PHx-Web Technical Blog

Most new computers come with a trial version of an Anti Virus Software.  Usually Norton or Mc Afee – both are resource hungry and expensive once your trial comes to an end.

Here is our advice on the software to install to keep your system safe and secure,

Antivirus :- Free AVG http://free.avg.com/gb-en/226187 The best Free antivirus we have come across.  We use it on all our ‘Test Bed’ machines (Machines we use to solve / repair / recover client machines)  and it hasnt yet let us get infected.

Anti Malware :-  Malwarebytes http://www.malwarebytes.org/ (the free version)  Run once a week to protect against malware infections

One additional piece of software we would recommend is K9 http://www1.k9webprotection.com If you have under 16′s using a computer K9 will help protect your youngsters from visiting sites which they shouldn’t be. Various different levels of sites can be blocked out, with lots of parental controls and logging are available.

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A AVG update may casue a 64bit windows 7 machine to enter a boot loop. More deatils are posted below from avg

More info is available on their website http://forums.avg.com/ww-en/avg-free-forum?sec=thread&act=show&id=132999#post_132999

Please see update towards the bottom of this post

we regret to inform you that latest virus database 271.1.1/3292 (432/3292) released 12:53 AM CET requested computer restart with inability to start the system again with error:

STOP: c0000135 The program can’t start because %hs is missing from your computer. Try reinstalling the program to fix this problem.

We have immediately downgraded published failing version to fully functional 271.1.1/3291 (432/3291).

If you have unfortunately met mentioned error, please follow these steps:

If is possible to boot into Safe Mode, then run System Restore before the night AVG update and re-install AVG.

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If is not possible to boot computer at all, please follow this How-To.

Or use AVG Rescue CD -> menu Utilities -> Midnight Commander -> navigate to /mnt/sda1/program files/ (or program files (x86)) and rename by F6 AVG folder to other name (for example AVG_old).

Windows 7 Startup Repair
Described at this Microsoft website – follow section “To open the System Recovery Options menu on your computer”

Then start your system again and re-install AVG.

Please accept our apologies for any inconveniences caused by this situation.

Thank you

Update from Kodl:
This issue is limited to 64-bit systems only, currently it looks like not all 64-bit systems though, we are investigating. The updated has been pulled from our servers and if you have not been affected by this issue, it is OK to update normally.

We will release some tool to help in fixing the systems affected by this bug. Also, a few users here in the forum have posted excellent descriptions of fixes that do not require full use of the Rescue CD.
In short, during boot, boot into the command mode (pressing F8) and rename/remove the AVG program folder, then boot normally. After this, you can run the repair installation of AVG.
See for example an excellent description here http://forums.avg.com/ww-en/avg-free-forum?sec=thread&act=show&id=133009#post_133009 by Pulse21

Again, please, accept our apologies and stay tuned for a more detailed description and a fix

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