Avast Free - Double-click on install file, flash on screen and then nothing

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

System: Asus EeePC701, WinXPSP3

I have downloaded the latest install file for Avast Free. When I double-click on the file in Windows Explorer, there is a small flash by the filename and then nothing more. I have tried to install in safe-mode and that doesn’t help.

I have recently uninstalled MS Security Essentials, with great difficulty, requiring a lot of manual removal and registry deletions, so I may have damaged something in the OS. So far as I can see, the system is now clean of any Security Essentials lefty-overs.

I have done a System File Check and made sure that XP updates are current. I can’t do a system restore. This is turned off because the EeePC system disk is so small (4GB).

Any suggestions … other than get rid of the machine?

Thank you
Gordon

2

I have an XP SP3 system that installed with no issues, so it’s not XP.

Have you installed Avast previously? If so, use the Uninstall Utility in Safe mode to get rid of any prevoius bits that might be still there.

Are there any entries in your Windows Event logs that are related to Avast?

3

Thank you for the reply. I have installed Avast on several systems previously (XP, 7, 8) without issues, but not on this particular one, so far as I can recall. My concern is that I may have damaged XP in some way as a result of the difficulties that I had in removing MSE. Other than this issue, the system seems to be running satisfactorily.

Gordon

4

No, there is nothing in the Events log.

Gordon

5

I think you mentioned that you ran System File Checker, so if it didn’t find and fix any system file corruption (/SCANNOW option), XP is probably fine.

I’m wondering if you have any other security software running that might be blocking the install executable from running…