AVSync Manager problem 1

[jpcw]

I have seen this problem in newsgroups before, but with no successful solutions, and I've been right through McAfee support options to no avail:

I have a win 2K pro system with VirusScan 5.21.1 installed and the latest superDAT. The problem is that the AVSync Manager will not start at boot or by manually trying to start the service, and as a result, VirusShield will not operate. I get an error in the application log "AVSynMgr error: 126, VirusScan has been stopped due to a missing or outdated Avsynch.dll library. Please reinstall the product." and an error "The AVSync Manager service terminated with the following error: The specified module could not be found." in the system log, and if you try and start the vshwin32.exe manually, you get an error "Could not get scan options".
I have tried complete uninstalls (manual and automatic), reinstalls with admin privaledges and as administrator, updated windows and other software, but the same problem still exists. I can't recall exactly when the problem started, but I do have IIS 5 running so I don't know if this could have an impact. Anyways, any clues or enlightenment would be very much appreciated as I'm at a dead loss.
Thanks.

 

[Guest_imported]

For me, it also occurred after I upgraded Win2k to Service Pack 3 (SP3). For those who may not have the experience to figure out the above instructions:

Do Start->Settings->Control Panel
and among the control panels choose
Administrative Tools->Services.

You should see a tree window on the left (on my system the tree is just one line , and a list of services on the right. Double-click on the one called "AVSync Manager", go to the "Log On" tab, click "This account" and choose the administrator's account and type in password. Click on Apply. Go to the General tab and start the service. If it doesn't start, read message carefully, you may have entered wrong password etc. If you are sure it should work with the account selected and it still doesn't start, perhaps yours is a different problem than the one described in this thread Exit the Services program and next time you login to Win2k the VirusScan should start.

HTH,
Oliver

 

[Guest_imported]

Hey Oliver Again,
Thanx a zillion. My virusscan failed to start after w2k sp3. Now i have configured the AVSynmgr to Logon using the account i normally use to logon like you have explained and voila!! virusscan works!!!!! Gee thanx again..

 

[javoine]

OliverAgain - you're a star! Superbly written instructions and fixed the problem on Win2K straight away.

(For the record, a reinstall does not work on Win2K.)

 

[Guest_imported]

i have windows 98 everytime i try to uninstall mcafee or start it i get this message MCAFEE VIROUS SCAN INFO
INTERNAL ERROR 2736 STOP
AVYSNC MANGER.
PLEASE HELP IF YOU CAN,

 

[AVChap]

Try stopping the service manually from the control panel first then uninstall.

AVChap

 

[imageek2]

.net is the culprit in my opinion, w2k sp3 has intergrated .NET into it. Again Microsoft gives you no choice in the matter. I have worked with several problem related to .NET, Thanks to all who have found work arounds.

 

[lcb]

At the McAfee support site I found an article that addresses this exact problem for Win98. They said it had to do with the combination of roaming profiles and Microsoft Instller v2.x. I've done their suggestions (moving the registry key as suggested above and attempting to go back to another version of installer) and the problem still exists. I don't want to reformat just to find that I'm at the same dead end so any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[gschlact]

LCB-
it appears from your post that the real culprit is the MSI installer v2.x Well I don't think it would be wise to revert its versions.

My take is that the Services aspect of the installer is broken and thus we need to manually start Mcafee.

This is done either manually via the regedit as described above (since the runserves key is broken) - OR you can put a shortcut to the avsyncmgr.exe in your profile - startup folder).

This is what I have done and it works, but I have noticed that VSHIELD is using about 50Mbytes of my RAM - can ANYONE else confirm this? I was hoping the attempt the true services key fix to see if it would use less.

If you WANT TO AVOID THE STARTUP ERROR, use Control Panel->VirusScan and uncheck the LOAD at Startup (but keep your RUN key or Startup folder method)

 

[Guest_imported]

Like "Cango", I also experienced a problem similar to "FlaTLyneR". I followed the advice of "I have sucess" and changed the user to Admin in the service properties for AVSync Manager. After a reboot, it works fine.

 

[aluznak]

I have the "VirusScan has been stopped due to a missing or outdated Avsynch.dll library. Please reinstall the product." message too. Tried re-installing etc. to no avail.

I'm on a 98SE machine using profiles.

The error just started today after I installed ACDSEE, which downloads Windows installer instmsia.exe - which I feel is the real culprit.

The machine's at work, so I'll try the registry fix tomorrow.

 

[aluznak]

The registry fix worked, but only for the profile that I was logged in on.

So, I uninstalled Viruscan using the option from running "setup.exe" on the software CD. Re-booted, then logged on as a generic user (escape key at log-on screen - Win98SE). Re-installed the software and all was well throughout all the profiles.

 

[FToth]

I followed Oliver Again's instruction (made the AVSyncMgr service run Adminisrator). However one problem remains (I have 5.21):

Outlook2000 complains that it can not find or run scanemal.dll. This happens when I login as another user then administrator. Logging in as administrator all works fine. Tried reinstalling etc. Elevating user rights to admin group does not solve the problem, so it is not related to permissions.

In the registry I can only find 1 reference to scanemal.dll, in the local machine section. Nothing specific for user Administrator or the other users.

What can it be?

Ferry

 

[jpcw]

Having started this thread, I have come to the conclusion that the only way to fix it is:

Uninstall McAfee
Buy and install Norton Antivirus, or download AVG Free

This works 100%!

I'm sorry, but if a large company like Network Associates cannot get it right, I don't have the time to mess around fixing their buggy software, so sorry NA, but I'd rather go with the competition (besides, all the reviews seem to prefer Norton). Good luck to the rest of you....

 

[AVChap]

And you think NAV has it right all the time? Go over to the NAV forum here

AVChap AVChap
... take my advice, I don't use it anyway!

 

[kristov]

The stuff described by Oliver also worked on my Win XP (Professional SP1)machine with VirusScan 4.5.1 SP1 after rebooting. Vergelt's Gott! Thanks!

 

[kristov]

Referring to my last post I have to say that it didn't really work out. But I after took the changes back in the services, it worked fine. But don't ask me what happens, whe I reset the XP-machine. I didn't try it out yet...

 

[audis3]

Hello all, i was on site yesterday and all my clients running win 98 were having problems with Avshwin32 shell32 etc, AVsysnc could not start, i tried all the above fixes with no result, the problem is the latest dat definitions which seem to conflict with one another, i managed to find a hot fix for Virus scan 4.5 on the mcafee site which is soley for the 4160 engine. run the hotfix and the program should work.
I even reformatted my hard disk to find the same problem again after running the live update. Once i had run this fix it all worked on each machine encountering the issues above.

These problems have been resolved through the “4160 Engine HotFix 1” which has been available to customers through the McAfee Support organization since July 1st, 2002. It has been confirmed that this HotFix provides a solution to this instability in the Windows 95/98/ME VxD subsystem.


4160 Engine Hotfix 1
Release Notes


On Wednesday 31st July, the 4215 DAT files were released. On installation of these files, certain Windows 95, 98 and ME machines running versions of VirusScan 4.5.1 (with and without SP1) experienced blue screens on On-Access scanner initialization of the 4160 engine (McScan32.vxd) which are shown to be resolved by the existing HotFix 1. Consequently, in order to ensure that the majority of Windows 95/98/ME customers affected by this have a readily available fix should they encounter the problem, McAfee has made HotFix 1 publicly available for download by any customer who experiences any of the above issues.


The Hotfix is supplied using the familiar SuperDAT method. The Hotfix can be applied in the same way as a new Engine via existing distribution methods or directly onto the host Windows 95/98/ME machine.


It is important to note that once the Hotfix has been applied, if any customer chooses to use the optional /F switch (forced overwrite of existing files regardless of version/date) when applying future SuperDATs, the VxD applied by the Hotfix package would be reverted back to the original 4160 VxD supplied as part of the 4160 engine package. This is not recommended on affected Windows 95/98/ME systems.


McAfee acknowledges that many customers undertake a period of testing before allowing a new engine component into their production environment and that deploying a new engine hotfix may take several days, during which period the customers' desktop machines could be in an unprotected state.


In order to provide time to deploy the hotfix to affected machines, a new (4216) DAT set was released on Friday 2nd August to provide a temporary work around for the issue on Windows 95/98/ME machines until such time as the Hotfix has been deployed within the organization.


Please note that this issue is Windows 95/98/ME specific and is NOT occurring on Windows NT, 2K, or XP operating systems.

url of use

http://www.nai.com/naicommon/download/enginehotfix.asp

let me know if this helps anyone else out... took me a whole day to find this hotfix after Mcafee refused me phone support.. even though we have a prime support contract, they really need to get themselves sorted out..

 

[rkloster]

This thing has got to be Windows Installer / User Profiles related. I'm running Win98 and McAfee 4.5.1 w/ SP-1 AND the 4160 HotFix. I'm still getting this error message at startup.

If I make it run as an application instaed of a service (i.e. place the call in the Run key instead of the RunServices key) it runs OK. It would be nice to have the file system protected while the computer is logged off, however.

McAfee didn't change anything, Microsoft did. We're all getting pretty sick and tired of the rules changing all the blessed time! If you want to get into the anti-virus market, Microsoft, just do it and quit messing with people.

Win98 will be as dead as Win95, pretty soon, so what's the use. Anti-virus software just taxes your system anyway. Better to run without it because I ain't buying the competition's product, I already paid for this one.

I hope I catch the freakin' plague and spread it to the rest of the dang old Internet!

 

[JohnPalmer]

"VirusScan could not start due to missing or outdated AVSYNCH.DLL library. Please reinstall the product"

I've sorted this problem on my Win98SE PC with VirusScan 4.5.1
It occured when I downloaded and installed Windows Installer 2.0 on 19/12/02, exacerbated by having multiple Users on this PC.
It is NOT solved by the Engine HotFix.
It is NOT solved by Service Pack 1 (if you can get it).
It is NOT solved by putting AvSynMgr.exe in your Startup folder or the Run Section of the Registry (rather than RunServices) - this is a FIX (=bodge) and leaves your PC vulnerable until you Logon.

The solution IS to reinstall the product BUT, if you have multiple users, you MUST do this in the default state i.e Cancel at the Logon prompt. This is the state the PC is in when it fails, before Logon.
However, this is not enough. In your users, AvSynMgr will not fail now and a VShield icon will appear in the System Tray BUT it doesn't work properly.
You must install the 4.5.1 product AGAIN in each User.
Also, as this step doesn't add the Network Associates Start, Programs shortcuts, you will need to copy these from the default Windows folder.

I'm not impressed that I couldn't get any help out of Network Associates on this.
Nor could I find it mentioned at all via Microsoft's Search even though this has clearly been caused by Windows Installer confusing the various installed parts of AvSynMgr.

 

[AVChap]

Try the MSIZAP utility to clean out VirusScan before re-installing. You can download this from MS' website. Pretty helpful troubleshooting things like this

HTH, AVChap
... my $1 worth of advise, 2cents isn't enough due to inflation