Lose QuickLaunch and all icons after using Avast! antivirus

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

I updated to build 1098 yesterday, and decided to scan my Windows folder using the main module, ashAvast.exe. The scan was successful – no malware visible – but when I exited from Avast!, my QuickLaunch started disappearing, especially when I moved my cursor over the icons. Then I saw all my icons had disappeared from my Start menu, and the entire contents had disappeared from the Programs sub-menu. I tried repairing the icons with TweakUI, and also to repair their associations, but this did not work.

I was able to reboot, after killing ashAvast.exe with Ctrl-Alt-Del, and on trying the exercise again I discovered all my icons had disappeared from Windows Explorer, but this time the Programs submenu was still there. This time I was able to reboot without hassles.

I have no problems with context scans from the Explorer window.

My system is a BCM Advanced Research GT370LX using the i440LX-W83977EF chipset, 300MHz Celeron, with 128MB RAM and W98SE. I have Ad-Aware SE 106, but no firewall (my DSL router has a hardware firewall :slight_smile: ), and no other security software.

Any thoughts?

Gordon.

2

This seems a Windows 98 bad memory management.
Does the problem continues after you boot?

Merry Christmas.

3

G’day Tech -

You got no arguments about the memory (mis)management!!!

However, rebooting fixes the problem until I use ashAvast.exe again. Of course, since I rely heavily on the Standard Shield (and the IM and Web Shields!) for proactive protection, I need only perform context scans from Windows Explorer when I get paranoid – there is normally no need for system scans, so this problem is no big thing for me. (I check default extension files on open and create/modify.)

Having said that, many people do rely on system scans, and I would guess that quite a lot of those still have W95/98/ME…

I had the same problem with AntiVir PE before they ceased supporting W98, and so did many others of their clients who use W98/ME. It was beginning to look like a basic incompatibility between XP/Vista requirements and W98/ME requirements, but I don’t know how it panned out in the end, if it ever did.

Gordon.