Posted once before about updating from free version of 6.0.1203 to latest version and getting BSOD. Was advised to totally removing Avast in safe mode with the Avast removal tool and to reinstall the latest version again. At the time I wasn’t going to bother as others had had problems, but in the end I decided to go for it. BAD MISTAKE. I removed everything of Avast that I could with the removal tool. I then ran a registry cleaner to clean all unnecessary files and then downloaded and installed the latest free version. Just as before I got the BSOD, with the computer just booting on around. Decided to remove everything with the install tool again and download the version I had, thought I had done that but ended up with the latest version again. Ended up having to do a system restore to 6th Nov to get the old version back. There is definitely something in the new version that doesn’t like my pc. I’m using windows XP 2003. Looked in the system logs to find out what had happened but varying events give varying answers. Anyone got any ideas or had the same problem. Unsure if I have posted in the right place and apologies if I haven’t.
Hi,
You can upload the most recent .mdmp files from C:\Windows\mindunp and Memory.dmp file from C:\Windows and upload it to the ftp site
ftp://ftp.avast.com/incoming/
avast! will take care rest of the things.
Have a wonderful day. Good k@rma!
The correct site for uploading is ftp://ftp.avast.com/incoming/, and it is write-only, which means that you can’t see the file after uploading it.
Please use a zip archive before uploading it, and name the zip archive with a unique name (like for example Mac_the_Knife2011NOV08-1.zip.
You may want to include in the zip also a text file with more info and the link this this topic (very recommended).
May I ask, do you have SP3 installed?
Haven’t any minidump files to send. the last file in the minidump folder is from 2007. There weren’t any recent minidump files last time either, perhaps because both times I did a system restore before checking these files. One thing I forgot to mention is that I did download and open it fine, but it doesn’t allow me to restart the system. I did try disabling a couple of functions to see if that worked, one I think was the deep root kit check on start up (or something like that), the other I can’t remember, but I think it was a start up one again. I felt like perhaps the program might be interfering in some way when the system was started. Looks like I’ll be sticking to the previous version for now, until someone finds the reason for it.
Your last post was unclear to me (to say the least), and there is not much concrete info about your problem for anyone to try to solve it, whether it is a bug in Avast or a problem in your system.
You can try downloading a previous version from filehippo.com, but I suggest also running the removal utility of Avast under Windows Safe Mode to REALLY remove every previous remnants. Moreover, I would reboot into Windows Safe Mode twice, so to run the removal utility again for older versions of Avast that you had before (like once for 6.0 and one additional run for 5.x). If you run it twice, please don’t skip the reboot between them, and select the correct folder for Avast.
BTW, for other security tools that you ever HAD, you should run their respective removal utilities too (specially with the behaviours you described). http://thewebatom.net/uninstallers/security-software/
Please read:
How to invoke memory dump creation?
http://support.avast.com/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=71
ady4um, I realise there is not much to go on and am unsure myself whether it is my machine or the Avast program. I have already gone back to the previous version that has no problem loading on my system at all. I did run the Avast removal tool more than once and, as far as I’m aware, I removed everything of Avast from my system. Unfortunately, now I’ve done a system restore to the 6th Nov I have various Avast files in my program files. I’m a little reluctant to remove them as I had a problem getting hold of the version I’m now using. My thoughts are that if no one else is getting the same problem, then it is most likely linked to my system being 8yrs old and the new version of Avast being to aggressive for it for some reason. For the post underneath yours, I don’t think there is a problem with a minidump file being produced as I have some old ones in the minidump folder. But if system restore has gone back to a previous date, before I updated the latest Avast the first time, then it makes sense to me that the minidump file would now no longer exist. Anyway, I’ll check it out. Meanwhile I’ll stick to the old version and maybe have another go at installing the latest when I’ve got more time to spare. I will also report back if I should find out the reason. Many thanks for all your help.
If I understand correctly, you seem to have more than one “Avast” folder where should be only one? That’s an example of remnants, and such situation can also be found after going back to some system restore point.
I insist that filehippo.com has several old stable version of the Free edition, so you can download it anew.
Then download the removal utility for Avast (the link is in some post above), and reboot into Windows Safe Mode. Select one of the “Avast” folders (that should be the “correct” one) and run the removal utility for Avast 6.x. Then reboot, again into Windows Safe Mode. Repeat the removal utility procedure, but select the other folders each time, also with Avast 6. Now reboot a third time into Windows Safe Mode (and please don’t skip this reboots) and run the removal utility for Avast 5 (instead of Avast 6.x ). If you also had at any time Avast 4.x, then repeat the reboot and the removal again.
In theory, you shouldn’t have any relevant remnants of old folders for Avast after the cleaning. Relevant registry entries should have gone too. If you found anything related to Avast, try the removal tool again on the specific folder. Registry entries that might be left are not relevant (if you ran the removal utility for each and every edition and version of Avast you ever had in that old system.
Now that everything is clean, run the setup.exe for Avast Free (the one you downloaded from filehippo). Better yet, run the setup with “run as administrator” permissions. Reboot immediately after the installation.
After that last reboot, configure and test. Usu it for several days, and only update the definitions. Avoid FOR NOW updating the program itself.
By not updating the program, you should be able to test the system. This is not ideal, but in your case, it is better than having a “dirty” installation.
Register the new installation of Avast after several days of testing. Generally speaking, I do not recommend using older versions, but in your case, this seems to be the “best” of bad options, for now.
Please report back in any case. If you notice any BSOD, please try to save any type of memory dump (minidump, kernel dump, full dump).
If you have BSOD but no dumps are found, then follow the above instructions for creation of memory dumps so to upload it.
Only following the complete process and reporting feedback, Avast Team may be able to find the solution for your system.
Many thanks Ady4um, I did remove all remnants of Avast the last time. The folders I have now are because I did a system restore. I was unsure whether they would affect my reinstall of Avast but have deleted them and have had no problem. Being an inquisitive soul I will probably try installing the new one again at some point and maybe untick a load of the scanning settings just to see if it loads or not. There are quite a few changes in the changelog, so I will wait until I’ve a couple of days then try and disable what I can and see if it will load at all. If I can get it to load o.k. then I can tick relevant parts one at a time until I find the culprit. I probably won’t have a chance to do this for a few weeks as working a lot, but will post under a fresh heading of some sort should I find the reason. Again, many thanks and have a good day.
System Restore is not “perfect”, to say the least. Sometimes it can mess with installed programs, specially with those that are interacting “deeply” with Windows (like drivers, for example). Having more than one folder (even if you deleted the “additional” folders manually) is such a sign of something messing with your Avast installation.
Whenever you can, follow the instructions so to clean up the (potential) mess, or at least be aware of any potential problems. If you happen to have problems with Avast, start by “cleaning” the potential mess first (removal utility of Avast under Windows Safe Mode). In any case, when you have time for it, it could be useful to report back.