There's a problem with vps file

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

There is a problem with the VPS 0606 file. After installing it, my Avast 4.6 starts misbehaving.

Details:
Windows XP SP1
AMD K6-3D @ ~380MHz
Avast 4.6.744
Avast 4.6.763

Several days ago, I downloaded what was then the latest version of Avast (4.6.744) ~ 9.5Mb and installed it on a PC which had just had Windows XP SP1 installed on a clean, zero-filled HDD. Avast worked flawlessly. The boot-time scan following the initial installation completed successfully. That version of Avast with whatever vps file that came with it worked without incident.

However, due to HDD problems, I had to reinstall WinXP SP1, so I again downloaded and installed the latest version of Avast (4.6.763), and the boot-time scan directly after installation failed with an error message. The contents of aswBoot.log are:

CreateKbThread
new CKbBuffer
CKbBuffer::Init
CKbBuffer::Init end
ZwCreateEvent(g_hStopEvent)
ZwAllocateVirtualMemory - stack
ZwGetContextThread - NtCurrentThread
ZwCreateThread - KbThread
CreateKbThread end
ZwInitializeRegistry
KbThread start
Unschedule
61,00,75,00,74,00,6F,00,63,00,68,00,65,00,63,00,
6B,00,20,00,61,00,75,00,74,00,6F,00,63,00,68,00,
6B,00,20,00,2A,00,00,00,61,00,73,00,77,00,42,00,
6F,00,6F,00,74,00,2E,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,20,00,
2F,00,41,00,3A,00,22,00,2A,00,22,00,20,00,2F,00,
4C,00,3A,00,22,00,45,00,6E,00,67,00,6C,00,69,00,
73,00,68,00,22,00,00,00,00,00,
Unschedule end
ZwSetEvent(g_hInitEvent)
InitKeyboard
s_dwKbdClassCnt: 2
InitKeyboard end
GetKey
GetModule
ReadRegistry
DATA=C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA
PROG=C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4
BUILD=744
Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 1
SystemRoot=C:\WINDOWS
TEMP=C:\WINDOWS\TEMP
TMP=C:\WINDOWS\TEMP
ReadRegistry end
CreateTemp
CreateTemp end
cmnbInit
SetFolders
SetFolders end
aswEnginDllMain(DLL_PROCESS_ATTACH)
InitLog
InitLog end
InitReport
InitReport end
CmdLine
aswBoot.exe /A:“*” /L:“English”
CmdLine end
LoadResources
LoadResources end
CKbBuffer::Wait
CKbBuffer::Get
CKbBuffer::Get end
CKbBuffer::Wait end
FreeMemory: 32784384
aswintegInitialize
avworkInitialize
GetErrorText
avworkInitialize Error:42003 {Internal program error.}
aswintegClose
TerminateKbThread
GetKey end
CloseKeyboard
CloseKeyboard end
KbThread stop
CKbBuffer::~CKbBuffer
CKbBuffer::~CKbBuffer end
aswEnginDllMain(DLL_PROCESS_DETACH)
cmnbFree
FreeResources
CloseReport
CloseLog

My computer was extremely slow at this point with the HDD running much more than usual. Also, my keyboard locked up and would no longer accept input upon reboot after the initial install/reboot boot-scan failure. So, I uninstalled Avast 4.6.763, searched around on the web and found and installed a copy of the previous version (4.6.744). Again, the post-install boot-time scan proceeded successfully without error.

At this point, I thought that the problem might be with the latest Avast program update (763), so I stayed with Avast 4.6.744 but downloaded and installed the file:
vpsupd.exe
which was available as of tonight (Feb-10-06)
and updated Avast 4.6.744 to VPS version 0606-4 and then scheduled a boot-time scan. Rebooted and the scan again failed with the same error message as above.

From this, it is apparant that a serious bug was introduced in the VPS sometime after the version which shipped in Avast 4.6.744.

So, it looks like tomorrow I will have to again uninstall Avast and roll it back to 4.6.744 and stay with that VPS until the Avast developers admit that there is a problem and fix it.

I did some searching and found that this same error had occurred in an earlier version, but was supposedly fixed.

http://forum.avast.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=2942336904636096e226c9bacb5cf6c3&topic=3675.15

Its back.

2

Funny that, I did a bootscan this morning (I do one every sunday) and I experienced no problems at all, could this be a system specific error - XPSP2 with AMD Barton 2500 Avast 4.6.763 VPS 0606-4
.

3

It may simply have been a bad install for some reason. You could try a manual program update from 744 to 763 now you have at leased crossed the hurdle of the first boot-time scan since install.

If this were a problem with the vps file, an avast repair might have resolved it.

The link you give is to a thread/problem that is nearly two years old so I would think unrelated other than it was a boot-time scan error. If that hadn’t been fixed people would be reporting it in droves. On the same point I haven’t seen any recent threads on this topic.

On an unrelated point, is there any reason you can’t/don’t upgrade to XP SP2 ?

@ essexboy
It’s Saturday not Sunday ;D it was obviously a good night out on Friday (last night) ;D

4

David R

@ essexboy
It’s Saturday not Sunday it was obviously a good night out on Friday (last night

Duh I think I am in a time warp, oh well I won’t have to do it tomorrow now ;D

5

It wasn’t simply a bad install. I’ve completely uninstalled it three times using two different downloads of the installer file. I downloaded Avast 4.6.763 two different times. Both files were identical, the signatures were Ok, and both installs had the exact same behavior. I tried a repair. It didn’t work. And, it wasn’t just the initial post install boot-time scan that threw the error and bypassed the scan. Every subsequent boot-time scan did the same. I went back to 4.6.744 with its default VPS file and everything is working again. It is a problem with the vps, or else its a problem with the full download installer file 4.6.763 and also with the vpsupd.exe file which updates to vps 0606-4. Has anyone even tried a clean, full install of Avast 4.6.763 from the latest full installer on XP SP1?

The reason I don’t go to Windows XP SP2 is that it doesn’t offer any significant advantages for me over SP1, and since I don’t have the full SP2 OS on CD, if I need to reinstall the OS for some reason, I have to first install SP1 and then go through the SP2 install. Too much trouble for the little gain that it offers. I don’t need or use that firewall, and the popup blocker can be had easily by other means, firefox for example.

6

OK, I just started with a clean install of Avast 4.6.744 which had vps 0551-2, and everyting, including the boot-time scan, worked OK. Then I used the iAVS update feature of the tray icon to update to the latest vps which is now 0606-4.

After the update, I scheduled a boot-time scan which failed with the same error as described above. The scan fails and windows xp loads. So, the error appears to be a result of the new vps, whether its via iAVS or vpsupd.exe or the latest full install.

I wonder, could this be a result of minimal system resources? My computer has only 64Mb RAM, which according to Microsoft and ALWIL meets the minimum system requirements for both XP and Avast. I have XP trimmed down to the essentials to save resources. Could it be that updating to the latest vps causes the database to exceed my system’s ability to appropriately load it at boot time?

What services are essential for Avast to function properly? I haven’t disabled anything that Avast reports it requires, but maybe there is something else that it uses that it doesn’t say it uses in “dependencies”?

7

By the way, I should add to above info:

64Mb RAM
Using Avast Home Edition in each case.

8

A little off topic, but I can’t believe you’re even running Windows XP on that system. I loaded Windows 2000 on that exact same system specs for a friend of mine and it was really sluggish.

9

Also a little off-topic but maybe relevent:

Well, that might be the minimum requirements for those 2 programs … but, what else is running at the same time? That is very low on ram to run much at all … especially with XP as the OS. You can still get ram for that computer at www.tigerdirect.com but just make sure you get the same type (pc66, pc100, pc133, etc) you have now.

AMD K6-3D @ ~380mhz … ya must have overclocked a 350 … or under-clocked a 400/450? ???

10

Yes, I know… Its sluggish to say the least. I plan on getting some more RAM. I prefer Win98SE on it, but its so old that its out of MS support cycle, and some of the programs that I use no longer support Win98. I may be forced to go back to Win98SE for awhile, though.

11

The only other program that I have running is Kerio Personal Firewall 2.1.4 which has a very small footprint. I haven’t made any changes to the CPU. This is how the computer shipped. Its an off-the-shelf compaq presario 5184 around 6yr. old.

In any case, it evidently is enough, since Avast 4.6.744 is running just fine with vps 0551-2.

12

Well, the new VPS is certainly somehow bigger than the one from the last year, and you are quite low on memory, but I think it shouldn’t have this effect (when running out of physical memory, the allocations should go to swap file)…

If it’s OK for you, I can try to build and send you a special version of the executable that would dump some more info into a logfile - maybe that would tell us more about where the problem is.

13

I appreciate the offer, but sorry, I don’t accept executables from strangers. I only accept executables if they’re placed on the official download website, sanctioned by the company and available to the general public. Anything else would just be asking for it. Anyway, the developers should build into Avast this debug functionality anyway. It doesn’t make much sense to release a debug version one user at a time. Besides, WinXP was so slow on my system that I went back to an older OS and Avast 4.6.744.

However, I did notice today when looking at the Avast logs today that there were these:

2/12/06 9:56:14 PM 4290777081 aswServ::AavmStart ERROR…

2/12/06 9:56:14 PM 4290777081 AAVM - initialization error: AavmStart: avworkInitialize failed, 0000007B.

This was with:
Windows 98
Avast 4.6.744 vps 0551-2

I’m not sure what was going on here, because I didn’t notice any strange behavior. It was only after looking at the logs that I realized this had happened. This happened either during, or right after, the post-install reboot. The program was installed Sunday, February 12, 2006 9:52:49 PM

I haven’t had any strange behavior, but I haven’t updated the vps yet. I think I’ll try an update and see what happens.

14

qm,

Notice that the stars under most names at the left are yellow or gold … depending on your monitor/video card??

Under Igor’s name they are green. This means he is part of the Avast team and part of the company. So, you have no worries if Igor is offering to help you.
These guys at Avast are unusual (in a good way :wink: ) in that they have often gone out of their way to help just one person (like you) with special files so that a problem can be solved. This time, Igor is offering you a chance to collect more info so that the problem you have can be analyzed better. :slight_smile:

Don’t pass up the opportunity! :wink:

15

qm

just to confirm that igor is a very helpful member of the alwil team.

One of the most remarkable things in this forum is that you get the help of the real developers of the avast product. Compare that with AVG and just despair of that ever happening with Symantec. That’s one of the main reasons I have stayed around in this forum. They not only help but they also listen … and it is clear that the concerns of users help to influence the shape of the product.

So … you can believe that we are all in league with the forces of darkness to persuade you to accept malign updates, or you can check that anything igor offers you is coming from the avast website and be grateful for such customized assistance.

Up to you … but there really are some good folks still on the net.

16

Some kind of debug (or rather “crashlog”) functionality is present in normal avast!; the boot-time scanner module, however, is rather a special beast, so we have omitted some non-critical parts.

The error 7B means “The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect.” - so I’d guess it might have been a scan started with an invalid path/filename. In any case, I don’t think the problems are related.

17

There’s really no reason to take this personally. Its just good common-sense computer security. Nothing more, nothing less.

Neither Igor, nor anyone else here, should have hurt feelings because an Avast user is unwilling to accept an executable from an individual here.

I agree that Avast is a great product with a helpful forum, but
I don’t know igor, or anyone else here for that matter, from Adam. Its nothing personal, and I do appreciate the offer, but I don’t accept executables from friends, let alone strangers. This should be understood by anyone with a little computer security savvy, and it shouldn’t be taken personally or cause any hurt feelings. A lot of software help forums are manned by people who are not the developers or part of the company, but just volunteers. Now, how is someone supposed to know if an offer of an executable given on a help forum is really from the developer?

Well, come to think of it, there’s one simple way that I know of, which wasn’t mentioned in this case. If the executable were signed with the same certificate used to sign the installers, then I would know it comes from one of the developers.

Better still from an efficiency (and customer trust) point of view to put any enhanced debug version of the executable on the official download website with special instructions for customers who are having problems with the original installer version. That way, there’s no reason for doubt as to the source of the executable.

18

I’ll see if this executable can be signed.

Anyway, I’m not going to create a universal debug version, neither I think it’s a good idea to make a special download on the main web - it would only confuse most of the users.
I just want to check what exactly is happening on your computer - from the log file (which you may call a debug feature), I’ve got a rough idea where the problem occurs, so I’m just trying to narrow the area, e.g. by putting a few more debug messages around the specified place.

19

In this case, the error was using Windows 98 SE, so it shouldn’t have anything to do with a boot-time scan since that scan isn’t available in Windows 98, right?

I’ve since done a clean uninstall, and installed the latest version (4.6.763 & vps 0606-3). No errors have shown up in the logs, and everything seems to be working so far. Same with an iVPS update to 0607-0.

BTW, didn’t Avast 4.6.763 originally ship with vps 0606-4, or am I confusing it with the update of the vps after the install? I noticed that the installer I downloaded today starts with vps 0606-3.

Thanks for the help.

20

I don’t know what VPS was sent with the original installer, but I doubt an older version could be included in a later build… so I think it was 0606-3 all the time.

OK, I’ve prepared a slightly modifed version of the boot-time scanner that writes some more info into the log file. I’m not saying it will pinpoint the problem immediatelly, but it should get us a little closer at least.
The modified executable can be downloaded here. If you have the older version of avast! installed, it’s not necessary to update it (if you want to stick with it). It’s enough to:

  1. Schedule a boot-time scan
  2. Replace the aswBoot.exe with Windows\System folder with this modified version (possibly backup the original).
  3. Restart the computer