[RESOLVED] AVG Watchdog blocking access to Desktop

I hope here is the correct place to post this as I can't see any other Forum category here that is more relevant.

My problem started suddenly late last night. When I Boot up my Sony laptop that is runnig Windows XP Pro with SP3 on Internet Explorer 7 with AVG 2012 Free version, I got a blue screen with whiteout text saying that AVG Watchdog is "Initiallising...(several processes check, then)....Finished", followed by "Starting Watchdog......Finished" and then stayed on screen. But in the background, I can hear my Windows Program executing. Thre is no error message being flagged up or pop up.

What can I do to rectify this problem ? At the moment, I work round this by pressing and holding down the On/Off button of the laptop, effectively switching it off and after waiting for a few seconds, Boot it up again. If I am lucky, after 2 or 3 tries, I would be able to get to my Desktop without this Watchdog message appearing.

I have tried starting in Safe Mode with the same result. I have also tried to restore back to a earlier point, all without success. I have also googled to see if there is a solution, but all seems to be very vague or are not workable including me not able to turning off the DEP Systems Performance as suggested (the option there is for Turnign it On and when I select this, it does not come back with a Off option).

I supposed the next thing for me to do is to Uninstall AVG and then reinstall it again and see if this works. But before doing this, I am hoping the gurus here have a simpler and /or quicker way to get this problem resolved (??).

Many thanks for your help in advanced.

Try using System Restore to roll back to before the problem started. If that doesn't do the trick, then uninstalling and reinstalling AVG is what I would try.

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Originally Posted by SuperSparks

Try using System Restore to roll back to before the problem started. If that doesn't do the trick, then uninstalling and reinstalling AVG is what I would try.

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Thanks for the suggestions.

Tried Restore to roll back, didn't work
Did uninstall and reinstall, didn't work either :(

Replace AVG with MSE
http://windows.microsoft.com/mse

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slickcondo--Following up on SpywareDr's advice, uninstall AVG first. But before installing MSE see if running the PC without AVG installed avoids the start up problem you are having. If so, then you know the problem is AVG.

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Originally Posted by SpywareDr

Replace AVG with MSE
http://windows.microsoft.com/mse

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I would rather not use other anti-virus given that I have used AVG for over 6 years without any problems and I am comfortable with it. I have tried MSE and a few others in the past and didn't like it or find it as effective for my use as AVG.

What I'd like to know is why this problem suddenly started and how to rectify it instead of migrating to another antivirus program. Any idea along this line ?

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Originally Posted by slickcondo

What I'd like to know is why this problem suddenly started and how to rectify it ...

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Without access to your computer, all we can really do is guess.

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Originally Posted by Welshjim

slickcondo--Following up on SpywareDr's advice, uninstall AVG first. But before installing MSE see if running the PC without AVG installed avoids the start up problem you are having. If so, then you know the problem is AVG.

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Good point ! I forget to mention this in my reply to SpywareDr earlier that the uninstall process for AVG includes a reboot to complete the uninstall. When I did the reboot, all I get was a black screen, but I still hear in the background of this black blank screen that my desktop items are being initialised. So I think this is more that just a AVG problem ?? :(

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Originally Posted by SpywareDr

Without access to your computer, all we can really do is guess.

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ok, thanks.

I was just wondering if this could have been caused by a Windows update that runs automatically in the background on my laptop. Wondering if anyone else is having the same problem.

Haven't heard any rumblings.

I'm having exactly the same problem with this watchdog... It started this night and i'm using my Ipad to get some info on the net.. The point is that I can't get access to my desktop at all, but still hearing those windows sounds that it is running anyway..
Since last week AVG was asking to install a new version, but I was always in hurry and close that many times... This night, the PC was in suspension, and turning back the screen was not activaring (but the PC was running).. Then, after rebooting, all I got is this watchdog DOS screen..

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Originally Posted by Kraxo

I'm having exactly the same problem with this watchdog... It started this night and i'm using my Ipad to get some info on the net.. The point is that I can't get access to my desktop at all, but still hearing those windows sounds that it is running anyway..
Since last week AVG was asking to install a new version, but I was always in hurry and close that many times... This night, the PC was in suspension, and turning back the screen was not activaring (but the PC was running).. Then, after rebooting, all I got is this watchdog DOS screen..

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Sorry to hear you are having the same problem.

What pc or laptop are you using ? Does it have 2 Graphics Drivers installed that you can switch between them ? The reason I asked is because for my laptop I have 2 Graphics installed, but I am still investigating if this somehow caused the problem. I was going to post an update here if I managed to find out more. But since you are having the same problem, I’ll post here what I suspect so far.

I am using a Sony Vaio VGN-SZ583N which have 2 Graphics drivers installed - a Intel Graphics Driver and a NVIDIA Graphics Driver ([url]http://www.sony-asia.com/support/download/241800 I came across this link by accident last night while searching the internet for some possible cause and somehow got directed to this link).

During these drivers installation, the laptop have to be (physically) switched to STAMINA when installing the Intel and to SPEED when the NVIDA is installed. I noticed that when I bootup with the switch on STAMINA, I get this Watchdog problem. But when I boot up with the switch on SPEED, it works without any problem.

When I checked the Setting on Display in Control Panel, I noticed that it has somehow being changed and is now showing the NVIDA being the only option in use. I’m not sure what happened to the Intel. So I have the feeling that because the NVIDA is installed on SPEED setting, I need to bootup with this switch set to SPEED to avoid the AVG Watchdog problem. I don’t know why this should be the case, but I suspect this may be what caused the problem. I do not think not updating the AGV is the cause as I updated mine when prompted. My laptop is now booting up properly, when I left the switch on SPEED permanently. Not an ideal situation when I can’t use the STAMNIA switch as an option. But......

I’d still welcome anyone who have other ideas or solutions to clarify this.

Problem: AVG
Solution: MSE

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Originally Posted by SpywareDr

Problem: AVG
Solution: MSE

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Hi Dr - did you see my reply to Welshkim ( post #8 above ) ? It may not exactly address using MSE, but it does address the fact that if I don't wish to have a antivirus installed on my system - ie when I uninstalled AVG as per my post and reboot, I get a blank screen instead of the AVG Watchdog message when AVG was installed. So why installing MSE would make a difference ? I'd most likely get some sort of message from MSE in place of AVG's watchdog, given that even when I do not have any antivirus installed, I still get a blank screen ? :confused:

Can you get into Safe mode?