I’ve been using Avast for some time now and have been very happy with it. Just recently though for reasons unknown Windows Security Center has stopped recognizing avast. When I boot up, I get the little red shield icon in my task tray with the message “Antivirus software might not be installed.” Avast has been running fine on my machine for months. What’s changed?
The machine in question is running Windows XP Home, and Avast version 4.6.744. It has all the latest Windows updates, and I can see the following running in the task manager: ashDisp.exe, ashMaiSv.exe, ashServ.exe, ashWebSv.exe, and ashUpdSv.exe. I have another machine running Windows XP Pro which also uses Avast and is not experiencing the problem.
I’ve tried uninstalling and reinstalling Avast a couple of times to no effect. Any ideas what the problem might be?
@Tech: System date and time are correct, including the year.
@DavidR: No, that’s unrelated. As I said, Avast is running just fine. In fact, I just got notification that the virus database was updated. It seems only that Windows Security Center is not detecting that I’ve got Avast installed. Especially odd being that it used to detect it just fine.
Well, I guess if that’s the only work around it’ll have to do. It’s a shame though. It struck me as odd that it worked just fine for so long and then just suddenly stopped working. I suppose it was likely due to a recent Windows or Avast update. If that’s true, maybe a subsequent update down the line will solve the problem.
If it were a recent avast update then more would be suffering the effect, which doesn’t seem to be the case.
You could try ‘System File Checker Utility - sfc’ which checks for file corruption, etc., Start, Run, type “sfc /scannow” without the quotes. You will need your windows CD.
The other option of a Windows Repair install may be even less palatable than the work around.
I have a similar set-up to what you have mentioned about your computer and WSC is regonizing Avast on my computer with the recent Avast updates. So, there must be something in your computer’s WSC that is not working correctly. You may have to try one of David’s 3 solutions.
I wonder, though, if maybe a repair or re-install of Avast might help WSC recognize Avast? I know Avast is working correctly for you but it wouldn’t hurt to try a repair (or re-install). Be sure to be on-line if you decide to try the repair.
Hi psiegel…
Have you find the cause of your problem? Because I’m having exactly the same thing happening in my computer and I don’t know how to fix it. ???
Thank you for your answer.
Pampas
I have exactly the same problem. Yesterday everything works fine, today windows security center does not recognize avast antivirus program installed. I have already reinstalled program with no success.
Yes, I’ve run “sfc /scannow” and I have window opened and very fast closed, so I can’t really say if the repair it’s done or not. I’ve got to say also that I don’t know very much of computers. :
Run ‘cmd’ without the quotes first that will open a dos window, type the sfc /scannow from the dos prompt > that should work. It will certainly take a little time.
Boys, did you try disabling the Security Center Service (stopping it) and then enabling it again (or booting).
(Let the Service to Automatic start).
Maybe something is in the ‘memory’ of WSC that should be restarted…
Sorry for the old suggestion, stop and start, boot… sometimes works ;D
This seems a problem with the date and time of the system, but you’re saying that you’ve done everything, so I don’t know : ???
Any other antivirus in your system?
Answers for XP Security Center not detecting anti-virus program could be found here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/883792 (the link was kindly found by David…).
