Help please! avast 4.8.1356 home start avast antivirus virus scan failure

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Hi I am in some serious need of assistance please. I have searched the knowledge base and FAQ under technical support and found nothing to help.

Problem: I right click on the blue avast animated icon on my taskbar, I choose “start avast antivirus”, the window pops up to launch the memory test before the splash interface loads. After completion of the memory test, the window closes, and the splash interface to begin a system scan never loads.

I have uninstalled and reinstalled avast home edition version 4.8.1356 over and over this weekend. i have installed in safemode, tried to scan in safemode, and nothing works. please help me

i have included my system information as well as the display information below.

i love avast and have this new version installed on all 3 computers. however my desktop which is this particular computer seems to have conflict with this updated version.
thank you for your assistance, i would hate to have to get rid of my avast its the most user friendly antivirus security software i have found.

System Information

Time of this report: 9/28/2009, 13:33:59
Machine name: DREAMSKY-M2TCB2
Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 3 (2600.xpsp_sp3_gdr.090206-1234)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: MICRO-STAR INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD
System Model: MS-7312
BIOS: )Phoenix - Award WorkstationBIOS v6.00PG
Processor: AMD Athlon™ 64 Processor 3000+, MMX, 3DNow, ~1.8GHz
Memory: 1022MB RAM
Page File: 630MB used, 1733MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
DxDiag Version: 5.03.2600.5512 32bit Unicode

Display Devices

    Card name: ATI Radeon HD 2400 Series AGP 
 Manufacturer: ATI Technologies Inc.
    Chip type: ATI display adapter AGP (0x94C4)
     DAC type: Internal DAC(400MHz)
   Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_94C4&SUBSYS_00281545&REV_00

Display Memory: 256.0 MB
Current Mode: 1024 x 768 (32 bit) (75Hz)
Monitor: Default Monitor
Monitor Max Res:
Driver Name: ati2dvag.dll
Driver Version: 6.14.0010.6715 (English)
DDI Version: 9 (or higher)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 7/5/2007 22:01:54, 269312 bytes
WHQL Logo’d: No
WHQL Date Stamp: None
VDD: n/a
Mini VDD: ati2mtag.sys
Mini VDD Date: 7/5/2007 22:01:36, 2363904 bytes
Device Identifier: {D7B71EE2-D784-11CF-CE6C-2220A1C2CB35}
Vendor ID: 0x1002
Device ID: 0x94C4
SubSys ID: 0x00281545
Revision ID: 0x0000
Revision ID: 0x0000
Video Accel: ModeMPEG2_C ModeMPEG2_D ModeWMV8_A ModeWMV9_A
Deinterlace Caps: {6E8329FF-B642-418B-BCF0-BCB6591E255F}: Format(In/Out)=(YUY2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(YUY2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch
{3C5323C1-6FB7-44F5-9081-056BF2EE449D}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,2) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{552C0DAD-CCBC-420B-83C8-74943CF9F1A6}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,2) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{6E8329FF-B642-418B-BCF0-BCB6591E255F}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch
Registry: OK
DDraw Status: Enabled
D3D Status: Enabled
AGP Status: Enabled
DDraw Test Result: Not run
D3D7 Test Result: Not run
D3D8 Test Result: Not run
D3D9 Test Result: Not run

2

As strange as this may seem try this (as it is most likely shell extension conflict from another application).

  • Menu, Display Remnants, Log Viewer Remnants, Graphics glitches, etc.

  • Edit the C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\avast4.ini using Notepad [Common] section, add the following line to the section SunbeltKPFHack=2, save the file, you will be prompted by the avast! Self-defence module if this is OK answer Yes. Whilst this is primarily for Sunbelt or Kerio Personal Firewalls it may well work even if you don’t use either of these firewalls.
    Also see http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=37609.msg315764#msg315764 - Also see, http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=40840.msg342656#msg342656 which mentions a similar issue relating to McAfee Site Advisor and remnants of menus, etc.

3

Thank you DavidR at this point i will try almost anything, I am so distraught because my desktop is my main computer for web browsing and general work communications. I have been on it all afternoon trying to find a way to recover my system as the motherboard was electrocuted a few years back and when it was replaced with a newer model, the auto recover feature was lost, so i am basically screwed out of alot of cash (outrageous repair/replace costs) if i cant get this fixed.

4

OK let us know how you get on.

5

unfortunately it did not repair the problem, after logging out of forums and closing my browser, i look at the desktop icon for avast, and the blue ball is completely missing instead i have a plain, white exe file icon, additionally when i go to click on the taskbar animated icon after copying and pasting the command under common, i receive and error message saying Error: Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file. you may not have the appropriate permissions to access this item. and the thing is that i am set as administrator with full command and access to all files and folders. it is my personal computer. so i have no clue what to do next.

i have been looking at microsoft online for any solutions to this problem, as i have found that the technician who installed my new motherboard did not replace the recovery option during installation. i am at a total loss of what to do now. other than paying outrageous fees to have my system repaired as i fail at repairing it myself and have no os disc in which to reinstall…sigh

6

The only other thing I can think of given the additional point about the missing avast icon, is other security software or possibly the presence of malware (white X icon isn’t avast and not familiar to me).

Have (or did) you another AV installed in this system, if so what was it and how did you get rid of it ?

avast! icon missing - As a temporary measure until this is resolved you can create a desktop shortcut for this file C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashDisp.exe (the avast icon and interface to the providers). Right click on the file and select Send To, Desktop (create shortcut). You will need to run this after each boot until the problem is resolved.

What other security based software do you have that might block new startup entries, e.g. Spybot S&D (TeaTimer), AdAware (AdWatch), SpySweeper, Spyware Doctor (StartUpGuard or OnGuard), PrevX, WinPatrol, ProcessGuard, etc. ?

Check the option in the Appearance tab of Program Settings. Or Make a link to ashdisp.exe in your startup folder. I wouldn’t try this as a first option (but a final one) as you won’t be able to find the true cause of the problem.

If you haven’t already got this software (freeware), download, install, update and run it and report the findings (it should product a log file).

Don’t worry about reported tracking cookies they are a minor issue and not one of security, allow SAS to deal with them though. - See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTP_cookie.

7

Try to run msconfig >> click on startup >>stop [ RAID event monitore ] >> restart
This will solve your problem and lets hope that avast will find a way tosolve this conflict .
One thing , U dont really need the RAID event monitore if U R using a home PC with one HDD .