Windows Action Center warns Avast and Dedender are not on

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Hello to all.

Upon boot today, Avast does not start: the Avast icon displays message “! Avast Free Antivirus You are unprotected”. Right click on icon and open User Interface brings the usual square figure, but full dark with message: “Loading… This should not take long.” and option to Exit. Well, nothing happens and after a few mn I click Exit.

At the same time, Windows Action Centers signals two problems:
1/ Spyware and unwanted software protection (important) Defender and Avast both report they are turned off
2/ Virus Protection (important): Avast reports that it is turned off

Clicking the button “Turn on Now” for reported problem 2/ asks if I want to run “C:\Program Files\Avast Software\Avast\wsc_proxy.exe from Avast Software s.r.o.” with options of “Yes, I trust the publisher and want to run this program”. Problem 1/ brings to the same, if choosing to turn on Avast rather than Defender. I have tried both a couple of times, with subsequent reboot. To no avail, same issue again.

I then tried the Avast Repair option, and since can not open Avast UI it was done from Windows Control Center \ Programs and Features: selected Avast then Uninstall then Repair. It does not seem to have any impact, the same issues again after reboot.

Hereafter some additional info:
a- I run 2 Dell laptops, one running Windows 7 SP1 is with above reported issue. This current message is written on the 2nd laptop, running under Linux
b- I have been using Avast Free Antivirus on the W7 laptop, well, forever it seems. A couple of weeks ago, uninstalled and reinstalled Avast because AvastSvc.exe was eating up too much CPU forever and was freezing the comp, or at least painfully slowing it down.
c- both W7 and Avast are regularly updated (though I can not say which version of Avast, but well, it was re-installed lately as indicated)
d- just had a look in Admin Tools / Event Viewer / Application, noticed repeated Errors and Warnings involving respectively Avast update Helper and AvastSvc.exe. But I don’t have a clue what these are about, this is beyond my reach.

Can please give an indication as to what to attempt next? I have not connected this W7 running laptop for now, reluctant to do that without Avast running.
Thanks in advance
Sergei

2
  1. Download Avast Free Antivirus: https://files.avast.com/iavs9x/avast_free_antivirus_setup_offline.exe
  2. Follow instructions: https://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility (Run this tool for all prior installed Avast versions…!!)
  3. Reinstall Avast with the downloaded installer from point 1.
  4. Reboot.
3

Thanks for the links, i will proceed accordingly then

4

You’re welcome.

5

All done, so i will wait for a while and hopefully confirm no more issue.
Cheers

6

OK, report back.

7

Here’s what I can report, a day after re-install (and this is a second re-install, after a first one about 2/3 weeks ago)

Re-install was done using the Avast Clear - only once, in spite of advice to un-install all former versions ? I don’t know if there any priors left, always updated thru the interface.

First was a bit of a surprise yesterday, the interface looked like old one - at least not the latest i remembered. Under settings / update, I could update the virus database but not the application update: the option was there of course, but clicking it did not trigger anything. Today, back to the current interface, as much I can tell and application update option operating, there is no need for any update. I have gone thru Smart Scan, Full Scan, Boot Scan and a Malwarebytes scan as well, no results: all clear.

Only I am back where I stood 2/3 weeks ago: AvastSvc.exe regularly clogging things up for a few mn (85% to 95% of CPU, more or less 600,000 K of memory - as per Task Manager and Process Manager which I run to check on things). Also, I am in hot country and not too much aircon, so I run Speedfan: temperatures are 2 to 3 deg. C higher than usual.

Event viewer still lists a loop of Avast Update Helper / Avast Browser Update Helper attempts that fail, and repeat, and fail and so on. Trying for Event Log Online Help leads to a Microsoft blank page: not too helpful.

So, I guess it would not bring much to try and re-install again? As well, I guess it would be a pain in the neck to try and go deeper into details, without high chances of finding out what’s wrong? Never had that since about 2005, as much as I can remember) but then things change (laptop getting old, Windows 7 support soon ending).

A question I’d like to ask: is it reasonably safe to connect to the net without Avast on the comp, thru hotspot on a mobile phone that does run Avast also (free version) ? Usually connecting to emails, newspapers, financial sites and Youtube: all very classic, never really had alerts except maybe when streaming some series or movies (which I could limit to Linux laptop then).

Thanks for any advice
Sergei

8

Better news, it seems back to normal. Hereafter is how.

Looking again at Application Events in Event Viewer, I noticed the recurring Error: 'Product: Avast Update Helper – Error 1316. The specified account already exists." That gave the hint that maybe, un-install of Avast was not complete? So I run it again a couple of times, and then switched from everyday “user account” to “admin account”. There I discovered Avast Safe Browser and Avast Driver Updater still there - totally forgot about these. So I un-installed them from Control Panel / Programs & Features. Went back to “user account”, used the off-line Avast Installer, went online and updated.

It seems all back to normal, AvastSvc.exe / aswEngSrv.exe usually less than 1% CPU and 20 / 40,000 K memory. Feels better!

9

So, thanks to ASyn (Certainly bot… AI?)

Still I am curious of expert’s opinion: is it reasonably safe to go online with a laptop without AV by connecting hotspot from a mobile phone with appropriate Avast?

10

If it’s your mobile phone and your hotspot, you control it’s security so it’s like connecting via your router at home.

11

You’re welcome. And nope, HI. :wink: