Avast doesn't start, Error 126, Can't uninstall - Help, please!

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
21

Did you previously have a different AV program on your computer, Symantec / Norton, McAfee, TrendMicro, something like that ? Something that was set for updates?

Is anything showing in Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel relating to any of these?

How is your computer running other than this problem with re-install avast?

22

With HostsMan, did you “overwrite” the hosts file instead of “merge”?

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I did have a TrendMicro anti-virus once (if I remember correctly), but that was a long time ago and there’s no sigh of it or anything else in Add/Remove.

When I first tried to uninstall Avast!, I also tried a System Restore, but it didn’t work (I tried switching it off/rebooting/switching it on, but it was no use).

Also, Windows Media Player has stopped playing more than 18 seconds of a video, but that happened a day or two after my Avast! problems began.

I clicked on mvps.bat and it backed up the original hosts file and replaced it with a 596 KB hosts file which was in the hosts.zip folder.

Thank you for both your help :slight_smile:

John

24

2007 version - http://download.mcafee.com/products/licensed/cust_support_patches/MCPR.exe

Also see - How do I uninstall SecurityCenter? http://ts.mcafeehelp.com/faq3.asp?docid=71525

It may be worth doing a clean reinstall:
Download the latest version of avast http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html and save it to your HDD, somewhere you can find it again. Use that when you reinstall. Ensure that you scroll down and select the avast direct download link for the English version and not Cnet as that is for an on-line installation (not what you want to do). - Direct download for avast Home, English version, http://files.avast.com/iavs4pro/setupeng.exe.
Download the avast! Uninstall Utility, find it here and save it to your HDD.

    1. Now uninstall (using add remove programs, if you can’t do that start from the next step), reboot.- 2. run the avast! Uninstall Utility, reboot. If step 1 failed it may be necessary to run this from safe mode, once complete reboot into normal mode.- 3. install the latest version, reboot.
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I left my computer on overnight to upload a video, but when I got up this morning the avast! (home edition) icons were missing from the tray.

When I tried to start avast! manually, I got the following error message:

Stick with it Jorolat. It looks as if a nasty sneaked in or actioned while computer was on but left unattended. Sometimes it takes a while and a few runs to reverse the damage so you’re back on right foot, and you may not be far off now. I am speaking from experience. There is an new VPS update on the way, so pay to look over defence you put in place and go through boot scans again to see what progress has been made. Perhaps uninstall / re-install avast following info given in forum on best ways to do this.

Also, if use Hostman with mvps, did you see to go to Run–type ‘services.msc’ (without quotations)–go down list to DNS Services–click to open editor and set for disabled. This is not causing your problem but is usual practice when using Hostman.