Access to the specified device, path, or file is denied.

I have just put on the free version of Avast 4.8, OS Win98SE.

I downloaded several versions of the Eicar virus test program, putting it in different folders, different drives.

Avast detects the “virus” when it is opened.

However, when I try to move, delete, repair, move to virus vault (it says that’s is what is recommended), I get a popup message, “Access to the specified device, path, or file is denied.”

Any ideas? I installed Avast to a different drive than C.

thanks

2

What previous AV did you use, and how did you remove it?

3

thank you.

I used AVG Free edition 7.5.
I removed it via their “uninstall.”
Then checked to make certain the folder had been removed and all files in my Win98SE system that were AVG files had been removed.

The folder was still there as were three AVG files in Windows system area.
I deleted those.

Checked my CP for installed software and found no AVG .
Ran a “find” for AVG and Grisoft.
It came up clean.

I stopped all programs, except “explorer” and a rundll before installing Avast 4.8

I did see an error message on the install, but don’t remember quite what it was. Something like RPT unable to connect–don’t think those are the correct letters, but there were three and they started with R.

After that pop-up, the program continued to install. And seems to work.

It found some spyware as well as the Eicar test files, but when I tried to move, delete, fix, move to virus chest, either the spyware or Eicar, I got the message unable to access file.

Some of the files were in the Windows internet temporary folder, while others were on my desktop or on a logical drive, not C.

After trying to move the spyware or virus, Avast crashed.

the icons disappeared from the system tray.
Cntrl-alt-del showed no Avast files running.

I can go into the registry and try to find any other references to Grisoft & AVG free, remove those.

And I can reinstall, this time putting the program on C drive. Maybe that will help?

thanks,
bob t

4

Been a long time since my brief foray with Windows 98, but the error you describe was probably to do with the “RPC” service (remote procedure call)
Can you check that the service is started and set to automatic?
(Can you even do that in Windows 9x?)

It’s more likely to be this issue than any AVG leftovers.

Is the D drive another partition on the hard drive, or another drive?

5

I think he can’t…

I feel the same.

6

thanks again.

Yes, RPC is the error I got. (Not sure if it has anything to do with the failure to have access to any nasties it finds.)

I can’t start the service manually. I’ll check to see if there is a registry entry for it (or maybe someone knows), try to get it going then reinstall, but to C drive. --No, the other drivers are logicals on the same HDD.

I read that this version of Avast works with Win98, that’s why I’m using it, since AVG no longer makes virus .bin updates for their 7.5.

Hopefully we can get this going for me?

Bob T.

7

Possible solution to try:

Warning: This resolution requires you to modify your System folder. Modifications to the Windows system, if not done correctly, can create serious problems for your computer.

  1. Download to your Desktop, but do not run, the Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) file appropriate for your system. These files can be downloaded from the InstallShield support page, by clicking the links provided below.
    Windows98 DCOM file
    * Windows 95: Windows 95 DCOM file
  2. Select Start > Shutdown.
  3. Select Restart in MS-DOS mode.
  4. At the command prompt c:\WINDOWS, enter the following commands on separate lines as shown.
    cd c:\windows\system
    rename oleaut32.dll oleaut32.old
    exit
  5. Ignore the error message:
    A required .DLL file, C:\windows\system\oleaut32.dll, was not found.
    This error message appears because the file was renamed in step 4
  6. Now log in to your computer as you normally would.
  7. Double-click the file you downloaded to your Desktop in step 1.
  8. Click Yes to the dialog box that opens. The dcom.exe file installs a new oleaut32.dll file.
  9. After DCOM has been installed, select Start > Restart.

If your computer fails to function properly after following the above instructions, you can restore your original oleaut32.dll file by doing the following:

  1. Select Start > Shutdown.
  2. Select Restart in MS-DOS mode.
  3. At the command prompt c:\WINDOWS, enter the following commands on separate lines as shown. This restores the old oleaut32.dll file.
    cd c:\windows\system
    rename oleaut32.old oleaut32.dll
    exit
  4. Windows automatically restarts. If it does not, select Start > Restart.
8

thanks,

I uninstalled everything. Removed registry entries for AVG and Avast.
Did the decom thing. Replaced the oe…dll file.

reload Avast to C drive.
Load went smooth. No RPC error.

Went back to my Eicar test virus.
Avast detects it. Tells me a “caution, a virus has been detected.”

But problem persists.

Trying to move, repair,delete, move to Chest gives a windows pop-up error --“Access to the specified device, folder, file is denied.”

I click “ok” on the pop-up.

The file is then deleted. --which is strange-- how can Avast delete the file if it has no access?

Could there be an error in an Avast subroutine which gives access to work with a found file?

bob