XPsp2 Home freezes at login screen on current Avast Home Edition

Well this problem had been coming on intermittently for some time at boot. At the login screen the system stops, the curson will move but not give me the finger or highlight the user icons. Usually after 4-5 reset button hard reboots it would let me login. The problem was getting worse and finally made my system nonfunctional. I spent all weekend going over the system looking for conflicts, updating drivers, checking/adjusting the CMOS, updating the bios, checking/scanning/defragging the hard drive, system file checking the system, and finally tackled the time consuming task of working my way through every item in msconfig with a zillion reboots through Safe Mode. Read on, I found and fixed the problem unless it comes back, but I have a question on my current System services setup.

My system is a P4 2.4 Hyperthread 1Gig ABIT IS7-E with 2 80 Gig Hitachi hard drives with a clean full install version of Win XP Sp2 Home that is always fully up to date. I used to run ZoneAlarm but recently removed it to see if it was the culprit in all of this, plus the negative things I have read about it lately. For now, I’m running with the Windows firewall behind a firewall router and may just stay That way. I’m also considering trying Comodo from what I have read and would like your opinion of that as well.

By the way, my Avast Home has been on this system for several years but is always up to date (both data and prog) through the program update function both automatic and manual. Both are set to automatic but I also check manually on a periodic basis. I also have Avast Home on LOTS of friends home computers with XP Home and Pro, and have never had any problems at all.

Now my findings:
To my amazement when I worked my way through the Windows “Services” Tab in msconfig and Unchecked the 4 avast services listed in there my system booted and ran just fine!! Obviously one of those services was having trouble loading, was an old file, or maybe a hangover from the old ZoneAlarm conflict days, or maybe corrupted, or whatever, I assumed. SO I Uninstalled Avast, did some file cleaning up, and downloaded a current copy and reinstalled/configured it. Now it seems to be working just fine but I am wondering if I should have deleted those services out of the Services Tab and whether they are supposed to be in there at all?

When I now look in that ServicesTab in msconfig those 4 avast services are still there and still Unchecked but have a status as “Running”.

Other than wondering if you have run into this problem before, my question is this:

  1. Are those listings in the Services Tab there from an old install/version and should I delete them?
  2. If not, should I check them back again to load at boot or leave them the way they are now?

Although I had 2 days nights from hell and almost lost my whole system a few times, I did find the problem and now my system is REALLY up-to-date and running like a rocket. I have always been very pleased with Avast and have both recommended and installed it on LOTS of friends computer system. It works great and, unlike Symantec/McAfee, used very little system resources and updates both quickly and frequently. THANKS for a GREAT system.

I hope you can answer my system questions above plus give me your opinion of Comodo and both how it works in general and with Avast.

Hopefully this might help other users avoid the weekend from hell that I just went through…

First of all, there is no need to check manually for updates. Avast checks for updates as soon as it the system is connected to the net. After that, it checks every 4 hours. All fully automatic. You can change this in avast4.ini if you want. (many articles on this board about how/where)

Secondly, msconfig in XP is only for trouble shooting. Not for disabling things permantly. If you disable one of tha avast services, avast will not function as it should. Better do it through the protection console. (click the blue ball near the clock)

You won’t regret 8)
avast and Comodo play together very well.

I suppose you have to have four avast! services:

C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashServ.exe (avast! antivirus service)
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\aswUpdSv.exe (avast! Update Service)
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashWebSv.exe (avast! Web Scanner service)
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashMaiSv.exe (avast! e-Mail Scanner service)

The two first of them should be Automatic loaded and the two last Manually loaded.

Indeed…

Welcome to avast forums.