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Wednesday 25 June 2008

Direct Console MSNHOOK.dll fail

If you have an Asus notebook computer and you get this message, or ending in "failed to load", do not be alarmed.
What has happened is that with a new anti-spy-ware definition update, your anti-virus and/or anti-spy-ware program now thinks that this Asus notebook utility is a trojan (spy-ware).
To fix this you will need to go into your anti-virus/anti-spy-ware program and add the path to the Asus Direct Console folder, as well as the paths for LCMP.exe and MSNHOOK.dll to the exceptions.
After doing this, download the latest Direct Console (also goes by other names like Direct Messaging...) version from the appropriate Asus site and do a repair install to put the msnhook.dll file back (or just restore it from the virus vault). Reboot and the message should be gone and Direct Console should be running and properly functioning.

16 comments:

Unknown said...

I am using AVG 7.5 on Vista.

The only solution for me was to disable the resident shield completely since there isn't an option to exclude specific files or folders from the scan.

Oh well, maybe it's time to change and Antivirus.

Thor said...

Update to AVG Free version 8 and you will be able to enter the exceptions I mentioned in Tools, Advanced, PUP Exceptions and in Resident Shield Exceptions.

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much! my console works perfectly now.

Anonymous said...

Hi, I'm having some problem even after following your guide, I've added LCMP.exe to the exceptions, as well as the MSNHOOK.dll file, but I cant get the direct console folder to be added. After I do this and repair the program AVG 8.0 still pops up and says that its a virus and asks me to remove it, EVEN though it is still listed as an exception. any ideas?

Anonymous said...

Hi, I recently began suffering this problem on my ASUS G1.

Updated to AVG 8.0 and added lcmp.exe tp PUP exceptions. Unfortunately, when trying to do the same thing for msnhook.dll, I get a msg telling me that:
"you dont have permission to open this file. Contact the file owner or an administrator to obtain permission".

But I have full admin rights and have even changed the file properties to allow all users full file privelages.

Any ideas??????

Anonymous said...

How can I download the MSNHOOK.dll file? I searched in asus site, but didn´t find any clue.

Please, help. Thanks

Thor said...

To add the folder in AVG Free 8 - go to Tools, Advanced Settings, then look for Resident Shield, and Exceptions. Then Add Path and choose the path (something like C:\Program Files\Asus\Asus Direct Console\)

If you have lost the MSNHOOK.dll file, to restore it, either go to the download site for your Asus model and download the latest Direct Console (or whatever it is called - see my original note).
Or,
In AVG Free 8, History, Virus Vault, find MSNHOOK.dll and Restore it.

Anonymous said...

Thor - thanks for the advice.
I found the same workaround myself late last night.
I believe the AVG / grisoft FAQs provide instuctions for PUP exceptions and make a specific note that only FILES, not FOLDERS can be excepted.

(As best as I could tell) the FAQ's made no reference to the fact Resident Shield could have WHOLE FOLDERS set as exceptions.
Problem fixed.

One note - when I updated from AVG 7.5 to 8.0, I left msnhook.dll in the Virus Vault - which appeared to be wiped with the update. Perhaps the old Vault was moved somewhere, but it was just easier for me to visit the Asustek website and update Direct Console than look for the vault.

Anonymous said...

Where do you find the LCMP.exe so I can add it to execptions?

Anonymous said...

In the PUP exceptions part of AVG, you can "browse" through your directory structure to find lcmp.exe.

Typically it is something like c:\Program Files\ASUS\AsusDirectConsole

As mentioned before, in AVG's Resident Shield, you can exempt the entire directory.

Thor said...

LCMP.exe is in the
C:\Program Files\Asus\Asus Direct Console
folder.

Anonymous said...

In the ASUS Direct Console folder all i have is ICON and RES i do not see the LCMP.exe?

Anonymous said...

I was trying to restore MSNHOOK.dll file from the virus valut but when I click restore it say's try restor as but I do not know what to do when I click restore as can you tell me?

Anonymous said...

to dowload the msnhook file go to asus wedsite and go and type in ur model and go to utility and find direct console and download it. i just did that and its all fine now

Anonymous said...

So all you did was just downloded a new direct console and it fixed it?

Anonymous said...

After a Vista update my Asus G1 started to show the "Direct Console MSNHOOK.dll fail" message. I noticed that the extension of the MSNHOOK file was 0LL. I changed it back to DLL and disabled the Console folder and the two files from virus scanning. Now the Console works again.