Does avast NEED SP3 on Windows XP to work properly? (RESOLVED)

Okay, it is of course common knowledge that the absolute ideal situation is to have SP3 on Windows XP installed AND to keep Windows XP completely updated … for optimum protection.

So, my question does NOT have to do with that.
My question is specific.

DOES avast NEED for Windows XP to HAVE SP3 installed in order for it to work properly?

Again, my question does NOT have anything to do with getting optimum protection.

What I’m getting at is … can or will avast malfunction and even cause Windows XP NOT to Boot Up if a computer only has SP2 installed?

The past week I’ve been having some serious problems with my computer.
Three Windows Reinstalls didn’t fix the problem.

Today I’ve had avast completely disabled and so far my computer has been working great.

I USED to have SP3 installed, but I eventually disabled the Windows Automatic Updates because otherwise I was going to run out of Hard Drive FREE Space.

Recently little by little I started getting little problems.
They then got worse until I started getting Failures to Boot Up.

Sometimes BSODs.
Other times “Operating System cannot be found.”

Or whenever my computer did Boot Up, in a couple of minutes, it’d get a BSOD and lock up.
The Hard Drive would turn off for about 3 seconds and then turn back on.

Today with avast disabled, my computer has behaved fine.

No idea if not having SP3 installed is the cause but since Avast 1426(anything newer)often gives me blue screens,problems with programs and sometimes fatal errors(that looks scarier than BSOD).

I removed avast last month because till couple of days ago I didn’t have internet so I didn’t needed the protection but now I’m wondering what I should install…either 1426 again,the newest version or wait for Avast 8.

I use WinXP pro SP2 and till Avast 1426 I didn’t have any Avast related problems

How can you run out of HD space just from Windows Updates? If you have a really small HDD, you can use the option in CCleaner to remove all the update installers and then run the registry cleaner feature to remove the references to them. I do that all the time on my XP machine. Of course you have to wait a few days after updating to make sure there are no problems (I have never experienced any problems due to a Windows update) because when you remove the installer files, you lose the ability to remove the update.

This option is only present in CCleaner if you are running XP.

You should have SP3, XP runs much smoother with it.

According to Avast, the minimum requirement is SP 2.

To run avast! Free Antivirus, your PC must meet the following criteria: Operating Systems Supported
Windows 8 (any Edition, 32-bit or 64-bit)
Windows 7 (any Edition, 32-bit or 64-bit)
Windows Vista (any Edition excl. Starter Edition, 32-bit or 64-bit)
Windows XP Service Pack 2 or higher (any Edition, 32-bit or 64-bit)
Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Service Pack 4 (incompatible with avast! Account)</blockquote>

http://www.avast.com/en-us/free-antivirus-download#tab4

Trust me, Dch48, I WAS heading towards running out of HD Space. Those monthly Windows Updates are HUGE. Remember … my Hard Drive is only 10 Gig.

I already did that Windows Updates Installers Removal bit with CCleaner last year.

I perform frequent cleanings with CCleaner, Glary Utilities and JetClean. So yeah, I squeeze out as much junk as I can often.

If it hadn’t been for a LOT of periodic File Compressions during the routine Free Up Space Maintenance bits all this time, my Hard Drive most assuredly WOULD have run out of Space a long time ago.

And that is considering that ALL of my Stuff is kept on my Flash Drives, NOT on my Hard Drive.

Thanks for that Info, RNfromTN.
According to that, my computer is fine as far as the Windows XP SP2 criteria.

What is NOT out of the question that could be causing a failure to communicate between my computer and avast is my OLD Hardware. Maybe as more changes are made to avast … maybe it no longer works well with REALLY old Hardware like my computer.

I say this because a very similar situation happened to me years ago when I used to have McAfee on my Gateway computer with Windows 98SE. It used to work fine for a couple of years. Suddenly one day I just up and encountered a failure to Boot Up.

Long story short … 3 Windows Reinstalls later, I had confirmed that for some reason, McAfee no longer worked with my computer. McAfee was now for some reason causing my computer NOT to Boot Up even fresh after Windows Reinstalls.

So, I had no choice, but to stop using McAfee.

So, that’s why even though avast has served me VERY well since I believe 2008, I don’t rule out that MAYBE it might no longer play well with my old computer. But, the Smoking Gun is NOT yet on the table. At this point, it’s just the theory I’m studying as per the fact that today my computer has worked fine ALL day … after giving me fits the past several days.

Well, vsub … depending on whether you have a sort of old computer like I do … that SP2 COULD possibly be why you’re experiencing a similar situation to my current situation.

How old IS your computer?

Pentinum 4 2.8Ghz
1GB ram
6600GT

I’m not sure when was the last time I did a hardware update…maybe 4 or 5 years(maybe more)
Everything else works fine but just avast anything newer than 1426 gives me problems at random

You definitely have a more formidable computer than what I have, vsub.

Well, after having worked fine with ALL the avast Shields disabled ALL day … my computer finally exhibited the same friggin’ symptom a while ago. The Hard Drive started making its CLICK CLICK CLICK sound and would turn of and back on. And then the BSOD.

I guess then that probably rules out avast.
Unless avast is still doing SOMETHING in the system even with ALL the Shields disabled.

Did you check your HDD for bad sectors?

HDD noise out the ordinary sounds odd and is probably one of the symptoms of an imminent HDD failure.

I agree. It sounds like the HDD is about to give up the ghost. It might be a good time to look into getting a used larger one. They can be had cheaply.

You also may have a weakening power supply.

Just to add to the discussion - On table pc (where I am currently) I too have XP SP2 and not keen to make it SP3. So far I didn’t suffered any major problem with avast so it must be really individual.

I strongly suggest to update to SP3…!!
SP2 doesn’t get any security updates anymore.

+1 and keep in mind MS XP support and receive updates end until April 8, 2014 :wink:

I respect your opinion, but no, thanks. It’s old machine and hard drive is very slow. This would kill it.

Well, it’s up to you anyway. :wink:
But keep in mind that even the best AV can’t protect you, if there are holes in your OS…!!

This why you must update to SP3 because they plug more holes than SP2 version, as Asyn said it’s up to you anyway and it you’re computer.

Hi,
Have you done CHKDSK /R to check and locate bad sectors. As you have a click click sound from the hard drive. Could be sector failure causing BSOD.

Your drive must be an ide type and are common to replace to a larger size. 10gb is small depending what your swapfile size is.
Download HDTUNE FROM HDTUNE WEBSITE TO TEST THE HARD DRIVE?