after using avast_clear in safemode, XP sec center still thinks it's installled

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

I booted up to safemode, ran the clear program, rebooted to normal mode.
Avast is clearly absent, but XP issues no warnings, secondly the security center in
control panel tells me avast is still installed.

Where does the security center get it’s information. What is left in the system that leads
XP to believe a working A/V is present ? This is one question that has never been properly answered.

I just uninstalled 1800, and was preparing to install 2021. I’m going to wait until
I know what’s going on.

2
  1. Download avast! Free Antivirus: http://files.avast.com/iavs9x/avast_free_antivirus_setup.exe
  2. Follow instructions: http://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility (Run this tool for all prior installed avast! versions…!!)
  3. Reinstall avast! with the downloaded installer from point 1.
  4. Reboot.
3

have you rebooted … one more time ?

Rejzors cleanup tool http://rejzor.wordpress.com/avast-cleanup-tool/

4

It’s not clear whether Rejzors cleanup tool works with XP.
Anybody know ?

I have rebooted one more time and the problem remains.

I’m going to try installing the new version and see what happens.

5
It's not clear whether Rejzors cleanup tool works with XP. Anybody know ?
you find out if you try it ...... or we can ask him, PM is sendt ;)
6

Did we ever find out whether his tool supports XP ?

Does avast! create a log of it’s uninstall activities when it is removed,
either through avast_clear, or uninstall from add/remove programs in the control panel?

7

Designed for:
– Windows Vista/Win7/Win8 32bit and 64bit

8

I think it’s quite clear. From Rejzors description:

Designed for: – Windows Vista/Win7/Win8 32bit and 64bit – avast! Antivirus 7.x Free/Professional/Internet Security – avast! Antivirus 8.x Free/Professional/Internet Security/Premier – avast! Antivirus 2014 Free/Professional/Internet Security/Premier
9

That’s fine, but there are still many XP users. You force me back to my original question above,
why did avast_clear not uninstall completely, XP still believed avast to be installed when
rebooted back to normal mode.

10

Perform a reset of the security center and see if anything change.
There is a bug in it that often reports a av as not being working/installed while it is.
Perhaps it is now doing it the other way around.

11

Run the avast uninstaller again in safe mode.
You may need to reboot more than once.
Also use the registry cleaning tool in CCleaner.

12

Where is the log detailing the uninstaller activities? I’d like to see what it’s doing.

13

When I was using my XP, I did what Para-Noid-1 did as well and used CCleaner as well. You can also use http://rejzor.wordpress.com/avast-cleanup-tool/ to clean up any remnants left behind from the Avast Uninstaller Tool rather than do it manually:

Start > Search > All Files and Folders > Type in Avast > Advanced Options (check off everything on the bottom except case sensitive) > Search…and see what comes up. Any remnants that come up in the search, click on Properties, and if OK > delete, then use CCleaner while in Safe Mode to delete. After cleaning, defrag your machine. Most likely prefech files and a few empty folders will come up if anything that can be deleted.

There is no specific “log,” but the Avast Uninstaller Tool lists what will be uninstalled prior to you uninstalling it and you clicking for you to do it.

14

I believe this is the procedure…

  1. Go to control panel and open Administrative tools.
  2. Click on services.
  3. Go down to Windows Management Instrumentation.
  4. Stop this service. Stop Security Center service too.
    Set them to Automatically start.
  5. Exit out of this area, to your desktop.
  6. Right click Start, and choose Explore.
  7. Go to c:\windows\system32\wbem\repository.
    Delete this subdirectory ONLY.
    Leave the others there.
  8. Exit back to your desktop and reboot your computer (you might need to boot twice).

This will rebuild the deleted folder, and the database.
Once restarted, Windows Security Center should show the correct info.

15

I held off doing a “reset” of the security center for now.
Instead, I uninstalled avast! 2021 from add/remove programs (Control Panel) in normal mode rather than
“avast_clear” in safemode. Rebooted, and this time Security Center properly detects avast! has gone.

Reinstalled again, and for now, it looks OK. Thanks for all the suggestions.

It would be nice if avast! created an actual log of it’s uninstall - it would be helpful in troubleshooting.

16

Thought I would list the Clean Un/Re-Install How-To.
Of course you stumbled on…and I did not realize…Rejzor’s tool does not work for XP.
However, it may be good to have this list for future as well as other PCs.
Some of the steps are not obvious…

Avast Clean Un- & Re-Install

  1. Download Avastclear, Rejzors uninstall tool and the appropriate Avast program edition.
    Avastclear : http://files.avast.com/iavs9x/avastclear.exe
    Rejzors Uninstall tool: http://rejzor.wordpress.com/avast-cleanup-tool/

Here are the Avast installer links. Note: You need to be ONLINE during this install.
http://files.avast.com/iavs9x/avast_free_antivirus_setup_online.exe
http://files.avast.com/iavs9x/avast_pro_antivirus_setup_online.exe
http://files.avast.com/iavs9x/avast_internet_security_setup_online.exe
http://files.avast.com/iavs9x/avast_premier_antivirus_setup_online.exe

…Now…
2. Uninstall Avast by Control Panel>Programs [If you don’t have Avast in control Panel go to #4]
3. Run Avastclear in Normal Mode and allow it to Reboot PC into Safe Mode to complete the removal process.
4. Run Rejzors Uninstall Utility in Normal Mode (removes traces avastclear doesn’t) - reboot.
5. Be Sure To Check PC’s Device Manager…Control Panel>System Once Uninstall is Complete.
Make sure to show any hidden devices by selecting pull-down menu Device Manager>View>Show Hidden Devices
If there is anything related to Avast with a yellow triangle then uninstall it (highlight, right click) and reboot.
If you get an error just right-click & delete.
6. Install the Avast version you downloaded.
7. Reboot.

17

Appreciate those steps.

Are you saying avast_clear should actually be started in normal mode?

The last (and only) time I tried this, it said it was going to restart in safemode…
but it never did. When the PC rebooted, normal mode was active as usual.

I therefore assumed the above avast_clear instructions must be wrong, and never tried it again.
I have always gone to safemode myself (by selecting F8 at boot time) and then starting the tool

18

He’s not saying that, I think. His writing is for Rejzor’s tool, not for XP, and apparently it’ll go into safe mode. I just use XP so can’t comment if that’s so.

Totally correct for XP. I assume by “starting the tool” you mean Avast’s own avastclear.exe. Official instructions are here:
http://www.avast.com/en-us/uninstall-utility

Hey, I just remembered something you may find useful. It’s not a log of uninstalling. But it’ll tell you places to check. When you install Avast, it writes a setup.log. Preserve it. Good place to read and use as cross-ref for cleanup, especially finding the 13 or so places in registry.

19

@ theknochs,
The Avast Uninstaller Tool is to be used in Safe Mode no matter what your OS is. In the past, Avast suggested we could uninstall it via the Control Panel, but no longer.

@ davexnet,
You are correct in your post in that the Uninstaller Tool is to be used in Safe Mode as Avast instructs you to do.

If you have questions on how to use the Avast Uninstaller Tool, just read what it says http://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility.

20

Sorry to make some corrections:

  1. Step one should be to remove avast through either Programs and Features or, Add/Remove (In the Control Panel). Depending on your OS.

  2. The avast removal tool can effectively be run from regular mode as long as you allow it to reboot your computer to safe mode as requested and then allow it to complete it’s actions after it reboots your system into safe mode.