Normal scans hadn’t returned anything wrong with the computer, but it had still been running slower than it should so i decided to do a boot scan on it in case it could find anything. It never scanned and now is in a reboot loop, it can’t start in safe mode, regular or the most recent working settings. I put in the XP install CD but i can’t even get the option to boot from it or use the CD, it just goes through the same loop. I’m using Avast 5 Free on Windows XP. I have no idea what avast killed my system. Its currently turned off.
Unless anything has been detected during the boot-time scan and you asked avast! to remove that file… I don’t see how avast! could cause it, I’m afraid.
Do you have any other antivirus installed in this computer?
Is your first boot device in your system BIOS set to the CD-ROM Drive?
Avast didn’t even get a chance to scan, it started to reboot, then BSODed for just a single frame and then showed the prompt to choose between safemodes, last working config and normal.
I don’t know how avast couldn’t have caused it, it was working perfectly fine until it restarted for the boot scan. Is there any way i can get this working again without reinstalling windows?
Overinstallation can solve the problem and you won’t lose your programs, settings, data, files, etc.
Just choose ‘Repair’ installation of Windows and install ‘over’ the old installation.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;315341
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q314058
http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=kb%3Ben-us%3B315341&x=15&y=0
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/tips/doug92.mspx
Ok the CD the computer came with doesn’t have a repair mode/option. Is there any other way to fix this thing? It seems like the computer isn’t able to start because avast is preventing it so that it can scan? Would the blue screen have any information on the problem? I was thinking of recording it booting up and then pulling up the frame where it blue screens for a frame.
Is there any other antivirus in this computer? Had in the past?
Maybe. Do you have its numbers and error messages?
I think AVG might still have been installed, but it wasn’t running at all, or even updating. Spybot was installed and in use. I haven’t been able to read the blue screen, to low res of camera’s to get it
If you can run anyway… AVG Remover can be downloaded here: http://www.avg.com/download-tools
But I think it’s difficult if you can’t boot the computer…
Can you plug this HD into another one and boot from a healthy computer?
If you think AVG is the likely cause of the problem we could probably do that. And yes it would be hard to install and run the program without booting
You also should drop Spybot…!
asyn
Really? I always like spybot. Do you recommend malwaybytes instead then?
Also, is it really likely that AVG caused the problem with the boot scan?
Sure. Detection rates are the major point.
It could. Driver loading conflict. But it is difficult to assure.
Alright so my gf’s dad is gonna come by to fix it, i’ll probably have him load up the harddrive with his computer and then i’ll try uninstalling AVG and hope that works. Otherwise, i’m just gonna grab anything vital off of it and then reformat. Wish us luck!
Good luck…!
asyn