Hi, all, I’m running Windows XP Home Edition with avast! 4.8 Home Edition, and I’m trying to setup my Outlook 2007 (from Office 2007 Ultimate if that makes any difference), but I keep receiving an error message when Outlook loads. I understand this is a common problem, however, following several resolutions posted on the forums, I can’t seem to keep Outlook from displaying this message:
The Add-in “avast! 4” (C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashOutXt.dll) cannot be loaded an has been disabled by Outlook. Please contact the Add-in manufacturer for an update. If no update is available, please uninstall the Add-in.
I have searched under the Trust Center for all disabled add-ins, but none are disabled. I’ve gone to the COM Add-ins, but none are disabled there either. The only avast! add-in detected is in the Exchange Client Extensions, but if I disable this or not, I will not have a provider running for my email and that’s something I’d rather not do.
In addition to checking the add-ins, I’ve deleted the extend.dat file found through Windows Search in /Owner/Local Settings/Application Data/Microsoft/Outlook. That didn’t do the trick either. The path for ashoutxt.dll is correct in the error message as well.
I did have AVG on this computer before avast! was installed. I’m unsure of anything leftover from it’s uninstallation that would cause this problem. Even the Repair feature for avast! in Add/Remove Programs didn’t help. No avast! Splash screen loads when I open Outlook either. And, finally, the Outlook/Exchange provider is “waiting for a subsystem to start” like it’s supposed to. I can’t edit the heuristics configuration, and the Start and Pause buttons are greyed out (the only one active is Terminate even though it hasn’t started).
What can fix this solution so I can use avast! for email protection? Thanks in advance!
I tried loading Outlook, going to the Exchange Client Extensions add-in section in Trust Center, disabling avast! 4, closing the program, rebooting my computer, opening Outlook, and re-enabling avast! 4, but as soon as I click the checkbox beside avast! 4, the same error message comes up.
Also possibly worth noting (forgot to mention this in my previous post), I am running ZoneAlarm 7.0.483.000 (the free edition) in conjunction with avast!. I know there have been some incompatibility issues between the two, however, I wasn’t sure if ZoneAlarm would be the cause of this.
I pray that one of the programmers, PLEASE, help us to understand what is happening with the Outlook plugin…
There isn’t an incompatibility with the free version, only an issue with the Pro.
Since 4.7.892 version of September 25, 2006, avast gets improved detection of ZoneAlarm Pro (to prevent unnecessary WebShield incompatibility warnings). So, if you’re using ZA free, you won’t see the avast! Web Shield compatibility dialogue while installing/updating avast.
Anyway, if the question appears and you are using ZoneAlarm Free you should click NO, because privacy features are not present in ZoneAlarm Free this will not turn off webshield transparent mode proxy.
Use a text editor and edit the avast4.ini file, the default installation location is C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\avast4.ini (I would advise you copy avast4.ini before editing it, just in case).
Locate the line containing ZoneAlarmCompatibility= and delete that line or, if you want to keep this line, set it to 0. Save the edited avast4.ini file.
To do so, maybe you want to temporarily disable the avast self defense module:
Hey, again, Tech, thanks for the help with ZoneAlarm too. My avast4.ini file’s zonealarmcompatibility= line was already set to 0. I remember clicking “No” when that message came up during my install for whichever program came 2nd.
Anyone else or any programmers know what to do about the avast!4 add-in to Outlook 2007? I’d really like some AV protection for my email. ;D
We will need more information to be able to help you:
Which OS are you using? Is it up to date?
Do you use a firewall? Which one?
Do you have any other antivirus installed in your system? Did you have in the past?
Any other security programs that could interfere?
Also, make sure the avast plugin is not disabled into MS Outlook:
Outlook 2007 > Tools > Trust center > Add-inns > Manage Disabled items.
Outlook 2003 > Help > About > Disabled items.
Outlook 2002 > Help > About Microsoft Outlook > Disabled items.
Outlook 2000 > Tools menu > Options > Other > Advanced Options > Add-In Manager.
The message “The provider is waiting on the subsystem to start” will be shown there until you open MS Outlook.
The plugin will be enabled automatically after that.
