Installation error: usiGetSkin failed!

Hi,

I have a problem with the installation of Avast4, I can’t open the main window of Avast4!
When I try to run the main window of Avast4, appear a little box and the program perform a memory scan. After, a message tell that the program now auto-restart, but appear only a box with:
UNKNOWN ERROR
The program can’t load the skin. The function “usiGetSkin” is failed.

I have:
Avast! version 4.1 Home Edition (4.1.418 Jun2004), italian version
AMD Athlon 500 MHz with 256 MB of RAM
Windos 98 Second Edition

Previously I had NortonSystemWorks 2002 installed, I have removed NortonAntiVirus and leave the other programs of the SystemWorks suite.

I have read the FAQ of the program and ALL the topics on this forum about this error, and I have try all these solutions:

1 - registering the dll with the command “C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\REGSVR32.EXE ACTSKIN4.OCX”. The box with “DllRegisterServer in ACTSKIN4.OCX succeeded” appear regularly.

2 - Check if the registry key “HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID{0944D16C-D0F4-4389-982A-A085595A9EB3}” exist and have a subkeys.

3 - Go to the SKIN folder of the program and double-click on a skin icon. Also with new skin downloaded from the Avast site.

4 - Go to “Add/remove program” and click on avast, then perform a Repair or an Upgrade.

5 - Disinstall and reinstall the program

but none of these has worked… the error still remain!! :-[

Anyone have another solution that i can try???

Many thanks to all that have read until here! :slight_smile: :wink:

Really nobody can suggest me other possible solution to try ?
??? ??? ???

Thanks

Well, you’ve tried the most common solutions for the usiGetSkin function failure.
I think the problem is related to NortonSystemWorks 2002 or, better, NortonAntiVirus.
Remove it is one of the most difficult things in the earth :frowning:
Try to download ‘Control’ in my signature, run it and browse for ‘Norton uninstallation’.

Although you have already tried, please, try again to repair avast (“Add/remove program”).

I’ve read your post since from the begginning but I could not realise how to help you… Sorry :cry:

I know it’s not exactly the same, but you can see that other avast problems could be solved by completelly Norton uninstall: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?board=2;action=display;threadid=7565 :wink:

Thanks you for the replies and the suggestions!!! :smiley: :smiley:

I don’t want to uninstall completely the Norton System Works, for this reason I have uninstalled only the Antivirus component.

I have checked in the Windows Registry for keys such as NAV, Symantec and similar, and I have found over 100 match!!
Now I’m not sure that the System Works still work if I delete them.
What the “Norton Antivirus 2004 uninstall” of your Avast External Control exactly do? (note that I have the 2002 System Works)

Even if often Norton create conflictual situation, I think that this is not a Norton related problem, because is only a Skin loading problem and the Avast scan (mail, memory when I try to load the program and single file right-clicking on it) work properly.

But if You think that this is the ultimate solution, I will try it !!! :wink: :wink:

P.S. at this time I can’t try the Repair solution, because I have uninstalled Avast, but previously I have tried it twice.

Volans
The easyest solution to this problem is to FULLY uninstall Norton Systemworks. You can get the uninstall directly from their site or click on the link in my signature and find it there.
Once Norton has been fully unistalled, reboot the system and re-insall Avast.
Once Avast is running properly, do a selective install of Norton System Works making sure not to install NAV.
Good luck. :slight_smile:

I have the same (all except NAV) and I did exactly what Bob is saying… I cannot add a word to this. I’m almost sure it will work like a charm.

If you do not want to do this, you can try the standalone uninstall tool of Symantec and try to remove NAV. It won’t be easy. If you manuall delete the keys you can mess your NSW installation, at least, part of it…

What MS Office do you have, I mean, the version?
If you install the last MDAC drivers from Microsoft, will it help? I think MDAC is on version 2.8 ::slight_smile:

The symantec site with the instructions for the manual uninstall of NSW2002 for Win98SE say:


Part 2 - Remove NAV 2003
If you previously installed Norton AntiVirus 2003 (this program is included as part of the Norton SystemWorks suite), run the Rnav2003.exe removal utility to ensure that all components of previous versions of NAV have been uninstalled... ... NAV 2003 cannot be uninstalled manually.

Then I have downloaded and run the Rnav2003.exe removal utility, reboot, and install Avast again… always the same problem! :frowning:

What MS Office do you have, I mean, the version?
I have office 2000 installed.
If you install the last MDAC drivers from Microsoft, will it help? I think MDAC is on version 2.8
I have also installed the 2.8 version of the MDAC drivers, but this not help me! :(

Finally I have try this:
1 - uninstal Avast and NSW2002
2 - reboot
3 - manually delete ALL the registry keys, files and folder such as Norton, Symantec, NAV and Avast
4 - Reboot
5 - Install for the LAST times Avast4
6 - Start → Run “C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\REGSVR32.EXE ACTSKIN4.OCX”
7 - Reboot
8 - Try to open the main window of Avast

RESULT:

UNKNOWN ERROR The program can't load the skin. The function "usiGetSkin" is failed.

Sorry… but Avast won’t work on my PC! :-[

One of the reasons because I’ve choised Avast, is that I need an SMTP and POP3 antivirus checker, since I use Mozilla as mail client.
Now I’m forced to try AVG.
The new version of free AVG (expexted for november, now there is the beta version) has this function too.

Thank you for the attention and the patience… but the evidence is that this program is not for my PC, even if we have not understood the cause.

Best regards,
Volans

P.S. I will return to check new messages in the next days, therefore if you have other suggestions… post it and I will try them! :smiley: :smiley:

Did you just try to download another skin, double click the file and see if you get avast! working?

I have tried also this, with two different skins, downloaded into the skin folder of avast, double-click… and…

UNKNOWN ERROR
The program can’t load the skin. The function “usiGetSkin” is failed.

Volans
What is step 6 in your outline of the procedure you followed?
What was so hard about following the outline I had given you?

It is the step 1 in my first message:

1 - registering the dll with the command "C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\REGSVR32.EXE ACTSKIN4.OCX". The box with "DllRegisterServer in ACTSKIN4.OCX succeeded" appear regularly.
this procedure is explained in the FAQs.

Nothing hard, but I had reason… it isn’t a Norton problem. :wink:

This is the second user that have to go to AVG because of the same error :cry:

http://forum.avast.com/index.php?board=2;action=display;threadid=5991

What’s up?

Tecnical,
This is the second person who couldn’t follow directions and therefore didn’t solve their problem. They both just happened to have the same problem. IMHO

This is your suggestion:

If you read my steps, I had done exactly what you have suggested (NSW2002 = Norton System Works 2002)… but this do not have solved the problem!

This is the second person who couldn't follow directions and therefore didn't solve their problem.
I have follow ALL yours suggestions, why you say this??

Volans:
Please don’t get angry. We (me included) would like you to be part of this group and that means being able to use Avast! without any problems.
Have you ever tried to completely uninstall avast! using the avast! Uninstall Utility? If you have not, please try it, REBOOT, and then just do a simple install of avastwithout any extra steps and see if avast then works for you.
You can find the Uninstall Utility thru the link in my signature.
Thanks for your patience. :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

I have used the uninstall utility yesterday, but I don’t remember if NSW was still installed or not.

Then I have try another times to uninstall, reboot and reinstall avast.
For this attempt I have downloaded the english version of the program. The installation succeded like the other times, and also the same error appear when I try to start Avast window. :-\

Thanks,
Volans

P.S. I think that are no differences between the normal uninstall (Add/remove program → uninstall avast) and the uninstall utility when both works, because the utility is needed only when there is an installation error and the normal uninstall don’t work.
Moreover both these uninstaller leave some registry keys in the windows registry. I have try also to leave them and to delete them, before reinstall avast.

Another little remark, if you allow… :o

Your forum work fine, before the registration I have found various suggestion to solve my problem and since the error still remain I have posted, and received various reply that tried to solve my problem.

Thank you for all! :wink: :slight_smile:

But the Techsupport of Avast is very poor! :frowning:

I have wrote them a mail nearly the same of my first post here, in particular I have wrote:

V> I have read the FAQ of the program and ALL the topics on the support V> forum about this error, and I have try all these solutions:

V> 1 - registering the dll with the command “C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\REGSVR32.EXE
V> ACTSKIN4.OCX”. The box with “DllRegisterServer in ACTSKIN4.OCX
V> succeeded” appear regularly.

And the Techsupport have replied only this:

Hello, 1) Select START -> RUN... 2) In the row write this command: a) If you have Windows NT or 2000: C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\REGSVR32.EXE ACTSKIN4.OCX b) If you have Windows 95, 98 or Millenium: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\REGSVR32.EXE ACTSKIN4.OCX c) If you have Windows XP: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\REGSVR32.EXE ACTSKIN4.OCX 3) Press OK (or Enter). 4) Message saying that the file was successfully registered should appear.

I must deduce that they don’t have read my message, but only the title? ???

I don’t know the relationship between this forum and the techsupport, but surely this do not improve the reputation of Avast…

Voland, we, from forums, can only be sorry about this :‘(
I’m feeling powerless, impotent…
I’m here for quite a long time and I’m losing here like a newbie: I don’t know what can be done :’(

Volans, you are great person… having so much problems and you’re still here. That shows us (among the other things) that you are great man. You didn’t give up on first problem you encountered with avast! and in my opinion, that wasn’t some minor problem… that is something huge, 'cause you are unable to use avast! antivirus because of that.

I am the person (after Martin who is Alwil Team member) who made most of the skins for avast! Unfortunately, your problem is not skin related, but it is related to the program engine that runs skins. We should wait a little bit more to get some answers from Alwil guys… maybe they have some other possible solutions for your problem. I remember that few people had exactly the same problem as you are having right now, but they followed instructions on this page:

http://www.avast.com/eng/support/faq/avast_4_home_profe/other_questions/i_have_installed_ava.html

… and I remember, those simple instructions solved their problems. Something is really strange on your system, and it seems like those steps doesn’t help at all.

Please be little more patient (if you can), and stay here… don’t give up so easy, and please don’t leave. We will find some solution sooner or later… I’m pretty sure.

Cheers !