Avast notified me of update on 1/18/11. I let it update to 5.1.889 and let it restart. After that, my computer wouldn’t boot up anymore! It starts giving errors and won’t display desktop icons, start menu, NOTHING! The only thing I could do was to kill the computer with the switch, boot up in SAFE mode and uninstall Avast. Then, I’m fine again. (XP Home with Avast and Comodo, no other antivirus anything.)
I used aswclear5.exe to do uninstall. First tried going back to version 5.1.86, but had same problem of computer not booting. So, went back to version 5.0.667 and computer boots fine and everything works again.
Seems like most of these people are going back to 5.0.667. Hopefully you’ll release a fixed version soon! Otherwise, no choice but to run the old 5.0.667.
mr_twinky, maybe a clean install would be the way to go, download a fresh copy of avast 5.1.889 http://files.avast.com/iavs5x/setup_av_free.exe dowload the uninstall tool http://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility.
Go to add remove program’s and delet avast then reboot into safe mode and run the uninstall tool then reboot back into normal mode and run ccleaner,now you can install your fresh avast copy, if you have any further problem’s you can go into add remove program’s and click avast then change and untick the behaviour shield and see if that is the cause of your problem.
I did all of this back on 1/18/11. Right after the computer wouldn’t boot, I booted into safe mode, removed using add/remove programs, then reinstalled. After that didn’t work, I: booted into safe mode, downloaded the avast uninstall program and ran, booted into normal and ran ccleaner; and reinstalled 5.1.889. Same problem - it won’t boot, doesn’t show desktop icons and never gives me the task bar or start menu. I’ve also tried repeated variations of this uninstall/install like using Windows add/remove programs, then the avast uninstall, then cccleaner, etc. Still after installing, my computer won’t boot.
No, I didn’t. I see you say earlier that I can “go into add remove program’s and click avast then change and untick the behaviour shield”. But, if I re-install 5.1.889, I can’t ever boot up to then go uninstall the behaviour shield. Are you saying that after I re-install 5.1.889, I should immediately boot into safe mode to go uninstall the behaviour shield?
Thank you for your help. I’ll give this custom re-install another try with the changes you recommended. I hope you understand, but I haven’t tried it yet since we last talked because I need to allow for a day or two of unproductive time. This casual Avast upgrade about killed me with my computer not being able to even boot up. I also need to check my backups to make sure they are complete/intact in case I can’t boot again. That’s quite scary…
Can you tell me the final objective of not installing the behaviour shield? Is it just so I can boot up? Or is it to help the team troubleshoot v5.1.889? Am I better off just sticking with a fully functioning v5.0.667, or a partially functioning v5.1.889 (w/o BhS)? Which gives me the better protection? I really need a stable, protected environment right now.
5.1.889 is still better without the BhS than 5.0.667, the shield is only in passive mode so it’s not really doing anything anyway.
Final objective is for boot and system stability on your system, wont be much in the way of troubleshooting for the 889 version as there effort’s are being directed toward’s version 6 and this will fix the problem’s from 5.1.
danny96 Going back to 4.8 is just plain stupid and version 6 is a beta and not for the user who does not want potential problem’s so it is best and simplest for the op to follow the advice i have given without your interaction thankyou :
goto avast settings – troubleshooting and enable : load avast after other services… this is recommended because, even if avast hangs/freezes or watever, your windows wil be working fine , and allow u to repair avast, reinstall . . .
Ho-chi-minh you need to read the whole thread before posting because your post here has nothing to do with the op’s issue’s.
There seem’s to be a compatability problem with the BhS on the op’s system and im waiting for them to reply back as to whether the solution i supplied has worked.
I was having the same problem with Vista, I took vista off my laptop and installed windows 7 ultimate and did a clean install I then installed the free version of avast. 2 days later, when starting up my laptop, the same problem occured, i could sign on to windows, but at that point the screen goes black with only the mouse curser, which I can move around but nothing more. I was able to get a window up with hitting the shift key a few times and pulled up the control pannel, and was able to do a restore before avast and it booted up perfect. So, what now? I love avast but for some reason the new version is giving me problems. Any ideas? Any suggestions on virus protection programs
