EVERYTHING is coming up "application failed to initialize properly"

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Hoping that someone can help me with this… and soon.

Borrowed my father’s 2004-ish HP laptop (Model ze4220) this evening, and the first thing I wanted to make sure it had before doing any online surfing was anti-virus protection. I use Avast on my laptop (which is temporarily incapacitated, and the reason for the loaner), so thought it would work well on Dad’s laptop, too.

Big mistake!

Programs were opening up properly before I downloaded and installed Avast. Now, they won’t open up at all!

Everything that I attempt to activate comes up with the following error:

“The application failed to initialize properly (0x80000003). Click on OK to terminate the application.”

Even the “Help & Support” center and “Add or Remove Programs” and regedit.

EVERYTHING!

When I click the “OK” button on the message, the window closes and a new one opens right away. Once I click “OK” the second time, it does not reappear again, unless I attempt to open the program once more.

I didn’t notice this problem until after I began a scan of the system. There were no problems found during the scan.

Did a quick google search and found that a few others had a similar problem after either updating or installing Avast, but the solutions were convoluted and/or unique to their own situation.

Please let me know what steps I can take to resolve this unwelcome problem.

Thanks in advance.

Kat

P.S. I don’t know what version of Home XP operating system it is, because each attempt to see the “System Information” is met with the same error message mentioned above.

P.P.S. My father had told me that he did not have an anti-virus program installed. I noticed there was an icon for “Norton Antivirus 2002,” but when I clicked it prior to downloading Avast, the message indicated that it had not yet been setup. I canceled and closed out that window, then proceeded with the Avast download/installation. Now that I look more closely, it appears that the Norton program may have been installed.

2

First of all, you should start the system in safe mode. (Press F8 repeatedly during boot up until menu appears, select “safe mode with networking”)
Then select Administrator account if possible.
Download newest Avast by clicking on the blue “Free” in my signature.
Download the free Version of Malwarebytes Antimalware by clicking on “MBAM” in my signature.
Disconnect Internet.
Uninstall Avast, uninstall Norton.
Reboot normally.
Install the downloaded Avast.
Reconnect Internet.
Install MBAM, start it, update it via it’s GUI, run aquickscan (takes only a few minutes) and have it delete all that it finds, post the log (appears automatically) here.
Check.

If problems persist, please come back.

3

Thank you for your prompt reply, Steven.

I’ve restarted the computer in SafeMode with Networking, but cannot access the internet. Keep getting “The page cannot be displayed” and “Cannot find server.”

When I go into “Network Connections,” it indicates that “Local Area Connection” is “Enabled,” but it does not say “Connected.”

I clicked “Repair,” and this message comes up:

Repair Connection
The following steps of the repair operation failed:
Renewing the IP address.
Refreshing all DHCP leases and re-registering DNS names.
Please contact your network administrator or ISP.

Next, I clicked “Properties,” and “Advanced.” Noticed that the Firewall option was unchecked, so I checked it and received the following message:

Network Connections
An error occurred while Internet Connection Sharing was being enabled.
The dependency service or group failed to start.

Not sure what to do next.
:-\

Thanks for your assistance with this frustrating matter. Very much appreciated.

Kat

4

Okay, then: could you uninstall the two programs (Avast and Norton) ?

5

I was able to uninstall Avast.

With Norton, the following message appeared:

Add or Remove Programs
The Windows Installer Service could not be accessed. This can occur if you are running Windows in Safe Mode, or if the Windows Installer is not correctly installed. Contact your support personnel for assistance.

Have not rebooted yet. Waiting to see if there is something else you want me to do in Safe Mode, since not all of your instructions could be carried out.

Thanks!
Kat

6

Okay, that’s good so far.

Reboot normally and try to uninstall Norton in normal mode.

7

Download this Norton Uninstaller and run it.

You may be required to reboot as directed by the program. It will remove all traces of Norton from your PC (hopefully).

8

Was able to uninstall Norton in normal mode.

Clicked on “Norton Uninstaller” in your last post, but there is no link. Just http:///

Oh, and IE connects to the internet now, and Windows Firewall has also been activated.

:slight_smile:
Kat

9

Sorry… here’s he link.
Please run the program anyway.

LINK

10

After you have run the Norton uninstaller:

Download MBAM free version by clicking on the blue “MBAM” in my signature.
Install it.
Run it.
Select the update tab and update it. (Important!)
Run a quick scan.
Post the log here.

We’ll continue after that… ;D

[EDIT:] I’ll be offline from 08:00 UTC (10:00 German Daylight Saving Time) for about 45 minutes… please be patient. Thx.

11

Thanks Steven!

That link didn’t work either, but I removed the “http://” and, VOILA! It worked!

:wink:

Restarting the computer now after running the removal tool. Will run Malwarebytes and report back after a wee bit of sleep. (I’m on the east coast of Florida… 3:50AM Eastern Time.)

Thank you so much for your patient assistance. Was frustrated and concerned that this would turn into an all-night and all-day event. So grateful you’re helping make it as brief and painless as possible.

THANKS again!

:slight_smile:
Kat

12

Oops! Just realized you wanted me to do a “quick scan.”

Started a “Full Scan” about 20+ minutes ago. Hopefully it won’t take much longer, though I doubt my eyes can remain open much longer.

Kat

13

Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware 1.50.1.1100
www.malwarebytes.org

Database version: 6470

Windows 5.1.2600 Service Pack 1
Internet Explorer 6.0.2800.1106

4/29/2011 4:24:24 AM
mbam-log-2011-04-29 (04-24-08).txt

Scan type: Full scan (C:|)
Objects scanned: 186919
Time elapsed: 25 minute(s), 46 second(s)

Memory Processes Infected: 0
Memory Modules Infected: 0
Registry Keys Infected: 0
Registry Values Infected: 0
Registry Data Items Infected: 1
Folders Infected: 0
Files Infected: 0

Memory Processes Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Memory Modules Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Keys Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Values Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Data Items Infected:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\StartMenuLogoff (PUM.Hijack.StartMenu) → Bad: (1) Good: (0) → No action taken.

Folders Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Files Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

14

Oh my bad… I am stupid. 8) Great that you managed it anyway, I wasn’t aware that it’s an ftp-link. I will try harder… :smiley:

When you come back, we’ll take a quick look if there is any malware on the laptop (that’s what MBAM does) and remove it, if necessary.
We then make sure that Win XP is up to date (which means Service Pack 3 installed and all updates done).
We’ll proceed by downloading the newest Avast and install it.

After that you’re ready to go. :wink:

A little explanation what has happened: when you installed a second real-time antivirus (in this case Avast) side by side to Norton, these two programs interfered with each other by blocking the files for the respective other program - thus caught in between those two AVs the programs could not be executed and the errors resulted.
Never install more than 1 real time antivirus scanner at a time.

See you tonight (me) / in the morning (you). ;D

15

Oh, there’s the log already.

;D

Great, everything looks clean (the one infection there is in fact none, it’s just a harmless modification, PUM = potentially unwanted modification - in this case the “Log Off” shows in your start menu which is a wanted mod, I believe).

Is Win XP up to date? SP 3 installed, all updates done? :frowning:

16

That is bad, very bad securitywise.
A lot of updating work to do…

[b]By recommending the following steps I presume you are using a legal copy of Windows![/b]

Do not change the order of updates listed below, follow from top to bottom.

We need Service Pack 2: WinXP SP2 (266 MByte)
Download and install.

We need Service Pack 3: WinXP SP3 (316 MByte)
Download and install (only after SP2 has been installed).

Those packs are big, it will take some time to download and install, but it is inevitable to install them, since MS does not support any version other than XP SP3 with security updates any longer.

Download and install: Avast! free 6.0.1091

Download and install: Internet Explorer 8 (even if you don’t use IE, it is used by Win XP system and should be kept up to date)

Download and run: MS FixIt Tool (Activates Windows XP Automatic Updates = strongly recommended)

Then use Internet Explorer for: Microsoft update manually and install at least all important updates. (Link will only work with Microsoft IE)

I also recommend to use Firefox Webbrowser instead of IE8, it is faster and more configurable. When you installed it, go to Extra, AddOns and search for “Ad Block plus” and install that, it will get you rid of the annoying ads on the websites (subscribe to EasyList).
You may also go here and install AdBlock Plus from their website.

If any questions, just ask - but please keep in mind that we are seperated by 6 time-zones. ;D

Cheers
Zyndstoff

17

::slight_smile: It’s my father’s computer. He hasn’t used this one in years. Which is why I’m doing the responsible thing and updating it for him, with the help of someone 6 time zones (and techie light years) ahead!! ;D

I did download SP2 last night (rather, early this morning), and am now installing SP3, which is, by the way, 66.9MB, according to the info in “Review and Install Updates,” and not 316MB. Perhaps they found a way to streamline it. :slight_smile:

YOU are not “stupid.” It was me who acted “stupidly” by not double-checking and making 100% certain that Norton was not installed anywhere on the computer prior to installing Avast.

I surmised it might have had something to do with a conflict between the two programs, after discovering Norton was, in fact, installed on the system.

I know this. Really, I do. :-[ ::slight_smile: :-[

As you so succinctly put it, I will try harder. ;D

On it! Still installing SP3. (“Verifying the download.”)

As far as browsers go, I also prefer FireFox, though it’s perplexing that it still–constantly and continually–sucks up all available CPUs after it’s been open a while, even though it’s been updated many times over the past few years. That is it’s biggest drawback, in my opinion.

Fortunately, Session Manager allows me to save my work, restart the program, and resume where I left off.

Will continue the update process, and return upon completion.

THANK YOU for your time and efforts on my behalf, Steven! So very much appreciated.

:slight_smile:
Kat

18

My pleasure… and, btw, my name is Thomas. ;D

“Steven Gail” is kind of… erhhh… artist’s name. 8)

WRT Firefox: I don’t experience that behavior you mentioned…
And yes, if you obtain SP3 via Microsoft update and not the stand-alone installer, than it is smaller. Just didn’t know how tech savvy you were, so I recommended the download link for the stand-alone installer. :wink:

This is a nice proggy to look after your software and update states: Secunia PSI

19

XP SP1 ???

20

Please read the whole thread before jumping in and posting a question which has no bearing. :slight_smile: