avast 7 download hangs - now avast can't install or uninstall

Running Windows 7 X64. 16 GB memory.

During my attempt to install the new avast 7, the process hung my machine. I had to power down to recover. Now, I have a permanent message in the upper left corner that says “Unsecured Fix now.” When I try to fix it, the system hangs. When I try to download again, I get:

Avast! Setup Fatal Error

Error reading product data from “C:\Program Files\AVAST Software\Avast\setup\”. Setup cannot continue.

When I dismiss that, I get:

Setup Selfextract

An error 0 (00000000) has occurred. Last performed operation was: spawning

I cannot remove avast now - I’ve tried via the Control Panel. Same errors as above. The avast Service is Stopped. I’ve tried to start it several times; no deal.

Basically avast is dead and I can’t remove it.

Please advise.

Thank you.

Can you try downloading and using the full setup.exe over your current installation?

Please reboot before running the setup.exe and also after the installation finishes.

Please report back.

I finally discovered aswclear, downloaded it, and managed to remove avast. Then, I was able to install avast 7.

Unfortunately, at the end of the installation process, the installer hung the machine. Hard. I had to reset.

After rebooting, again, everything appears to be okay. I hope this nightmare is over.

Thanks for your help.

For peace of mind, can you try to repair your installation?
Go to Control Panel > Add/Remove programs > avast! antivirus > Remove. Then choose Repair function in the popup window (Repair).

I am having the same problems :frowning: This is since yesterday when Avast updated to Avast 7. I can’t unistall, re-install or even use the Fix Problem - I am getting “File Setting Sheild provider not found”. Fix it now does not work and te start program does not work. If I try to uninstall or re-install I get “C/ProgramFiles/AVASTspoftware/Avast/Setup”
I don’t know what else I can do :frowning: By the way, I’m a woman who doesn’t really understand computers that well so would need things in plain English :slight_smile:

Something went weird in your avast upgrade process.
Will this help? http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=93915.msg747943#msg747943

Repair my installation? My installation seems to be fine; it just hung at the end, but it installed okay.

I used the boot-time Avast 7 scan and it worked, so at this point what’s to fix?

Thanks for your help.

hello…how u do it can teach me?? i have same problem…

Google “aswclear.exe”. Go to the first site and download aswclear.exe. Run it. That should remove avast.

A little more explanation and instructions would be helpful ::slight_smile:
Read the instuctions and download the removal tool here http://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility Try uninstalling avast via remove programs first, once completed or if not possible reboot into safe mode ( tap F8 while booting the system ) and run the removal tool for all previous versions of avast installed then reboot back into normal mode and reinstall a fresh copy of avast that you should download before removing your old version.

Free http://www.avast.com/download-thank-you.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Ffiles.avast.com%2Fiavs5x%2Favast_free_antivirus_setup.exe&product=FA-AVAST&page=download-software&locale=en-ww&avast=0

Pro http://www.avast.com/download-thank-you.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Ffiles.avast.com%2Fiavs5x%2Favast_pro_antivirus_setup.exe&product=PA&page=download-software&locale=en-ww&avast=0

AIS http://www.avast.com/download-thank-you.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Ffiles.avast.com%2Fiavs5x%2Favast_internet_security_setup.exe&product=IS&page=download-software&locale=en-ww&avast=0

Well my english is not that good but i hope all you guys understand me, that´s what i got, an empty screen on my desktop since i finished the install process of avast 7 from 6, i though my computer was still loading something but un hour have passed and still any icon appeared so i had to turn off/reset the machine from the button, when i turned on again, the same, nothing on my desktop again and again, at this point i was getting really upset and then i could run my computer into safe mode and tried the recovery and it worked but avast was totally corrupted, i couldn´t uninstall it in any way, and i tried the uninstall tool from the official avast page asw cleaner i think, in safe mode(it´s very important to run it in safe mode, otherwise it doesn´t work, and then avast was totally erased from my computer, then download avast 7 free from the official page, registered again, and it´s working perfect now, i know it´s not that good from the avast team to free this version to download harming our pc´s, even if it´s free, (cuz the loss could be a lot big) and without warning about, or sending apologies to the users, but i hope they take care more into further vertions, i’m still confident to avast cuz i used it since the 4th version, long live avast!!!

I have a similar problem, after Avast I.S. version 7 is installed the definition updates fails the second time. Then I go to repair the installation and I get the following error. “Error reading product data from” then the install location is displayed.
This is occurring on both of my computers. Version7 is buggy!

The uninstall utility works to remove the program but the issue occurs after the reinstall as stated above…

Kalman2, “buggy” was my conclusion, too. Though I basically like Avast, I’m staying away from it until I feel confident that the problems are resolved.

I suggest trying the R2 which you can install over the top of your existing installation, you will find the R2 in the beta thread.

See http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=94790.0 for more information, this is however a pre-release beta version.

I had same problems when avast7 started it would not update.Then a virus Diller-CE got in and started diverting searches.Eventually I found this forum and how to uninstall and re install avast7.
Why didnt avast email all users and advise of possible problems and the solutions?
Why does avast use yogi support when they are no help whatsoever and only try to scare you into buying a subscription from them?

Also having this problem.

I tried remove/repair, msg: error reading product data from "C:\Program Files|Avast Software|Avast|Setup". Setup cannot continue

then I tried aswclear.exe, msg: aswclear.exe is not a valid win 32 application

I am running windows XP can I simply delete the Avast software folder from the “program files” of my hard drive?

any other suggestions to get this off my desk top?

Update: 3/4/12 Finally success with the uninstall utility, and subsequent re-install

Thanks, craigb and DavidR. Unfortunately, I’m doing important - at least to me - work on the machine that Avast was protecting. I can’t afford to trust it to a pre-Beta anti-virus. In general, it’s probably a good idea to thoroughly test any software before releasing it to the public and that goes double for an anti-virus. Avast 7 locked me up tight-as-a-drum on a computer where I couldn’t tolerate that. I need to trust my AV and, right now, I don’t trust Avast.

Thanks for the suggestion. :cry:

That is understandable.

One thing for sure, if your important work you are doing on your system, then you should already have a robust backup and recovery strategy in place. If you don’t want to lose it back it up, that has nothing to do with beta testing but good practice in the event of a major problem.

One of the best types of backup is hard drive imaging software, that can make an exact image of the drive/partition which can be quickly and easily restored. Many of these drive imaging application also have the ability to do incremental updates over and above the full backup image.

The beta version does NOT means it’s instable or will bring you more trouble. On contrary.