avp.exe

[Bob V]

This is a correction to my previous Post where I mentioned incorrectly an
'ave.exe' file.

I'm having problems with increasing frequency that seem to be related to the
'avp.exe' file. Can anyone tell me how to fix that?

 

[Bennett Marco]

This is a correction to my previous Post where I mentioned incorrectly an
'ave.exe' file.

I'm having problems with increasing frequency that seem to be related to the
'avp.exe' file. Can anyone tell me how to fix that?

As I just mentioned in your FIRST thread (which you should have stayed
with) that file is part of Kaspersky Internet Security Suite.

Did you recently uninstall that product?

 

[Tim Meddick]

....and likewise, I'm reposting what I wrote in the other thread...

avp.exe belongs to your Kaspersky Internet Security suite - and although I do not
personally have installed - I suspect that avp.exe is the resident shield part of the
program.

That is; the part of the Kaspersky program that scans for threats in "Real-time".

Some AV suites use more system resources than do others, I recommend looking around
for some new AV software for when your licence runs out on Kaspersky...

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

 

[Bennett Marco]

How about saying what kind of problems. Maybe then someone can tell you how
to fix them.

The bozo stated those problems in another thread and thinks everyone
can remember it.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

This is a correction to my previous Post where I mentioned incorrectly an
'ave.exe' file.

I'm having problems with increasing frequency that seem to be related to the
'avp.exe' file. Can anyone tell me how to fix that?

Please, if you want to correct a previous post, do it by *replying* to
that post, not by starting a new thread. That keeps the two tied
together, not separating them as you've done here.

 

[Bob V]

Sorry about confusing the Posts & Threads. I just thought that it would be
better to get the corrected file name on the Subject line. I'll know next
time.

The problems I have include slow downs &/or freeze ups in programs like MS
Word, MS Outlook, Windows Explorer & Internet Explorer. Sometimes I can't
even close the programs. When I do, I find I can't get to Start\Restart.
Sometimes I get a message box that says words like ".. the file avp.exe is
not responding (or not functioning)".
I have to hold down the Off button, then turn on again.

I use The Shield Deluxe 2008 Antivirus program. This is set up to run
continuosly for automatic updates & scanning my mail & files. Also, on start
up, it scans Startup Objects. I note that The Shield uses avp.exe & Kaspersky
files.

Also, I use Registry Mechanic to keep the Registry clean.

I note from a MS KB article that AVP input files might conflict with the MS
Metadirectory Services (MMS) XML and File Toolkit Wizard. But that is far too
technical for me.

I have not uninstalled, reinstalled or installed any programs for a long
time, nor changed any Settings.

So what is my next step?

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Also, I use Registry Mechanic to keep the Registry clean.

Uh-oh... If you think your Registry needs to be "cleaned" or "repaired,"
read http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?t=28099 and draw your own conclusions.

 

[Bennett Marco]

Also, I use Registry Mechanic to keep the Registry clean.

UNINSTALL that NOW and don't look back.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Also, I use Registry Mechanic to keep the Registry clean.

A very bad thing to do.

Registry cleaning programs are *all* snake oil. Cleaning of the
registry isn't needed and is dangerous. Leave the registry alone and
don't use any registry cleaner. Despite what many people think, and
what vendors of registry cleaning software try to convince you of,
having unused registry entries doesn't really hurt you.

The risk of a serious problem caused by a registry cleaner erroneously
removing an entry you need is far greater than any potential benefit
it may have.

Read http://www.edbott.com/weblog/archives/000643.html

 

[Daave]

Sorry about confusing the Posts & Threads. I just thought that it
would be better to get the corrected file name on the Subject line.
I'll know next time.

The problems I have include slow downs &/or freeze ups in programs
like MS Word, MS Outlook, Windows Explorer & Internet Explorer.
Sometimes I can't even close the programs. When I do, I find I can't
get to Start\Restart.

You might have malware in your system. That needs to be ruled out. See
this page for pointers:

http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Viruses_Malware

Sometimes I get a message box that says words
like ".. the file avp.exe is not responding (or not functioning)".

In the event you don't have malware, I would imagine you are having
problems with whatever program that calls on avp.exe. Your best bet is
to get support from the makers of that program. If they cannot resolve
your problem, you should cut your losses and uninstall that problematic
program.

I have to hold down the Off button, then turn on again.

That's not good. Sometimes that lead to much bigger problems (e.g., the
inability to boot).

I use The Shield Deluxe 2008 Antivirus program. This is set up to run
continuosly for automatic updates & scanning my mail & files. Also,
on start up, it scans Startup Objects. I note that The Shield uses
avp.exe & Kaspersky files.

Then contact them for support. Again, if they can't address this issue,
you will most likely be better off uninstalling this program.

Also, I use Registry Mechanic to keep the Registry clean.

Not a good move for reasons mentioned in other replies you have surely
seen. Although I doubt it, it's certainly possible that your problem
might be a direct result of removing an important registry key.

I note from a MS KB article that AVP input files might conflict with
the MS Metadirectory Services (MMS) XML and File Toolkit Wizard. But
that is far too technical for me.

Another reason you should uninstall The Shield Deluxe.

I have not uninstalled, reinstalled or installed any programs for a
long time, nor changed any Settings.

So what is my next step?

After you have ruled out malware, you might want to uninstall The Shield
Deluxe and then run System Restore to a point before you started
screwing around with the registry. Who knows? You might luck out. Then
uninstall Registry Mechanic. For AV, use NOD32 if you want to pay for a
program. If you want freeware, AVG, Avast, and Avira AntiVir are all
very good. And make sure you also run other antimalware programs:
MalwareBytes' AntiMalware and SUPERAntiSpyware are both free and
effective. Make sure your Windows Firewall is running, too.

I would also make sure your hard drive didn't slip from DMA to PIO mode.

It is important to provide us with information such as:

- Make/Model/Number of your PC

- Flavor of XP (Home, Pro, or MCE)

- SP level

- Size of hard drive and amount of free space

- Amount of RAM

- Relevant history, such as how long have you had this problem and do
you recall anything significant that happened around that time?

Final question: Do you have an XP installation CD?

 

[Bob V]

Thanks very much for your detailed response & other respondees responses.
Additional info you requested follows:
Computer - Laptop HP Pavilion dv8220ca
OS - Windows XP Home Ed. SP3
My C: drive is 66GB - used 35GB, free 31GB
My internal D: drive (used for backups) is 75GB - used 37GB, free 38GB
RAM - 1.00GB
History - I've had the problem for about a month, but I don't recall any
special events that might have triggered it.
Yes - I have an XP installation CD.
Re - 'hard drive didn't slip from DMA to PIO mode' - how do I check that?

There is a lot of info in your & other's responses, so it might take me a
few days to absorb it all. One thing that surprises (indeed amazes) me is the
common disdain for registry cleaners, incl. Registry Mechanic. I realize that
most clean up can be done thru Disk Cleanup, & I use Disk Defragmenter
frequently (when required). So I'm going to uninstall Registry Mechanic.

I emailed support at The Shield, for comments on the 'avp.exe' problem, but
I have to wait 3 days for a reply.

Re all the freeware mentioned, should I uninstall The Shield first before
downloading them?

Also, I don't understand 'AV'. What is that?

Again, thanks for all your help to date.

 

[Daave]

Excellent information, Bob. That will help a lot.

I looked up your specs. Here is a spec sheet for your model:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&cc=us&docname=c00628099&dlc=en

It says:

Hard Drive 160GB (5400RPM) Dual Hard Drive (80GB x 2)

That seems to match what you wrote. The way these things are marketed,
an 80GB drive winds up *really* being 75GB, which is what your D: drive
is. Since C: is only 66GB, I am guessing that there is a 9GB hidden
recovery partition on there.

The manuals can be found here:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/manualCategory?product=1845530&cc=us&lc=en&dlc=en&product=1845530

The maintenance and service guide:

http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c00701888.pdf

Pages B11 and B12 contain instructions to return your PC to its original
fresh-from-the-factory condition (which I am sure would include a number
of "free" trial programs that many of us are not fans of - e.g.,
Norton - also known as crapware!). There is indeed a hidden recovery
partition. But it appears you do not have an XP installation CD; that
is, this laptop would have shipped with recovery discs instead (or
perhaps these were discs you were instructed to create). But that is not
the same thing as an XP installation CD. Recovery discs essentially do
the same thing the recovery partition does.

Then again, it's possible you have an XP installation CD from another
PC. If so, that proably won't work with your HP laptop. In fact, the
only one that would work (for Repair or Clean Installs) is a generic OEM
XP Home installation CD, preferably at the SP3 level. In order to access
XP's Recoery Console, you *might* be able to use a different flavor of
XP installation CD.

AV = antivirus

Malware is in two broad categories: viruses (and related malware like
worms and trojans) and spyware. I had recommended the following programs
for AV:

NOD32
AVG
Avast
Avira AntiVir

(the last three have free versions)

And I recommended these two programs for anti-spyware:

MalwareBytes' AntiMalware
SUPERAntiSpyware

(both have free versions)

I would not uninstall The Shield until you have all your installation
files. Then I would physically disconnect from the Internet, uninstall
The Shield, reboot, and install the AV program of your choice and the
two antimalware programs. Physically reconnect to download the latest
updates. Scan with all three. Depending on your situation (that is,
there might be malware still on your PC), you may need to scan in Safe
Mode. In more drastic situations, you might even need to boot off a
Rescue Disc in order to scan (but I currently wouldn't be worried about
that).

What follows is my usual "boilerplate" for the typical causes of
sluggishness. Number 5 addresses the hard drive access mode and how to
check it and fix it:

Here are the typical causes of sluggishness:

1. Malicious software (malware). You need to rule this out first! This
page has excellent information:

http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Viruses_Malware

2. Certain programs that are designed to combat malware (e.g., Norton
and McAfee). Ironically, they can slow things down because they simply
use way too many resources. Sometime they cause conflicts with other
programs. And their default mode is to scan your entire hard drive each
time you boot up. Fortunately, there are other antimalware programs
available that use far fewer resources (e.g., NOD32, Avast, and Avira).

3. Too many of *certain types* of programs always running in the
background -- with or without your knowledge. (Then again, many programs
that run in the background have trivial consequences.)

To determine every program and process you are currently running, use
the Task Manager (Ctrl+Alt+Del) and click the Processes tab. You should
be able to sort by CPU usage or Memory usage to get a good ideas which
ones are the resource/memory hogs. You should write down the names of
all the processes for future detective work (or take a snapshot and
print it out).

Use these sites to determine what these programs are and to learn how to
configure them not to always run at startup:

http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.php#THE_PROGRAMS
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/startups/
http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm

Sometimes it is recommended to use msconfig to configure the programs to
not run at startup. A better, more thorough program is Autoruns:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx

But before you do this, you should use the preference settings of the
program in question. Otherwise, for some programs, they will return to
the startup list anyway!

If you do wish to use msconfig, it may be accessed this way:

Start | Run | type "msconfig" (without the quotation marks) | Enter (or
OK)

4. Not enough RAM, which causes the PC to overly rely on the pagefile. A
quick way to determine if this is happening is to open Task Manager
(Ctrl+Alt+Del) and click the Performance tab. Then note the three values
under Commit Charge (K): in the lower left-hand corner: Total, Limit,
and Peak.

The Total figure represents the amount of memory you are using at that
very moment. The Peak figure represents the highest amount of memory you
used since last bootup. If both these figures are below the value of
Physical Memory (K) Total, then you probably have plenty of RAM.
In case you want to explore this further, you may run Page File Monitor
for Windows XP:

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_pagefilemon.htm

5. You might also want to check that your hard drive's access mode
didn't change from DMA to PIO:

http://www.technize.com/2007/08/02/is-your-hard-disk-cddvd-drives-too-slow-while-copying/

and

http://users.bigpond.net.au/ninjaduck/itserviceduck/udma_fix/

 

[Daave]

Also make sure your Windows Firewall is enabled before you reconnect to
the Internet:

Start | Control Panel | (classic view) | Windows Firewall | On | OK

 

[Bob V]

Windows Firewall is (and was) enabled.

Re Malware:
I downloaded & installed MalwareBytes' AntiMalware. I did a full scan on my
C: HDD (took 1.5 hours). It came up with 26 problems, now fixed.
Before I continue with other AV - I have some questions:
If AntiMalware came up with 26 items that apparently The Shield missed, were
they minor items that The Shield ignored, or is AntiMalware a superior
program?
Why do I need to work with 3 programs - 1 from AVG or Avast or Avira
AntiVir, & AntiMalware & SUPERAntiSpyware?

Re the 5 items under 'sluggishness':
1. Malware - done as described above - with AntiMalware
2. No problem. I dumped Norton very shortly after buying my HP Laptop. Too
many conflicts. But I still use an old Norton Ghost 9 for system backups.
That has never given me any problems.
3. "Too many of 'certain types' of programs running in the background". I
looked at it & it does not seem to be a problem. Anyway, too complicated for
me to take any further.
4. 'Not enough RAM'. I checked as directed & I have plenty of RAM.
5. Re HDD access mode. The Primary IDE Channel is fine - using 'Ultra DMA
MODE 5'. The Secondary IDE Channel says 'Transfer Mode - DMA if available', &
the Current Transfer Mode is 'PIO Mode'. Is that of any importance?

The primary questions right now seem to go back to what to do about the AV
programs.

Thanks for your continuing help.

Bob V

 

[Daave]

Comments inline.

Windows Firewall is (and was) enabled.

Re Malware:
I downloaded & installed MalwareBytes' AntiMalware. I did a full scan
on my C: HDD (took 1.5 hours). It came up with 26 problems, now fixed.
Before I continue with other AV - I have some questions:
If AntiMalware came up with 26 items that apparently The Shield
missed, were they minor items that The Shield ignored, or is
AntiMalware a superior program?

MBAM (MalwareBytes' AntiMalware) is quite good. But different programs
search for different kinds of malware.

Why do I need to work with 3 programs - 1 from AVG or Avast or Avira
AntiVir, & AntiMalware & SUPERAntiSpyware?

You need an AV program to periodically scan for viruses (and similar
types of malware like worms and trojans) and ideally it should always
run in the backgound to stop an infection from happening in the event
someone visits a compromised Web site or clicks on an infected e-mail
attachment.

AV programs miss a number of other types of malware (mostly spyware).
That is why it is good to run at least one antispyware program. MBAM and
SAS have good reputations and one might catch something the other
doesn't. The free versions do not always run in the background, which is
actually good in that a conflict cannot happen that way.

(One thing I neglected to mention earlier: Make sure your Windows XP is
fully patched by regularly visiting Windows Update! That's one of the
most important steps to take to prevent malware from sneaking in. Or use
Automatic Updates, but use it (or Windows Update) wisely. That is, don't
download unnecessary things like drivers. Just go with critical updates
and you should be fine.)

Re the 5 items under 'sluggishness':
1. Malware - done as described above - with AntiMalware

That's a start, but you still need to run an AV program (other than The
Shield, which seems to be problematic). And configure it to update
regularly.

2. No problem. I dumped Norton very shortly after buying my HP
Laptop. Too many conflicts.

Good move.

But I still use an old Norton Ghost 9 for
system backups. That has never given me any problems.

I understand that is a good program. And I'm glad to hear you have a
backup strategy.

3. "Too many of 'certain types' of programs running in the
background". I looked at it & it does not seem to be a problem.
Anyway, too complicated for me to take any further.

It is complicated, yes. Then again, you very well might have one poorly
written program running that is mucking things up. If you don't explore
this further, you will never know, though.

Another issue (ironically) is sometimes a Windows Update can cause
problems. Usually it's a non-crtitical update. And uninstalling it can
bring relief. I have seen a couple of systems that have been brought to
a crawl because of the new Windows Search 4.0. Uninstalling it (through
Control Panel's Add or Remove Programs solved the problem (which was
probably a conflict of some sort).

4. 'Not enough RAM'. I checked as directed & I have plenty of RAM.

I had a feeling. For *most* XP users, 1 GB is plenty.

5. Re HDD access mode. The Primary IDE Channel is fine - using 'Ultra
DMA MODE 5'. The Secondary IDE Channel says 'Transfer Mode - DMA if
available', & the Current Transfer Mode is 'PIO Mode'. Is that of any
importance?

If primary IDE channel is using UDMA 5, you're fine.

But to be sure, I will look into this further. I believe that optical
drives are often on the secondary IDE channel. Actually, you should be
able to give me this information by entering the BIOS. Go to this guide:

http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c00701888.pdf

"Computer setup" is another term for the BIOS. Go to p. 2-1 if you need
instructions.

The primary questions right now seem to go back to what to do about
the AV programs.

If The Shield support does not solve your problem, I would uninstall it
and install one of the other AV programs I recommended.

 

[milt]

Also, I use Registry Mechanic to keep the Registry clean.

Well, I bet that is part of your problem right there! There is no need
to ever "keep your registry clean". Ever. You have a better chance of
screwing up your registry and making your computer either not start up
at all or act very erratic and slow with frequent crashed. All registry
cleaners are junk. First piece of advice? Get rid of that program.

 

[Bob V]

Thanks Milt & all others who have worked on my case, especially Daave.

I continue to be amazed at the universal disdain for registry cleaners. (But
then I learn something new everytime I need to use the Newsgroup).

So what I have done in recent days is ~
Uninstalled Registry Mechanic
Downloaded & ran a full C: scan with MalwareBytes' AntiMalware
Ran Disk Cleanup
Defragmented the C: HDD

I would like to say that everything is OK, but when I started to access the
Newsgroup, things froze. "Internet Explorer not responding". Quickly
resolved, but IE is a frequent annoyance. I have Safari & many people tell me
it is better & more reliable than IE. Do you think it might be better for me
to set up Safari & make it my default browser?

I have not had a reply from The Shield support re possible conflicts with
avp.exe, but I need an AV program like this & it has served me well for
several years, so I think I will leave it alone.

Other than the IE annoyance, things seem to be running smoothly & faster,
with faster startups & no problems with shutdowns &/or restarts.

Please give me comments on Safari vs. IE.

Thanks Bob V

 

[Bob V]

I'm feelish rather sheepish! Shortly after sending the Post below, I was
working on a MS Word doc & the same old problems came back! While clicking
around to get out of the problem, at one point a message box came up listing
about 6 errors. All of them mentioned 'avp.exe'.
After recovering my Word file I was unable to use Shutdown or Restart & I
had to use the Off button again.
Therefore, in spite of doing the things listed below, I feel that I am right
back to square one on 'avp.exe'.
Help!

 

[Daave]

You have two main choices:

1. Uninstall The Shield since you're back to square one and there is no
indication this problem will ever go away. And install one of the AV
programs I recommended earlier.

2. Continue to wait for their support to answer your query and hopefully
solve the problem -- and if they don't, learn to live with it since
it's not going to go away.

Of course, you could always perform a clean install, which is a lot of
work, (and then of course, reinstall all your drivers, programs, etc.)
and see if that solves the problem. If your system is otherwise stable,
I still think Choice #1 is the best.

You had also mentioned issues with IE, but since there were no
specifics, I can't advise.

If you do decide to switch AV programs, let us know which one you decide

 

[Bob V]

I uninstalled The Shield Deluxe 2008, and installed the 60 day trial of Avast
4.8 Professional. Is that OK? Any comments?

Bob V