stan wrote:
Hello Gentle People,

I run Windows XP. SP3. New Avast 5 (free edition) Anti Virus,
SuperAntispyware, Spyware Blaster and Malwarebytes. I don't know
whether Avast and Windows Firewall may have conflicts buit I have
recently noticed that at bootup Avast appears with a warning that
the system is unprotected. No firewall is on. Then Windows firewall
kicks in with a warning from Security Center that No firewall is on
then after about an unduly long period of thirty seconds,
sometimes quite shorter. I have never experienced this unusual
behaviour before. It has become a nuisance problem.

I am thankful for any advice and/or suggestions with a view to
finding a solution to this problem as it severely lengthens the
bootup.

Drop Avast.
Get Avira.

Drop SpywareBlaster.
Keep MalwareBytes (consider getting it for active protection.)
You can keep SuperAntiSpyware if you wish - or only download/install the
freeware version when you think you have been infested (anything is
possible.) I wouldn't keep it running all the time (unless you bought it.)

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html