Hi there! I recently installed Windows XP service pack 3 over two of my PCs. Both had been running XP Pro (SP2) and Avast Pro (4.8.1169) without a glitch. After the SP3 upgrade, everything seemed fine at first until yesterday I manually paused the Standard Shield for some reason. As expected, the XP security center warning msg (the little red shield with a white cross) popped up and I simply ignored it. After some while I turned on the Standard Shield again and expected the security center warning to disappear by itself. Nothing happened. I checked the active providers and it seemed the Standard Shield was still off. What was worse was that the system became extremely slow and soon stopped responding. I could only hold the power button to switch the PC off. Then I updated Avast to the latest version (4.8.1195), but the problem persisted on both of my PCs.
Any idea what could cause this problem? Or could anyone with SP3 please try this on your rig? Simply pause the Standard Shield and enable it again (with windows security center service running), and see if the system hangs? Thanks!
I just did my best to repeat the condition you describe.
I paused the Standard Shield and got the XP security center warning. I proceeded for a while.
I then resumed the Standard Shield. The Windows XP security center warning disappeared and the Standard Shield proceeded to advise me of the latest site that had been scanned.
Thanks! I guess I am extremely unlucky then :'(. Any suggestions, please? Both of my systems are patched with the latest updates, and the startup items are kept at minimal count with only Avast and firewall. One is on Jetico 1.0 and the other on COMODO.
Do you think clearing the security center database can resolve the problem? Any hint how to do that? :
Guys, I think I figured out what might cause the problem. I did a fresh install of the latest build of avast and cleared the security center database. At first the problem seemed gone. But once I switched the Standard Shield sensitivity to “high” (which I had been using previously), the problem appeared again. So for the time being I’ll keep the sensitivity at “normal”.
Could anyone please try turning off and on the Standard Shield with “high” sensitivity and see if the system hangs? : Thanks!
Are you saying that moving the sensitivity from Normal to High makes the Windows Security Center detect avast as not being updated? ??? ???
Did you use any other antivirus in the past in this computer?
If you disable Comodo, will it help? Are you using the Defense+ of Comodo?
Are you using the latest 4.8.1201 version of avast?
i’m going to watch this as i got same / similar problem with 1195 build …
let’s hope it was fixed in 1201 … also if someone else experience this feel free to post
thanks
Thanks Tech. What I meant was when I switched the sensitivity to “high”, my computer always got stuck if I paused and then resumed the Standard Shield. The security center seemed detecting avast fine. Looked like something was preventing the shield from resuming and then a deadlock or whatever. :
Never installed other antivirus programs on this computer. No difference with or without FW (Defense off). Will give build 1201 a try tomorrow and see if it corrects the problem on my computer.
I’m facing exactly the same problem.
I’ve just installed XP Pro SP3. Then installed latest avast (4.8.1201). At this point everything seems all right, the security center didn’t complain about anything. Then I registered avast with a free familial key obtained from avast.com and at this point the security center poped up saying that I didn’t have a Firewall, and some second later that I don’t have a firewall neither.
I tried to clean the security center database but didn’t find the WMI service in the list.
@alanrf: It tells me that I didn’t have an antivirus and a minute later neither a firewall (perhaps because avast desactivate internal windows firewall. Perhaps related with the network shield module). I will install a firewall, but it’s not my problem currently
Anyway I did some further tests and I have reinstalled WinXP pro with SP2 only and the problem is gone.
It seems that SP3 has changed some internal detections of antivirus / firewalls.
I’m staying with SP2 until next avast version at least.
avast doesn’t de-active the windows firewall, it has no need to it isn’t a firewall as Alan said.
The Network Shield isn’t a full firewall it only monitors some ports that are commonly used for worm and virus exploits/infection. like DCOM and LSASS exploits and Blaster/Sasser, etc.
