I have an acer laptop AMD Athlon 64 3400+, Windows XP Home, 512GB RAM, and from the first day that i bought the laptop I chose AVAST for my antivirus protection. Unfortunatly that didn’t happen since when i was trying to right click on the desktop or to copy and paste any file from different folders the computer freezes.After a couple attempts I manage to work properly. When i deactivate avast everything runs smoothly. Because of that problem I swiched to norton for the past year. A few days ago I tried again avast and what a supprise I didn’t have the old problem. I read a lot of good and maybe relevant information on the forum like to wait untill avast doesn’t scan something etc. Unfortunatly my joy wasn’t to last long since yesterday I had the same problem RIGHT CLICK ON DESKTOP SCREEN FROOZEN. Did anybody have the same problem? Any advice would be welcome. Thanks in advance.
Wasn’t there any other antivirus installed with the computer? Like Norton or McAfee?
If Norton is not correctly and fully uninstalled, avast won’t work…
Please, follow…
- Remove NAV through Add/Remove programs from Control Panel. Boot.
- Use Norton Removal Tool for Windows 2000/XP/Vista 2008.0.0.21.
- Boot.
- Install avast! Boot.
- See what you get.
Full SymNRT info:
-
Download and save these three files to the Windows desktop:
a) ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/english_us_canada/linked_files/tsgen/MSIFIX.bat
b) ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/english_us_canada/linked_files/tsgen/SymNRT.exe
c) ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/english_us_canada/linked_files/tsgen/SYMMSICLEANUP.reg -
Run the three files that you just downloaded
a) On the Windows desktop, double-click the MSIFIX icon.
Click Run.
A black window may appear very briefly.
b) On the Windows desktop, double-click the SymNRT icon.
Click Run.
Click Next.
Click I accept the License Agreement, and click Next.
Type the letters and numbers that you see in the white box, and then click Next.
Click Yes or OK at each prompt.
You may need to click more than once. Your computer may be restarted for you more than once.
You may be asked to repeat some steps after the computer restarts.
c) On the Windows desktop, double-click the SYMMSICLEANUP icon.
Click Run, and then click Yes.
Click OK. -
Boot.
Thanks for your reply. Some additional info. The avast was the first antivirus ever installed on the computer when i had those problems.
Norton is fully uninstalled. When i use Norton Removal Tool for Windows 2000/XP/Vista 2008.0.0.21 since i have norton gost and Symantec winfax Pro it says that i have to remove those 2 in order to proceed. Is there a way to avoid uninstall?
The full SymNRT info what is it and do i have to do the steps you said after i make sure that norton is unistalled or do them anyway?
Thanks again
No, it’s not… unfortunatelly when you run Norton Removal Tool you’ll remove the remains of it.
I suggest, if you can, uninstall norton ghost and Symantec winfax Pro by Control Panel.
Then run the NRT again and remove everything.
Then install avast and after it the other two Symantec products.
You can do them anyway… but, now, follow the suggestion (uninstalling) that I’ve posted just now (above).
Tech thanks for your advice but I still get the same problem. I have followed your instructions but I still get the froozen desktop when i right click on it our the folder I open to create a new folder. The strange thing is that before i do aby of the above it allows me to right click on the taskbar. And when I disable avast then i can work with no problem.
Any other suggestions appart of uninstalling avast?
Also I must add that sometimes after a period of time like 5 to 10 min everything works smoothly. Do you thing that at the begining avast is scanning something or is busy?
It could be. Test two things:
- On Program Settings > Troubleshooting > Delay avast services start.
- To delay the update of avast into a permanent internet connection (DSL) you can change the value AlwaysConnectedWaitSeconds into avast4.ini file.
More details here: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?board=2;action=display;threadid=1647
Alan’s experience: This is especially true during Windows update week. Windows automatic updates seem to hog resources even to just determine that updates do exist but you are just not allowed to download them yet (to prevent overload of Microsoft’s servers). So this is happening at every startup during the Windows update period until you have been permitted to download the updates. Although I do not have “smoking gun” logs to prove it (a bit hard to get on an overloaded system at startup) I am reasonably certain that the Windows automatic update process, at this time, can prevent the avast automatic VPS update from getting timely access to it servers and causing avast to report an automatic update error - especially on older, less powerful systems. This past week was Windows update week, some folks this week waited 4 or 5 days before being permitted to download the Windows updates through the automatic update process.
I have openned the ini file but the AlwaysConnectedWaitSeconds is not writen and the AssumeAlwaysConnected is default 0 but I have a DSL connection. Sould I change the value from 0 to 1 and what about the AlwaysConnectedWaitSeconds why isn’t it writen.
It’s not written as avast read the default from other parts than the ini file only.
It’s said here: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=1647.msg10233#msg10233 the first post of that thread, in blue letters. You can change the 0 or 1 by GUI (Program settings > Updated (Connections) tab) and ADD the AlwaysConnectedWaitSeconds value in seconds.
My mistake sorry!! :
Thanks! I will try it.
Don’t worry. We’re here to help 8)
Well after a weekend of testing and trying things the problem remains. The thing is that is so strainge. No one else that i know was experience such a problem.
Still open to suggestions Tech. I have tried the delays but nothing happened.
The thing is that when i right click on the desktop and it freezes if i log off and log on again in order to avoid hard restart the problem is gone (well not always but most of the times).
And the other thing is that when windows are loaded before doing anything when I right click on the icon of avast and stop protection on access (i am not sure how it is in english) then i right click on the desktop (which works and doesn’t freeze) and then start avast again I have no problem afterwards.
I give you as many information as possible in order to help. It is not that i don’t have an other option for antivirus but I realy want to find out what is wrong.
Did you follow this?
yes i did. And the second suggestion as well.
But it does not solve, doesn’t it?
Strange… but something in low level seems to be conflicting with avast. Maybe other security program… or an old antivirus installed and poorly uninstalled…
The thing is that even after a format and installing only avast I have the same problem.
Does this happen right after you start your computer or is random?
hey bud, My wife had a similar problem on hers. We started noticing on a Heavy load start, The machine would freeze. SOMETIMES it would recover, and others it would just hardlock. Even after reinstalling, removing all the hardware but the video card, it still did it. Come to find out, there was a stress fracture on the CPU. after taking it out, I noticed it. So I changed CPU’s and it was fine.
As for you changing AV’s and It not doing it. Try this… There is a program called (heat up) which puts stress on the CPU. one program that has it is MBM5 (Mother Board Monitor 5). Problem is the last thing I knew they stopped working on MBM5, but I recall you can download it from from here, http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=311. Thats the last known version they did. The site that used to make it, Is no longer up. The only thing you need to know prior to installing MBM5 is your motherboard model, OR computer model. (Acer). when setting it up, and you get to choose your settings, Before to click update, then move to next. Choose your setup you have.
Once you have it installed, goto c:\program files\mbm5 There (should) be a folder called heat-up unless they changed it. I haven;t used the program in a while because I haven;t needed to. Upon getting to Heat-up , Double click on it. Let it run for about 5-10 Min’s. (your machine WILL bog down) It will be under 100% CPU usuage. Typically, (IF) your CPU is damaged from stress it will hardlock!!! if the CPU is fine, typically it won’t. This is how I found her (my wife’s) problem with her CPU. It that fails, Let me know. and I have a few other trick up my sleeve.
also, MBM5 is the only software that has heat-up. Or that I’ve come across. maybe someone on the boards has it, and can put just that file on a FTP for you to download. If i had MBM5 installed at the moment I would for you. If you like I can grab it, and get the file for you, and place it on my ftp.
It happens just after I start windows. It is not random.
When I shut down my computer, I set my firewall to block all. when I restart the computer, since I have always connected selected as the type of connection, avast will imediately try to update. If I try to do anything on the desktop without first allowing traffic through the firewall, the computer will seem to freeze for af few minutes. I believe this to due to avast trying to get it’s update check done asap and ties things up completey. Once the firewall is open, everything is fine.
One thing that I found to work is set your connection to dialup. This way avast will check for a connection first, then do the update. Perhaps you could try this and see if it helps?
take the process and set it to low priority. I know people with low end machines that do that, and They haven’t had a single issue with ANY program. just adjust that level. the program works, just uses less CPU