problem with gui without skins

I’m using the gui without skins (under win xp sp2)
if I try to scan c: after a while I get the error:

scan completed with error:
5 = access denied

the problem is that i can’t see which file or directory is
causing this error, so please, can you modify the dialog
to add the filename ? (with full path).

also I didn’t understand if the scan was completed for
all files, skipping the ones related to the error or if the
scan was interrupted at the error, leaving some files
to be scanned.

ps I suspect it was related to c:\system volume information

thanks.

Did you install Avast while you where logged in as Administrator?
If not, remove Avast, login as administrator, reinstall Avast.

Have you checked Avast’s log file?
If not, do so to see if it tells you more.

Avast does not hold on the system restore folder.

They 5=access denied can mean that Avast was unable to scan file(s)/folder(s), which is normal behaviour if they are password protected archives, or if you have not select to scan archives also or if you don’t have the proper permissions for that folder.

Not really, “5” = “access denied”.
How did you scan your disk - as “Scan folders” or “Scan local disks”?
Do you have e.g. some kind of removable device in D: ?

I’m using administrator.
in the log I’ve found:
26/10/2004 20.50.25 user 3664 Scan of “C:\System Volume Information” area failed with 00000005 error (function avfilesScanReal failed).

I’ve selected scan folders, and choose all directories except one
(I’ve also choosed c:\system volume information), and I don’t have
removable devices.

thanks.

  • Disable system restore
  • Reboot
  • Scan that folder again

Let us see if that solves the problem or not.

system restore is already disabled.

apart being able to scan that folder, the main problem
is that:

  1. i can’t read the name of the file that gave the errot

  2. i dont’ know if the scan was completed or not.

i really think that the dialog should be redesigned.

thanks.

Sorry can’t help you with that one. :-[

But I’m sure Igor or one of the others will be able to help you or give more information.

Can you try?

  1. Enable System Restore.
  2. Click Apply or Ok.
  3. Disable System Restore.
  4. Click Apply or Ok.
  5. Run a scan.

disabling/enabling system restore didn’t help.
the problem here is simply that c:\system volume information on
an ntfs volume is created by the o.s. with permission
only for the “system” user. other users, including administrator,
cannot read the directory.
of course an admin can always add permission to read that dir,
but I think it is not acceptable to ask an end user, maybe a
complete beginner, to add “complete control” permission for
this dir, just to avoid the error…
I’m wondering how other antivirus deal with this issue.
(maybe they simply skip that directory?)

Zifette, is that really a specific of the skin-free GUI? I mean the classic (skinned) and skin-free GUIs should behave exactly the same…

Thanks
Vlk

yes, happens with skin gui too.

now, just to test another av, I have asked a friend who uses
norton antivirus 2003 to scan c:\system volume information.
the scan is completed without erroes, but in the report I see
“files scanned: 0” so it seems that norton av simply skips this
folder.

my suggestion: skip this folder but show a message to the user
about what happened.

There might by other folders on the disk without read permission and all of them migth eventualy contain viruses. I see no point of plainly skipping such folders.

you’re right. so maybe it’s better to do this:

after the scan is completed avast must show a detailed
report showing which files/directories couldn’t be read.

(stopping the scan without giving detailed informations
is useless: what should do a user do when “5= access denied”
is showed on the screen ?)

then avast could ask the user what to do:

  1. skip that files and stop the scan?
  2. let the user try to fix permission and rescan only that files?
  3. try to fix permissions by itself ?

in the last case avast when run by an administrator could:

  1. save permissions
  2. add additional permission to be able to scan files
  3. restore original permissions

I 've seen that norton skips c:\system volume information,
it could be useful to see how other av work.

comments ?

I believe avast! certainly didn’t stop on the inaccessible folder… I’d rather say it was the last one to check, therefore the message (the scan completed with error); if there was another folder after the inaccessible one, it would be scanned and no error would be possibly given (that’s just a theory, of course :-).
Was the System Volume Information directory the last one in the list you selected to be scanned?

I’ve made some more tests, and it seems that you’re right:
all folders are scanned, however i still think that the dialog is
misleading, and should be redesigned.
thanks.

I am having exactly the same problem no matter what skins I use…

I can’t get passed the 5 = access denied either AND it’s when I use System Volume folder…

Although I am the Admin on the laptop I can’t access that folder (someone said delete files in the folder).

Maybe I am just too tired right now but I just didn’t see any solution to this problem we are having… no one has any ideas?

I have tried everything and nothing works. Don’t want to exclude the System folder in my scans…

Ellie

I think that by default, Windows prevents anybody from accessing the System Volume folder - even Administrator.
You can add yourself the necessary rights, if you wish.

Thanks but does anyone have any idea what is causing the error message?
Ellie

How to gain access to the System Volume Information folder > READ THIS

The same goes for other folders/files.

Note: A user with admin rights is not the same as administrator.

Scan the folders one at a time to see which one (or what file) is causing the error.
Then check the settings/permissions for that folder/file to find out more.

I only have one account on my laptop… the only user account I have is the admin account… I always thought that made it the admin-account… there is no other user ???