Since I wrote the original avgidseh.sys fix article, there have been lots of other affected PCs that have passed through our workshop. This is not a rogue update fault now as it was back in late 2010, rather an issue that is, as yet, untrackable to a single problem. AVG are getting the blame for many bad startup errors as the users only see the last driver to load which is often AVGIDSEH.SYS. I have, however, noted that applying an AVG-specific fix works in many cases.
To resolve issues that are AVG related, follow the steps below.
Boot your PC with a boot CD. I recommend UBCD4WIN which is an excellent tool to have in your armoury for PC repair. Download the program and install onto your computer. Build an image from your Windows XP CD (required). If you don’t have a Windows XP disc then you can download the AVG boot disc from here. Please make reference to my original avgidseh.sys fix article for creation and method. Use my updated folder renaming fix listed below in both cases.
What we shall be doing is renaming the AVG folders so they are not loaded on startup. For UBCD4Win, start the computer with the disc inserted and boot from it. This may involve changing the boot order that your PC or laptop uses. Once we have a new ‘environment’ – that is the computer is running from the CD – then we can start a file explorer such as A43, Agent Ransack, Xplorer2 or Free Commander. This will give us access to the files on the hard drive. Folders to rename are as follows:
Windows XP and 2000 (Note: Later AVG versions do not run on Windows 2000 so forget a reinstall afterwards!)
- C:\Program Files\AVG – This is also named C:\Program files(x86)\AVG when you have a 64bit operating system
- C:\Documents and settings\All users\Application data\AVG8
- C:\Documents and settings\All users\Application data\AVG9
- C:\Documents and settings\All users\Application data\AVG10
Windows Vista, 7, 8 and 10
- C:\Program Files\AVG – This is also named C:\Program files(x86)\AVG when you have a 64bit operating system
- C:\ProgramData\AVG8
- C:\ProgramData\AVG9
- C:\ProgramData\AVG10
- C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\AVG8
- C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\AVG9
- C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\AVG10
Example:
rename C:\Program Files\AVG to C:\Program Files\OLDAVG
Once renamed, they will no longer load on startup.
Avgidseh.sys is not the only possible cause…
Now I like to run a CHKDSK while still in this ‘running from cd’ environment as it fixes any errors on the hard drive. These are often caused by the PC being shut down while writing to the drive and can also be the main reason the computer failed to start, don’t always blame AVG because the avgidseh.sys driver was the last thing to load! In UBCD4Win we would run Disk Check which does a full scan and repair of the sectors on the hard drive. Just fire it up, tell it your target drive (usually c:) and let it run. Have a cuppa as this takes a while.
The professional method
If you want to do a complete scan and repair of your disk using a professional repair tool that we use in our workshop and lab, you should investigate HDD Regenerator. We have carried out a full review of HDD Regenerator here. It has fixed the majority of the faulty drives we see that cause constant ‘looping’ of the Windows boot procedure and it’s in daily use in our workshop. It’s not too expensive and is a better solution than the free methods we list above for many people as it is much easier to use. It also blows CHKDSK into the weeds for being able to recover data and salvage your hard drive. Where CHKDSK marks the sector as bad, HDDRegenerator actually recovers the data from it and moves it to a new, good sector. As mentioned, this tool isn’t free (it does give you a free trial) but you can buy it once and fix as many drives as you want with it. It also creates a simple to use bootable USB drive or CD/DVD disk for you. Any self-respecting PC geek or computer repair shop shouldn’t be without it in the toolkit.
As mentioned in other articles, despite AVG being a capable free antivirus, I heartily recommend the brilliant Kaspersky Pure as a set and forget internet security solution. Here is my method to get the cheapest Kaspersky Total Security and be fully protected against viruses and malware.
Finally, let me know by commenting below if this avgidseh.sys fix works for you and please leave any other information you can share with the community.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write this. I had almost given up and was looking to format my pc when I had the luck to arrive here. Boot cd, delete and CHKDSK as you said and all was well.
Very happy bunny, have sent you a drink from me.
PCRepairman, I’m back.
Ok, I just got my computer to boot from the UBCD, but I have no idea how to use the disk. I just see a bunch of terms that when I click on them open to other screens. The “home” screen shows listed: BIOS, cpu, HDD, memory, others, peripherals, system, etc.. How do I get to the file management program that will allow me to rename those AVG files you listed above?
Thank you.
As mentioned in the article above, you need to start a file explorer (much like the one built into Windows). This will be A43, Agent Ransack, Xplorer2 or Free Commander, depending on how you built UBCD. They will be accessible from the Start menu under ‘File Management’. There, you will have a graphical interface to rename your files.
Hoping this is still being checked…
Having big problems getting this nonsense fixed. Running a Dell XPS M1530 with Vista, and have got as far as deleting all things AVG within the AVG recovery boot disk thing. Still wouldn’t load Windows, so I’ve been trying the UBCD4WIN disc… and once I’m in, it can’t seem to find my C: to run a Disk Check, only its own temporary RAM drive designation and the boot disc itself.
Suggestions welcome as to how to solve this, am at my wit’s end here. Cursed be the AVG for ruining my Monday.
For clarification, the regular start-up process is hanging for me at crcdisk.sys.
Have read that switching the SATA drive’s mode from AHCI to IDE is apparently of use but under my F2 menu, it’s only giving me AHCI or ATA.
@Roy – Try changing to ATA (it’s the same as IDE). ATA = PATA = Parallel ATA = IDE
If still no good, the fact you can’t see your hard drive in UBCD4WIN usually points to the drive being faulty or bad file tables on the drive. Acronis Disk Director will help here if it is a partition, MBR or MFT fault. There is currently
15% off Acronis Disk Director 11 with coupon code ASODD15 if it helps
Have a listen too for mechanical noises on startup, especially repetitive clicking sounds, which point to dying drives. Data recovery is the only way forward after this, replacing internal parts if necessary.
Well, I’m still stuck and very perplexed at the problem I’m having. Sorry for not responding in awhile. I ran into a couple of snags building my UBCD4win CD and was also on vacation last week. Anyhow, I just finally got my UBCD built and here’s where I’m at:
I did a CHKDSK twice and both times it completed saying there were no errors. I used Agent Ransack and renamed three of my AVG folders as instructed above and after rebooting I’m still left where I was when I started this whole process – a blank black screen.
PCR – is renaming the AVG folders simply a matter of right-clicking on them and renaming them? Also, should I be renaming just the folders or do I have to search the folders for the specific AVG file that I seem to be getting hung up on at startup and rename that file specifically? I ask because after I still get hung up at XP loading I rebooted in Safe Mode and as Windows XP attempts to load it’s still getting hung up on the same file with the same name – WindowsSystem32Driversavgidseh.sys. After going back into the system with UBCD my AVG folders still had the changed name that I gave them. So, while the names of the folders have changed, the files within the folders still have the same names. That’s why I’m asking if I should be renaming individual files and not just the entire folder.
So, everything I’ve done so far has still left me where I started, or at least it appears that way. Again, any suggestions would be most welcome at this point.
All hail the mighty PC repairman!! You have saved me so many hours of trouble. Did what you said word for word and I have my pc back, more importantly my family photos and documents.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! (Tip in your jar and a ‘virtual hug’ from me)
Yes, the renaming is correct Rob. You can try to locate avgidseh.sys and rename that file too. The AVG files cannot load if you change the pathnames (ie Windows reads the directory name before the file). You should try the UBCD4Win registry restore wizard now to see if that can help take you back to a point before your problem started.
Well, more weirdness going on. I renamed the AVG files, but Windows XP still hangs upon bootup. So, I restarted in Safe mode and now the guilty culprit is WindowsSystem32DriversMup.sys – any idea what this might be?
I will say this though – that even before I renamed my AVG files and folders with the UBCD4Win disk I decided for laughs to boot up normally and just wait and see if anything would happen. Lo and behold after about 15-20 minutes the black screen disappeared and XP started to load, albeit very very slowly. I mean the whole loading process took about 20-25 minutes with each load up screen taking several minutes before moving on to the next. And now, the weird thing is that I can’t click on the Start button at the bottom or any buttons on the task bar. Nothing happens. Really, the only thing I can click on are the shortcut icons on my desktop. I can get online fine and I’m actually typing this right now from my PC. I ran Malwarebytes Malware and it came up with nothing.
Prior to this I did run registry restore in UBCD4Win, but I don’t think this is related as the system is still hanging, though on a different file so it doesn’t look like the registry restore had any effect.
Is there some diagnostic program that I can run online that might be able to help or check my hard disk for errors? Not sure what else to do here. Would booting from my Windows XP cd and doing a disk repair be of any use here?
Thanks again.
Rob, I would run the manufacturer’s disk checking utility at this point. You should open your case and check what hard drive you have, then run the relevant scan. Most manufacturers have utilities that check their own brand of disk for errors, visit their website to download a program and burn to a CD. Alternatively, use the free UBCD (not the Win version) from here
http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/.
This checks multiple hard drive vendors’ disks.
Mup.sys is a common ‘freezing’ point when loading Windows, don’t read too much into this. If your drive is healthy then I would suggest backup of files and reinstall of Windows or a repair install (I am not so keen on the repair method, do it properly!).
Thanks, PCR. I’m running the hard drive diagnostics now from the UBCD. If the test comes back with a clean HD then I will reinstall XP.
What is the best/most effective way to back up my files/data? Is it done within the XP reinstallation/repair process or separately, such as within the UBCD4win environment. I am mostly interested in just accessing and saving my data – family photos, videos, etc. Everything else is secondary. Once I know everything is backed up I don’t mind doing a full reinstallation of XP.
Rob, the best way to backup is with UBCD4Win and an external hard drive. Boot with the external drive plugged in as some setups will not recognise the drive once in the PE environment. By this I mean running from CD.
Now create a folder on the external drive called “backup” and simply drag and drop files and folders to it. Remember email contacts and emails (as many people forget these) and photos and documents. If your external drive is large enough you could copy your whole C drive in case you miss something.
Hey, Rob you should give this guy a good tip. I have found out more info here than any forum or even AVG’s pages. Got my Dell Inspiron running in about an hour following this info – donation sent, many thanks.
@Eric – thanks very much, most generous. Glad to have helped.
Mr PCRepairman – can u help please??? Have suffered with updating AVG last Mon. eve (Oct. 3rd). Now PC goes round in circles trying to Boot. Tried AVG Rescue disk but to no avail, but have managed to remove the AVG Folder. If I choose to boot in Safe Mode it reads thru the files and stops at the AVG Driver(?) file “AVGIDSEH.sys” and stops. I have scanned the system and there seems no hardware problem. Can you help please, cos my daughters school work is trapped on there! I dont want to rebuild (again)! Thanks in anticipation. Chris
Hi. Have you tried the CHKDSK mentioned in the article above?
Hey PCR, I’m having a problem. AVGIDSEH has been haunting my HP win7 laptop for months now. I made the AVG rescue CD from the video tutorial.
Once I choose the first option from the boot menu the thing loads all that stuff like in the video except the problem isn’t miraculously cured. There’s no “Press any button to fix the issue” part that it says at 2:28 in the vid tut. The next thing that pops up is a Disclaimer in gray background window. If I click “I agree” I come to something else. “Please Wait Mounting Windows Partitions”.
Now I’m at the Main menu which is different from the menu I was at in the beginning (on the video tut). It says ‘AVG Rescue CD’ at the top left corner
It has all sorts of options with a one sentence description of the option to the right:
Scan Configure and run on-demand scan.
Scan Result View and process last scan result.
Update Configure and run update.
Hotfix Scripts for fixing known issues.
Database Select virus database.
Vault Inspect Windows virus vault.
Mount Re-mount Windows volumes.
Network Configure Network.
USB Create bootable USB Flash Drive.
Utilities Miscellaneous utilities.
Eject Eject Rescue CD.
Reboot Reboot system.
Shutdown Shutdown System.
About Rescue CD and AVG version info.
Sorry for the load of info, I just hadn’t read anyone else getting this other menu.
I would love to just find a command prompt to try chkdsk
Ok, I probably should have explored all the options before posting. In the Utilities I found the Midnight program you’ve mentioned. I’m using it now. It’s HUGE. So massive, I don’t really know where to look..
Austeezy, I wrote a very quick Midnight Commander tutorial to help you understand the interface a bit more.
Awww, that was nice of you 🙂
I ended up changing all 8 of the avg.sys to .bak
Nothing has really changed though. I still get the same problems.
I tried safe mode and I see no AVG, but it now stops at disk.sys . I dont know what it represents and how important it is.
Is it talking about my hard drive? I have run a memory test which passed, a hard drive test which gave me an error (#10008 replace hard disk 1), and a SMART drive test which also passed. The data on my hard drive is still there. I see my pictures through HP Quick Web.
You’re welcome. Download the UBCD4Win disk from another PC and run a Disk Check from there as mentioned in the article above. It really does solve a multitude of disk problems. You can also run a drive health test using your drive manufacturer’s testing tools, they are often on their website.
A followed the advice here for UBCD http://www.pendrivelinux.com/install-and-boot-ultimate-boot-cd-ubcd-from-a-usb-device/
I have yet to boot it from this laptop (would have to change the BIOS), but what about that “make your own build part”? I’m currently on my parents laptop, needing this for my own. I’m tried it on my own laptop, but it didn’t show much, like a few lines of info with the word “boot: ” allowing me to type whatever I wanted. Seemed incomplete
I’d recommend starting off burning a UBCD4Win boot CD. It’s easier and you get the options you need by default. You are using UBCD on your pen drive which is different, although the hdd tools are good to have. I don’t think UBCD supports chkdsk and you need to do this first.
Alright, I’ve done all this work for UBCD4Win, but what’s up with the Windows XP service pack 1 or 2 thing need? How the heck am I supposed to have that? I have Windows 7.
I was thinking… I have an old Windows XP Desktop computer(I have no CD’s associated with it). Could I possibly download UBCD4Win to a blank CD-RW or a USB Flash Drive for my XP Desktop? Then I could launch it there and when it asks “Search Files?” for the Windows Installation files, I click Yes since I’m on XP. For the Builder I’ll now have a Source.
Or could I possibly do a reverse and go on my XP Desktop and somehow copy and grab the service pack onto an external device for this laptop? I wouldn’t know what and where to look though.. Could I burn an XP CD? If so, how? Would compatibility mode do anything?
Sorry for the load of questions
Hi Austeezy. No, you can’t build UBCD4Win from an existing installation of XP, you’ll need to have an installation disk. Compatibility mode won’t help and you need more than just the service pack.
Your best bet at this stage if you can’t beg, borrow or steal an XP disk is to use the brilliant HDD Regenerator. We use it in our shop to great effect and it repairs all types of drive with great success, recovering the data it finds in bad sectors. It’s paid software but not a bad price for the performance it has and you’ll probably use it again one day.
Hi PCR. Can you pls help me??? My laptop does have the same problem with avgidseh.sys. I tried the rescue cd, changed the .sys to .bak but when i removed the usb and restarted my laptop it then stops at chkdsk.sys. Can u help me to figure things out. All my files are in my laptop and i reallly need it. Pls help. Thanks in advance.
Hi Peterson. Sounds like you have a failing disk or a disk with bad sectors on it. This is a common fault and AVG can often be blamed for it when it wasn’t at fault. Check out my article for the chkdsk.sys repair
Hey PCR… Sorry i thought it was chkdsk.sys but it’s crcdisk.sys.can u pls help me find the solution for it. Sorry for the wrong info. Thanks in advance
Set your BIOS to boot from hard drive before USB, this may be your problem now. Otherwise, try a system restore and if it fails or hangs then try a different restore point. Failing this, do a drive scan with hdd regen as mentioned in the article above.
I had the same problem with avgideh.sys freezing and followed your help here to the letter. I purchased the HDD Regenerator mentioned in your article and it ran overnight (11 hours!) but it repaired the faulty hard drive areas and got me back up and running again. It seems you are right about it not always being AVG at fault, but any ideas why it happened in the first place?
C’mon, you made this too easy! Note to people suffering like I did – don’t take the advice of some of the other forums and sites out there, they did my PC more harm than good. Thanks for making it a step by step process mr PC repair man. Was going to drop you a drink but I can’t find your donation link any more, can you mail me and I’ll send you something?
@Ruddles – It’s usually a shutdown problem or a power cut (including flat battery on laptop) that writes a bad sector to the hard disk. HDD Regen is clever enough to find this sector and rebuild the information that should have been on it, including Windows files that stop the PC from booting.
@Lesley – http://www.pcrepairmansblog.com/donate
Thanks for the kind words!
My external DVD drive would not work so I re-booted – and found it would not get past AVGIDSEH.SYS. I have resolved the boot problem by renaming the AVG drivers and have performed a chkdsk but this has not resolved the DVD problem, so my feeling is that – as you say – this is not an AVG problem.
So two questions:
1. Do you recommend renaming the files back again or re-installing AVG (I don’t want to change AV unless I have to)?
2. What is the likely culprit if not AVG? A Windows update to SATA? If so is this likely to be put right by MS?
I am a bit worried about changing from AHCI to IDE as suggested in some places as this requires some registry tweaking.
Richard, The AVG program can usually be uninstalled from control panel and a reboot and reinstall of the latest version is all that is usually required. Don’t leave any AVG settings if prompted, have a clean start. If an uninstall fails, then rename the AVG folder in Program Files before re-installation.
You can check you don’t have the autohide of empty drives set in Windows. Failing this, sometimes a trip to diskmgmt.msc via the run menu will allow you to see if the drive is listed there (and also assign a new drive letter which sometimes cures the fault).
The AHCI to IDE change is often done in the BIOS, not the registry.
My BIOS didn’t have any reference to ACHI but the remaining problem (i.e. DVD not working) appears to have been resolved by deleting and reinstalling the DVD driver.
So I guess it was not an AVG issue after all, despite appearances.
Thanks for your help!
Your instructions worked to the letter. Followed your link to download the hard drive regenerator and left it running for 2 hours. It found 5 bad sectors and repaired them. The pc restarted straight away after this. Thanks!
Hi, I purchased a brand new laptop and downloaded avg 2012. I encounter the same problem as many of the users here. I tried to run it in safe mode and The computer seem to get stuck on avgidseh.sys like everyone.
Anyways.
Now, I watched the video. Downloaded the avg rescue cd and burnt the image to a disc to use while booting. I followed the steps in the video but at the end it doesn’t ask me at anytime to press any key to rename.
it says:
Sending discover…
Sending discover…
Sending discover…
Then a disclaimer pops up and asked if I agree or I do not agree.
I press agree. Then it takes me to the blue AVG rescue CD screen.
I am totally lost and I’ve spent hours trying to fix this. PLEASE HELP. This is driving me insane.
Hi. There are different versions of the recovery disk so it’s hard to know what point you are at in the repair. Because AVG decided to use Midnight Commander as the file manager for their recovery disk, you may be experiencing a problem using the interface. For this reason I wrote a quick tutorial here:
How to use Midnight Commander
Hi, my computer is having the same problem after it went down when doing a search for disk errors and has the same problem, gets stuck on avgideh.sys. but i can´t boot with the AVG rescue cd on a usb drive, when the pc starts it appears an error saying that the bootmgr fails and to press ctrl+alt+del for restart. I have lots of information and work on the computer that i need it, i can´t lose that. Can anyone help me please.
@lapsaf Hi. One reason you might see this BOOTMGR error is if your PC is trying to boot from the AVG USB every time and it’s not bootable, ie corrupt. Remove this and any CD then try to start the PC again. If you get this error still then try HDD Regenerator as mentioned above.
@PCRepairMan Hi, thanks for the reply. The problem was that the file I downloaded didn’t have the makeboot.bat file but i downloaded from this topic http://forums.avg.com/us-en/avg-forums?sec=thread&act=show&id=181149 now the AVG Rescue CD is working from the usb drive but to be honest i didn’t understand what to do. I’m following this advice http://forums.avg.com/ww-en/avg-forums?sec=thread&act=show&id=94159 of changing the avg files name so it doesn’t run when initialize the windows but the files doesn’t appear i mean the files from the other partition of the disk appears but the files from c: doesn’t
@PCRepairMan I hope you could understand what i mean. The AVG Rescue does not recognize my main disk only the usb drive and a disk i have with the product recovery so i can’t change the files name. How can i make the AVG recognize the main hard disk partition?
@lapsaf Again, if it doesn’t recognize your hard drive (c:) then there’s probably a hard drive repair required. 99 percent of the time HDD Regen works in our repair shop.
@PCRepairMan I have tried the HDD regenerator and the problem continues, but i didn’t understand how to do that correctly, do you have any tip on how to work with HDD regen? I only search for erros and it only have found 8 delays but the c: still isn’t recognized by AVG rescue. If I could make AVG recognize the volume then i could take the files out and reinstall the windows.
@lapsaf If you see ‘delays’ under Windows, you should rescan the hard drive using HDD Regenerator from a bootable CD or flash drive. We never scan drives from within Windows. Let it repair any bad sectors it finds.
@PCRepairMan I can’t start windows, i have scanned using a usb flash drive and the hdd regenerator when scanning finds delays, there any possibility when using hdd regen of the files that i have being deleted?
@lapsaf Delays can be caused by bad clusters, amongst other things, as data is re-read. HDD Regen attempts to repair the drive and recover the data stored on these damaged areas, moving it elsewhere on the drive. It won’t cause any problems to attempt a repair with it.
i have the avgidseh problem as others. I have used several resue disk programs to delete the avg files. however, when i reboot the computer the files seem to return….i cant figure out why this happens.
please help
kevin
@kevvvy If you can boot into Windows then run the AVG removal tool, reboot and reinstall AVG (or install another antivirus such as the free Microsoft Security Essentials).
If you can’t then try to boot in safe mode after removing the files with your rescue disk. If they are still there, then remove them again and restart, then run the AVG removal tool.
@PCRepairMan
i can’t boot into windows even in safe mode because it hangs at the avgidseh.sys file. i have used 3 different rescue programs (kapersky, midnight comander, avg tool…) and found and “removed” the file and all other avg files i can see. but they are back when i restart the computer. i.e. it hangs again at avgidseh and they are there if i re run the rescue program.
i feel like im in an episode of “the twilight zone” :0
kevin
@kevvvy I haven’t seen that happen before, kevvvy. Remember, in programs like Midnight Commander you need 3 steps:
1. Tag the files
2. Select ‘Delete’ (F8 from memory)
3. Confirm deletion
Miss any of these steps and it won’t work.
If it still fails, then try to use the free UBCD4Win as that’s the tool we use here in our workshop. Once deleted they stay deleted!
@PCRepairMan
i am trying to use ubcd4win and make an iso. it seems to require me to use windows xp to create the iso. will this still work on my broken comp which has windows 7?
kevin
@kevvvy Yes, this will boot into an XP-like environment but you can access all your files through the built-in graphical file explorers. You can even retore the registry to an earlier time if required, although you should try to delete the AVG files first.
@PCRepairMan
Thank you for all your help, however…….
when i start ubcd4win it loads in and then runs very slowly or hangs as well…..i can get to most of the programs it it as long as i wait in between keystrokes. which program would be the best to find/ remove the avg files or restore the registry. i also ran HDD Regen and it found 10 bed sectors that it could not fix
kevin
@kevvvy If HDDRegen found sectors it couldn’t repair then your hard drive is on its way out. Backup your important files straight away and go shopping for a new drive. You can get a second opinion from the hard drive manufacturer’s drive testing tool but it’s likely to confirm it.
@PCRepairMan @kevvvy
Thank you for your help and problem solved and fixed. Turns out the hard drive was bad. I replaced it for 60 bucks and reinstalled windows. Thanks again!!
Unfortunately the AVG-rescue-disk doesn’t do the job for my system (an Acer Aspire desktop). It loads just like you show it here: http://www.pcrepairmansblog.com/avg-update-crashes-pc-how-to-restart-windows-xp-vista-7-2003-2008-boot-disc-startup/ It does however not change filenames and restart. Instead I get a menu after I had to accept a license agreement and it checked for internet activity. When I reboot the system I get the same crache, rebooting in safe mode shows that the computer crashes after a failed attempt to load AVGidsche.exe which is located in windows/system/drivers/ There is no problem with my hardware, that’s certain. Isn’t it practical to change the name with a userfriendly variant of Linux? If so, then maybe you could write a section about which form of Linux to put on a DVD (for example Ubuntu), how to do so en how to change the filenames.
@petrovic Hi Petrovic. AVG do change their boot disk quite often it seems. If you read through these comments you’ll see advice on using UBCD4Win, our boot disk of choice. It does require an XP disc to build it but it’s a great tool and it’s free.
I shall write a Linux boot disk tutorial one day, but as we prefer in our workshop to fix Windows from a bootable Windows environment this is why I targeted this approach.
@PCRepairMan
What about software like Hirens Boot CD?
As I understand it you have a userfriendly interface (a light version of XP) with this software which enables you to search for all the AVG-folders.
In the worst case you can copy all files to an external disk and perform a clean install.
@petrovic Hiren’s Boot CD is a fantastic tool but I can’t endorse it as it contains non-licensed software. Although the author removed a lot of the commercial software a few versions back, it still has a few that don’t have correct licenses.
The bundled Mini XP would indeed allow you to use a graphical file manager to backup your important files to an external disk. It would also allow easy deletion of the avg files and folders.
Hi there, thanks for the useful info I seem to be having this problem recently after having AVG 9 find a virus and request a reboot i’m going to try using the UBCD4Win boot CD tonight but do we need to rename or delete the AVG files?
@PavneetKhural Hi. Best to rename the files, AVG won’t be able to load them and we can always name them back again. It’s good practice, we always do this in the workshop. If you had a virus removal just before being unable to reboot, it might not be this but may be the virus has deleted or renamed some Windows files. At least UBCD4Win will allow you to make a backup of your important stuff.
I managed to fix my issue last night 🙂 so here is what I did for anyone else that is having the same issue
I am running Windows 7 x64 and after AVG9 found an error and requested a reboot my pc just started going into a reboot loop i couldnt get into safe mode either. so.
1. As per PC RepairMan’s instructions I downloaded the AVG recovery disk and booted off a usb key and renamed the following files:
C:Program FilesAVG – This is also named C:Program files(x86)AVG when you have a 64bit operating system
C:ProgramDataAVG8C:ProgramDataAVG9
C:Users<user>AppDataRoamingAVG9
And all of the files started with avg under C:WindowsDriversSystem32 to *.bak instead of .dll
2. Still no joy and PC rebooting, so I then ran HDD Regenerator which found no problems on my hard disk, after a bit more digging i decided to see what the Startup Repair tools could do as previously going into Start up repair just said unable to fix your problem.
3. This time after i got that message I went into Advanced diagnostics tools and ran the command prompt I changed to drive D which is where the windows partition was referenced even though it was actually C
I then ran chkdsk /r and this ran for about 40 mins and found a few errors that were fixed by chkdsk.
4. I then ran startup repair again which said it couldnt find any problems which was different from last time however after a reboot still no joy.
5. however i went into startup repair again and it said startup repair is repairing problems and this probably ran for 40 mins and after that and a reboot i was back into Win 7 🙂
6. After which AVG9 was completley removed using this tool – http://www.avg.com/filedir/util/support/avgremover_en.exe
Hope this may be of use to someone!
@PavneetKhural Thanks for sharing this with others. It is worth noting that you should ideally run HDD regen on every partition if you have more than one as this may be the Windows or boot file location for some installations.
I’m having some kind of avg 12 issue with vista, Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6002]? I finally found a way to boot with directory repair option. and was able to get a Administrator Command Prompt.
before being able to search this since vista not loading, hanging on some avg*.sys, so I renamed them and that’s where I’m at, after about 20 reboots.
this from a grateful no longer active tech, 10 years now. is DOS chkdsk work? I haven’t used DOS in 14 years? since just after win 3.1?.
I’m going to build or download boot CD. I was just wondering if quick fix available at this point. I let AVG update at one point and after that reboot, i was back to square one.
please explain like to an end user, if anyone replies. thx.
@JimBator Hi Jim. From your original reply, the ‘modern’ equivalent of chkdsk is still chkdsk. It can be run with a few switches but chkdsk /r usually is the best (repair). Problem is, it isn’t as capable as some of the deeper software out there (see http://www.pcrepairmansblog.com/hdd-regenerator-review/ ). It is still worth a shot though so if you can see a command prompt, give it a go.
The better tools like HDDRegenerator (my preferred tool) will scan the drive for corrupt sectors AND move the data found on those sectors to good sectors, hence you have more chance of being able to reboot the PC, especially if the corrupt data is a Windows file.
Once into windows, use the AVG removal tool to completely remove all trace of it and reinstall once stable. Let us know how you get on.
Hi, I followed your instructions and build a UBCD4WIN CD. I was able to reach the bootscreen and booted from the CD into the ultimate window environment. It starts to load and it managed to complete loading, but there is where it stops. Instead of being booted into the new environment, it gets stuck on a black screen like forever and I can’t go further.
My PC is on Windows7. The story goes, my fans were dirty so I removed them for cleaning and placed them back as they were. After that, the PC could not be booted up – stuck at avgidseh.sys.
I built the UBCD4WIN disc using a XP professional installation disc. I attempted to slipsteam but was told that build is already updated with SP2 and so proceeded with the .iso building and burning.
Then after that is the black screen after trying to boot using the ultimate disc.
Do you happen to have a solution to what is going here? Hope to hear from you soon.
Thanks!
@dawngel Hi. I’d say that you should try to rebuild a basic UBCD4WIN again (accept the defaults) and give it another go. If you have a hard drive problem, generally UBCD4WIN boots fully but simply doesn’t identify the drive. You could also try your disc on another PC to test it.
Fans, and consequently CPU temperature, are something that can easily stop a boot cycle, so make sure you watch them on a boot up. Erratic spin speed or noise points to a bad fan and disturbing the bearings by vacuum cleaning can sometimes make things worse. Let us know how you get on.
@PCRepairMan @dawngel
The fans seem to be turning well.no eratic sounds or movement.
I tried using the Avgrescue cd too….same thing.it goes till the screen where it allows be to select the avg rescue cd environment and then black screen. do you think i should take out the fans and fix them back again & see if at help? could it be i have sat the fans wrongly?
i will try the boot disc on another com like you said.and see hw it goes. I am on windows 7 but built the build disc based on the windows xpinstallation discs. any conflicts here?
@PCRepairMan @dawngel
hi, i tried to boot the disc using another com. it didnt boot and go straight through and load via hdd windows even when i select cdrom. The same goes with the AVG rescue disc. Does that means the disc was done wrongly? when i burn the disc to cd using imgburn, I just chose the option to write to disc. There isn’t any option to burn as bootable disc. Could that be the reason?
@dawngel This last problem is just the boot device selection. You need to modify the bios settings as I show here:
http://www.pcrepairmansblog.com/change-boot-order-cd-usb-floppy-external-hard-drive/
One other thing that may be happening on your ‘dead’ PC is that you simply need to change screen resolution. Does the hard drive light on your PC continue to flicker after the black screen?
For your question above that, no, Win 7 installations can be seen with a disc built on XP. Your fans are probably OK.
I accidentally removed my Nvidia Display Drivers with a Driver Sweeper Program.
I get the black screen on normal startup
I try to reboot in safe mode, safe mode with networking, and safe mode with command prompt.
STOPS DEAD AT:
Loadedwindowssystem32DRIVERSAVGIDSEH.Sys
I can’t recall ever having AVG anti virus ever installed on my computer….
Any ideas out there?
I tried the unplug everything technique, including unplugging the hard drive plugs and removing and replacing the RAM sticks.
Computer sounds like it is running fine, with lights that are lit on the mouse and also the keyboard…Just can’t see anything to help navigate on windows!
If that file is listed then at some point you will have had AVG installed on there. Try the free UBCD4WIN or the HDD Regenerator tool as mentioned in the article, these should help to get things working again.
Hi, PCRepairMan
I have had the same problem. Before reading this article, I read numerous other articles and forums stating to load windows vista installation disk and complete system repair. I completed system repair twice, however, the next time I went in the OS was not present. Is my information gone or lost???? Now my computer boots but remains at a black screen? Can this be fixed any suggestions. No when booting it states “No bootable devices–strike f1 to retry boot, F2 for setup utlity, press F5 to run onboard diagnostics.” I’m so lost…
Hi. Well, I would start by looking inside the case at the hard drive connections, make sure they are all secure. Now, when you turn the power on and press the start button, see if you can hear or feel that hard drive spinning up, a gentle hum is what we want to hear from it. Next, try running the HDD regenerator tool (mentioned above) from a CD. If this sees it and repairs the errors then try to boot up again. If this fails, then you need to pop the drive out and mount it in another PC for more testing. Let us know how you get on.
Btw I also ran the diagnositics test, and it tells me DST short test no hard drive found…
Hi PCRM,
I don’t know if you’re still checking this thread; I hope so. Similar issues to above: started with avg error, used Midnight Commander to remove files, now stuck at crcdisk error. Can’t use ucbdwin as I don’t have the Vista recovery disk (bought computer 2nd hand) and it seems to require that to function.
Before looking into the HDDRegen, I wanted to see if there was some other way to run chkdsk. Can you do that from Midnight Commander? I tried but the command prompt doesn’t do anything, unless I’m not writing it properly.
This whole thing happened all of a sudden after 2 years of perfectly good operation on an Alienware m17x. It’s a laptop, so taking it apart to get at the hard drive isn’t really an option…is it? Even if it is, I don’t think i want to muck about in there.
Fortunately, I have a slow-running but able back-up computer if I have to download anything.
Thoughts? And many thanks for them.
Hi. Well, here we would just run the HDDRegen to fix any disk error that came up. If you want to try to run a chkdsk scan you could take the hard drive out (relatively easy) and mount it in a desktop PC (moderately difficult). You would need a 3.5″ to 2.5″ IDE adapter if it is not a SATA drive. When ‘mounted’ it can be scanned via Windows chkdsk on the host PC. Bear in mind:
1. This is not for beginners, you must make sure you don’t boot your desktop PC from this drive.
2. Each attempt at reading or spinning the drive up lessens your chances of getting data back if the drive has faults.
3. Chkdsk is nowhere near as capable as HDDRegen’s sector repairing process.
Good luck and let us know how you get on.
Thank you for the suggestions.
I ran the limited version of HDDRegen 2x, once in scan mode and once in repair. Both times it identified a “D,” delayed, sector, but no bad sectors. I’m now running it a 3rd x just to see what happens, but I’m not expecting anything different. I haven’t had to repair anything yet, so I’m assuming the trial version is still good. If not, I’ll purchase the full but would rather save the $100 if I have to hire a repair person.
When I boot now, I still end up sticking at the “crcdisk” driver and a flash of blue screen, then rebooting. The drive sounds smooth with no clicks or odd noises.
If I have to look into saving my data (assuming that’s possible), is that something I need to look into now?
Where do I go from here?
Again, thank you for your time and effort.
Delays mean that the hard drive has sectors with long access time. This can mean it is a failing drive that will eventually cause data loss although not always.
At this point, we would run our full version HDDRegen on that delayed sector to repair it (just run within a range where that sector is so it doesn’t scan all the drive again). If you can reboot, then backup your data and run another full scan in a week. If you find no errors then great, if you find delays again then change the drive. Good luck!
When I ran the trial version, it didn’t repair the “D” section or give an option to just do that. Should I try again with the trial or is it only the full that will do that task?
Only the full version I am afraid, the trial just shows the errors. For the money it’s the best hard drive tool currently out there though, and you will doubtless use it again.
sigh…so I purchased the full version and ran the sector-focused scan, twice. It repaired one “D” sector but not the other, the one in the first sector that I think it causing the boot problems.
I’m getting the same boot error “crcdisk” and quick blue screen flash before it reboots itself.
I think I just need to take it in. Unless you have another idea?
Thank you.
OK, now the regen is done, try to boot into Safe Mode (repeatedly click the F8 key while booting). When you see the menu, go to Safe mode and if your PC boots into Windows, backup your important data to an external device such as a USB stick. Now check your system files like this:
Go to the Start menu and type in “sfc /scannow” without the quotes, press Enter and let it run a scan to fix some of your system files.
I haven’t been able to F8 into the system, which is odd because I was before. I did find an F12 diagnostic I didn’t realize I had, because it’s a Dell (Alienware). I ran that but the system shut down before completing, I think.
I will try F8 into Safe mode again tonight to see if it works. If it still doesn’t, other thoughts?
If I haven’t said this enough, I do appreciate your ongoing support. This is an expensive machine and I hate the idea that something’s gone wrong with it.
Tried it again tonight, no luck. Still hanging at crcdisk.
Is it worth running HDDRegen again? There is still that one “D” sector that it didn’t correct after 2 run throughs.
The F8 key press timing is critical to invoke the boot menu, try to tap it every half a second at boot. If you can get into Safe Mode we’re getting somewhere. If you can’t then try the ‘Hirens boot CD’ from http://www.hirensbootcd.org/download/ You can burn the CD using the free software at http://cdburnerxp.se
Once burned, run this and select ‘Mini Windows XP’, then launch a file explorer to recover your data to USB.
Sorry, I wasn’t clear. I did manage to get in with F8 last night, used Safe mode and it still does the driver run-through to crcdisk and hangs.
I’ll try the Hirens boot and let you know how that goes. I’ve been running your program suggestions off USB as it’s easier than burning disks. Can I do that as well with Hirens or no?
My machine runs VIsta. I assume the “Mini XP” will still function?
Once all is said and done, may I pay you something for your ongoing advice?
Hirens can boot from USB, full instructions here: http://www.hirensbootcd.org/usb-booting/
MiniXP is just a way of loading a graphical interface for you to get your files off. It will look at Vista fine (and XP, Win 7 or 8 too).
You can drop something in here http://www.pcrepairmansblog.com/donate/ but it’s not necessary, I’m happy to help 🙂
Update: Got CD, burned Hirens, ran it in damaged computer. Able to open Mini XP but can’t do anything from there. I have a USB backup drive but the computer won’t recognize it even though it can “see” it.
Tried to run scannow from c: prompt with no luck.
Next?
When you run Mini XP what happens when you run Windows Explorer to view your files?
Hi. I’m ready to take it in somewhere for repair. It’s likely that my hard drive is failing. Someone recommended I ghost the drive using the Norton program to save data that my not save in a standard back-up (assuming I can even get in to do that).
Is this true and what do you think of this solution? The program is discontinued so I don’t know if it’s free to obtain or there is an alternate you’d recommend.
Thank you.
I would try to run an MBR fixing utility since HDD Regen sees your drive and Hiren’s MiniXP doesn’t. You can use the free Clonezilla to clone your drive (it’s on Hiren) which does much the same as Ghost did. These tools are accessible through ‘Parted Magic’ which is on the Hirens disk that you have. Start with Clonezilla, especially if you are messing with the MBR area. Make sure you read up on these tools first, there are plenty of videos on YouTube.
I’m not sure why I Googled this now, but I was having this problem over the summer. I was locked away at my grandparents’ house, caring for them, and my laptop was my only source of entertainment and contact with the outside world (no cell phone at the time.) I don’t remember it 100%, but let me share my story.
First, I had built this glorious gaming PC, so my laptop was left to sit in the dust for about a year or so. Upon boot before taking my vacation, I was met with an unresponsive machine. I couldn’t even open control panel. I would get the swirling circle for a second, and then nothing. No CPU activity, minimal memory usage.
I removed the hard drive, put it into an enclosure, scanned it for malware on my desktop. Quarantined a couple of PuPs, but nothing looked major. Upon reseating the hard drive, my laptop’s functionality was restored. I was happy. Uninstalled programs I had no interest in using, did a couple of basic maintenance procedures (defrag, cleaning the fans of dust, Windows update, etc.) and she was running like new.
Then, I left the laptop on with the browser open to have dinner with my grandparents. It was set to hibernate after 20 minutes. I returned home to find it completely off.
I turned it back on, and it sat at the Windows 7 logo for a good 45 minutes. Okay… I thought, and turned it off. Went to go boot it in safe mode, and got stuck at this driver. This is where it gets a bit fuzzy, but I’ll try to recall what happened afterwards.
I tried the AVG rescue disc or whatever, renaming the folders and whatnot. This caused Windows to get stuck on the very next driver in line. Can’t recall exactly what it was at this time, but it was not AVG-related.
I reseated the hard drive and the memory, and then ran a memory test. It passed. I then attempted Chkdsk and let it run for about two days. Sat at a certain percentage for almost that entire duration, so I gave up. Next, I used some sort of hard drive-checking boot CD that I burned (sorry, really can’t remember!) and it pretty much told me “No, no, no, bad, bad, bad” in laymans terms.
This was a budget laptop and didn’t come with a reinstallation disc, and I was across the country from where it would be even if I did have one. Wanted to try out Linux for a while, so I bought a new hard drive and installed Lubuntu.
Laptop’s running like a little gem to this day. I suspect that AVG is getting unfairly flagged for this issue, when it (seems) to have been caused by hard drive failure. Although there may have been more to my story– I am a novice, so if anyone has any insight into my situation, please share!
Wow, thanks for sharing all that. It’s like I said, AVG does get a bad rap for many of these errors and we have found that it’s more often than not the drive that is at fault. In your case you ran a drive test and it failed so, presuming the software you used is good, then there’s your answer. In this case we would then try a repair scan in the shop using this tool and if it works then you have another hard drive to use for storage/backups etc.
Hi pcRepairman and thank you very much for your help.
Question, the fact that I can open windows 7 without problems, but when trying any of the safe mode options it freezes when loading this avgidsha.sys file suggests that it is a problem of avg in this case and not hard disk error, right?
What would you recommend in order to fix that?I suppose I don’t need a boot cd given that I can get in the windows7 environment. I really need to be able to run in safe mode though.
Thanks very much.
Antonis
You are welcome Antonis. Personally, I would first uninstall AVG (including all settings, quarantine etc), reboot and then test whether safe mode is working. If so, you can then reinstall AVG to see if the problem reoccurs. This may solve things and AVG is quick to reinstall.
Either way, I would also give the drive a scan and fix any errors that may be there. Because you are fortunate enough to be able to boot, you can use Windows Explorer > Right click your drive > Properties > Tools > Check now > Check both boxes and click ‘Start’. Accept the scheduled disk check and restart the PC.
doesnt work for me
w8 tried to do an auto upgrade to w10 and during the upgrade it decided to turn round and downgrade back to w8 i think
now we have blue screen saying
recovery
the oprating system couldnt be loaded because a critical system driver is missing or contains errors
file is
avgidseh.sys#sthash.0bmkLyw6.dpuf
error code 0x000007b
there is no virus on the pc
i’ve tried your fix,
ive tried to use the avg repair tool
i’ve tried to use ubcd
i’ve tried to use hdd regenerator
all of teh above were installed on a usb and although i can get to the boot from usb option, the pc cannot boot the s/w
i get no option to boot from cd disc
please help
Sorry to hear you’ve had this problem. If you hit F12 on many systems during boot, you will get a boot option menu which should allow choice of boot media. At this point, what we would do in the shop is boot using UBCD or similar and recover all data from the PC. You can use their built in file explorer to accomplish this, dragging and dropping folders such as Documents, Pictures etc to an empty USB drive. Make sure you boot with the empty USB drive loaded too so it is recognized. After all data is recovered, do a clean install of Windows 8.1 then immediately upgrade to W10, ideally via a USB with W10 installation files on it.