Add/Remove and avclear4.exe too???

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Hi folks…Just curious.
I recently uninstalled avast 4 Home and reinstalled it again to fix a problem in XP Pro. (which worked by the way).

I used Add/Remove in control panel. However, I found it really strange that after only what seemed like a matter of seconds, it said the removal was successful and to reboot the Computer to complete the removal.

Sure enough, most of the program was gone…(I did have to manually remove some registry entries and some empty Program folders, but for the most part, it was gone).

Now the question: How is it possible that a Program that bordered somewhere around 40MB Can be removed so fast? (At least that’s what Add/Remove said it’s size was…Maybe that’s wrong? ) ???

And I really saw very little activity in the “status bar” of the uninstall program to indicate that it was actually being removed before the reboot message came up.

Surely 40MB could not have disappeared that fast? (Although it apparently did!)

One other question- if I ever have to uninstall avast again, is it OK to use Add/Remove first, reboot, and then run avclear4.exe too?

Does it matter? Is it a good idea? Or maybe even a bad idea? Should I use one or the other but not both?

Anyway, love the program and hopefully I won’t be uninstalling it any time soon, but mysteries like this bother me until I have answers…That’s why they call me “The Nut”. ;D

2

I see no trouble for it. Uninstall proccess for me is very fast and always faster than install.

It’s the best way to uninstall but, as you say, why uninstall? ;D

If you boot between the ‘add/remove’ proccess of uninstallation, you can use avclear4.exe without fear in the next boot 8)

How I fell bad to uninstall avast! ;D

3

  1. To delete a couple of files (it doesn’t really matter if they’re 40KB, 40MB or 40GB) is a matter of a few seconds (at most). Hence most uninstalls are really fast (that’s partly because the “delete” operation doesn’t internally overwrite the data, it just deletes their “evidence”, to put it easily)

  2. Normally, there should be no need for avclear4. It’s necessary only if the program is e.g. seriously corrupted and the uninstall procedure doesn’t work.

Vlk

4

Thank you not only for the replies, but for a GREAT Program! :wink:
I’m “Nuts” over this thing. :smiley:

I have Three Computers at Home…(two more when the “kids” get home from College for Summer). :o

In the past I had AVG on all three…Thought I would give avast a try on one of them.
After being totally blown away by the interface and all the cool features, guess what???

I’m using avast on all of them now…and recommend it to my friends. (Both the free home version and the Pro and Server version to my friends in the “business”).

Keep up the Awesome work!!! And thank you!!!

To have this great forum and tech support to boot (no pun intended), makes using avast an easy decision. :slight_smile:

Speaking of “to Boot”… for the life of me I can’t understand why people have been making such a big deal about the Boot Scan. ???
Well, each to their own I guess. ;D

Thanks again from East Coast, USA!!!

5

Thanks, ehm, Nut, for your words of praise. I’m glad you like the program and transition from AVG was an easy choice for you.

Vlk

6

Although I have no current need to uninstall avast! 4, I see references to avClear.exe and avClear4.exe. Where is avClear4.exe? How is it different from avClear.exe?

Thanks.

7

This thread is more than 4 years old.

The program is now called aswClear.exe and can be found here: http://www.avast.com/eng/avast-uninstall-utility.html

Cheers
Vlk

8

Thanks… Sorry… I didn’t see the 2004 date.