I thought Avast was continuing to supporting XP Pro? Since my last vast program update Windows updates refused to install ??? i.e. Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool, Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool - April 2015.
OK so after going thru all the windows help pages I finally found that (Antivirus) Avast conflict not allowing Genuine Validation to run which permits all other updates. Windows recommends
I have no problems with my XP and latest Avast nor with Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool. However I had problems with MRT this past Midrosoft Tuesday. After install Microsoft Update wanted to install it again so I hid it.
if you have trouble running Avast and Microsoft Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool, would be better to open a new topic in the Viruses and Worms forums
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?board=4.0
and attach logs for Malwarebytes ( MBAM ), Farbar Recovery Scan Tool ( FRST ), and aswMBR.exe.
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=53253.0
May be one of our specialist can find out what is going on there.
if you have trouble running Avast and Microsoft Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool, would be better to open a new topic in the Viruses and Worms forums
May be one of our specialist can find out what is going on there.
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First thing I did, run all malware programs & avast everything came up clean, so don’t believe it’s a virus or malware so why post under that topic.
Windows Web site say’s it’s a conflict with Avast :o
The logs asked and specially FRST is not just to find out if the system is infected. It also gives other clues as what is going on in the system; Exclusions, restrictions, events, programs that can conflict with Avast, etc.
When troubleshooting a problem in the system, Microsoft first advise is to blame AV.
I am not the only Evangelist here who runs XP. There are other who do so without problems thus can not be only Avast that is the problem but that particular system.
I too run XP Pro SP3 and I don’t appear to have any conflict with windows update.
Considering MS dropped support for XP a year ago, you really shouldn’t have any updates other than the monthly Malicious Software Removal tool. This I never bother to download now, given that this is essentially MSE type scan and even MS say having a 3rd party AV is better.
So is this an installation of an old XP OS version that is incomplete in windows updates (doesn’t seem to be the case from your signature) ?
As at this point in time if you have all of the updates already you shouldn’t really need the Microsoft Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool, monthly Malicious Software Removal tool.
Yah, I was surprised too, as I validated the software during the original reinstall and downloads of the 100"s of updates. But thought Malicious removal tool couldn’t hurt. But that presents with another problem :-\ Last week after the Avast program update then almost immed the windows update notification that wouldn’t install multiple times I started experiencing other issues, flickering, freezing and hanging which I didn’t mention so not to side track my original question, I turned off Auto notification of updates thinking it may or may not be the problem. Not the notification but as it turned out the update’s itself as after I finally installed the verification & malicious tool everything returned to normal.
So now that you understand I am working with a temperamental, OS, hardware & software what do you suggest? Short of the obvious to get a new Puter 
;D
Well in your first post you said:
OK so after going thru all the windows help pages I finally found that (Antivirus) Avast conflict not allowing Genuine Validation to run which permits all other updates. Windows recommends
How did you find out that it was conflicting (other than MS would say it is possibly a conflict with your AV) ?
e.g. were there any avast alerts (or interaction windows, if you have Hardened Mode enabled), possibly DeepScreen, but with all of these you should be getting some sort of alert/interaction window.
I personally have not had (experienced) any negative issues with MS updates on my xpSP4 and Avast Premier.
Right again David, I take very little stock in MS tech support, lol However this time (as I stated in my original post) After temporarily disabling Avast I was able to install the Windows updates, reactivated Avast & windows update notification when I was done and Everything is now running as before. So one would have to conclude it was Avast blocking the installation as I couldn’t until I disabled Avast.
So again, I ask if in fact MS is correct this time how do I clear the conflict?
Conflict is a two way street disabling one removes the conflict but it doesn’t mean it has pinpointed the problem.
I don’t know why it is happening in your case, but not in others.
Essentially, although I still allow WU to notify me of updates but they are only the monthly Malicious Software Removal tool, which I don’t download.
I take a weekly hard disk backup image and that is what I use to restore my system to exactly where it was a week ago (I keep the last 6 weekly drive images). This is a lot easier than restoring windows from scratch and having to do all of the WU again.
Well David, as you already noted my profile I had a Dual HD So with Microsoft ending and w/ no issues, running like a dream but with a few broken registry’s and hiccup’s along the way and never using the Vista Side I let a tech talk me into uninstalling everything and starting with a clean HD with just XP Pro and more ram. BIGGGG Misssssstake :‘( I had the original installation disks and all the drivers saved on my computer, he supposedly imaged everything before uninstalling but then when off on his own installing non compatible newer drivers and programs and didn’t install XP in the correct order. Nothing worked :’( :‘( install and uninstall Multiple times, :’( :‘( :’( finally contacted another company, Their tech just tried trouble shooting instead of a clean installation When I finally told him he could leave he decided to back up the files and do an install, yip you got it he too didn’t know what he was doing either so I called Dell’s level 2 support in Texas who was advising me on what the first tech did wrong and he walked him thru the install but he scrambled the saved files in his lame attempt to transfer them to my external HD so after 6 1/2 hours I gave him his walking papers. The company owner Then sent another tech who atleast knew what he was doing but some of the saved program files and drivers were corrupted/ lost from the previous tech’s attempt to image them and no longer available.Last guy was able to get it 90% back to it’s original config with just a few minor lost features so I just figured at that point as long as for the most part everything was working as it should I was OK.As I said running on a wing and a prayer that nothing upset’s the apple cart. Learned my lesson about trusting tech’s that they know what there doing, I probably could have done it myself but I didn’t trust myself as although I’m not a techie I probably know more than most at least about my computer & OS. Said it was a long story and no one to blame but myself. I have programs that will only run on XP so I have little choice until MS finally realizes XP users won’t transition to their other OS and come out with 1 that we can.
So I guess by your replies there is no fix and either have to turn off Avast for malicious tool, office updates or just by pass them. Thanks anyway for trying, have a great day/night. BTW Puter Illit was my first handle way back when on my first computer. lol ;). .
windows XP is still updating?
Only Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool once a month and and occasional Office depending on your version. Not sure how long those will continue.You can check by going to updates and click on custom tab, some 3rd party updates programs might also show Good luck
@ puter illit
Sounds like an absolute nightmare all round. When you have one tech trying to correct the errors of another tech, followed by another, the Ball just gains momentum as it rolls downhill. Unfortunately things get harder to return to their original state.
Drive Imaging software is a life saver and really isn’t that complex now and has saved me a lot of grief over the years. Not only should you backup as you have, keep a copy of those backups off system (so the tech can’t screw those up).
My neighbour has a Western Digital My Passport 1TB 2.5inch USB3 external drive and they are coming down in price. So that is another option, for me I continue to use my 2nd HDD and do limited off system backups, but I’m certainly considering an external backup HDD.
Well, David the nightmare never ends, As I feared and got no assistance! Avast Crashed my XP Pro OS 10 Days ago. XP totally unrecoverable and had to install the original Vista Hard drive to Get back on line. Please don’t tell me it wasn’t Avast? >:( It’s all over the web about the conflict I had a tech working on it for an entire week and all roads lead to Rome :(. Avast sent a new update and Without thinking I installed it, then MS sent Malicious Software Tool update and I didn’t but when I closed the computer it installed anyway, Next morning on Boot the computer froze, rebooted, blue screen telling me to go to Safe Mode and uninstall any new hardware or software, could not log in after 20 or so attempts, went to Safe mode, showed all my files, programs and everything running normal so I clicked on Avast to try to uninstall it and everything locked up again, had to remove battery to turn off, on reboot could not even boot back into Safe Mode called a tech over he got into bios check everything from there ran diagnostics everything running normal, every boot into Safe mode stopped at Avast file on system 32. tried to repair with OS disk stopped at Avast! Ran multiple recovery, boot disks - NOTHING worked. could only go as far as the log in window then blue screen to go to Safe mode which keeps stopping loading at system 32 Avast file. He even tried to delete Avast from the back door using the bios NOthing helped. Finally we gave up and reinstalled the Vista everything worked, no hardware issues. So FAREWELL to Avast, - When a program that knows there is a problem offers no Fix or Warning, denies its existence when asked for help when symptom indicates there is, >:( ignoring the probability it will Crash the OS leaving it unrecoverable, free or not it’s not it’s got problems. Let this be a WARNING to All XP Users! As Avast Won’t
Sorry maybe it was mentioned earlier but what about restore points? Were these tried?
Windows updates put in a Software Distribution restore point before installing. If Safe Mode was still working that is the first thing I would have tried using or going back to an even earlier restore point.
This sort of horrible problem is something that has always worried me greatly. It is something I have attempted to avoid after the similar trouble I had following a Windows update about three years ago. That was NOT caused by an AVAST conflict.
It makes more work but since then updates of any sort apart from AVAST definitions I’ve disciplined myself to install/initiate only manually. This is usually done on a weekly or monthly basis but whatever the case only after I’ve put in a restore point as a safety net. TBH I’d do the same with AVAST but last time I tried that ie. turning off automatic definition updates, the warnings and prompts this caused were intolerable.
So far, so good but the reports here of some of the recent AVAST versions messing with restore points makes me very concerned.
You could extend receiving updates for Windows XP by using the following:
http://www.ryanvm.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10321&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
Microsoft hasn’t stopped issuing updates for XP. They did stop making it available for home users.
Really wish people would read the entire post and or thread before sending in their thoughts and or experiences. You should be very very worried if it hasn’t happened yet it will at some point. Yes we tried everything, AS I MENTIONED clicking on Avast in SAFE MODE locked me out of even SAFE MODE I had a professional IT tech on site he tried every back door to get into the winows system, repair or just open 
Everything indicated Avast as the problem. But to be all fair MS malicious software tool triggered Avast’s response.
Good luck
Yikes :o I Really wish people would read the entire post and or thread before sending in their thoughts and or experiences. Malicious software removal tool update is what CRASHED the OS But to be all fair MS malicious software removal tool played a part in it.
So why would you advise people to continue using it in conjunction with AVAST! Geeze Google the problem I’m not the only person this has happened too. AVAST is no longer compatible with XP Pro. Their is a bug in the updates that Avast is not talking about. Glad it hasn’t happened to U yet, You’ve been WARNED!
XP (SP3) and avast are working fine on all systems that I installed it.
What I am still missing in this thread…
What exact version of avast do you have ?
Any other security software installed ? (or did you)