I’ve used the free AVAST home software for many years (I appreciate that)…This morning I get a popup telling me that Avast recommends removing a “google plugin” that has been causing problems.
Fine I follow AVAST’s advice my trusted friend, it advises me I need to restart and I check “OK tab”.
My windows 7 pc tries to reboot… and dies. THATS ALL SHE WROTE, BLACK SCREEN UNABLE TO ENTER SAFE MODE.
THANK YOU AVAST , MY TRUSTED FRIEND. WITHOUT A EMERGENCY BOOT DISK OR WINDOWS 7 DISK ALL I CAN DO IS TAKE IT TO A REPAIR SHOP.
Well, it’s hard to believe that a plugin could avoid PC to boot…
Any other security program (firewall, antivirus) that could interfere?
Even less avast! can’t mess the access to Safe Mode.
Are you sure your computer is not infected?
Tech… yes very hard to believe. I’m stating flatly that my windows 7 computer was running perfectly. Over the past few days it AVAST had been sending me warnings on the google seach home page, telling me that it was blocking malicious popups. This morning AVAST recommended removing a google plugin. I followed ADVAST’S advice, OK’d it’s removal and the Restart that AVAST wanted.
The malfunction of my PC occurred on the AVAST REBOOT after it removed the plugin. It’s more than obvious to me that AVAST screwed up and did not remove the plugin correctly, thus causing my machine to lock up on start. I can completely shut off this pc, start it and it locks up, black screen, no keyboard control, no f8 to boot into safe mode.
Believe me, I TRUST whatever AVAST tells me and we have had a good relationship… But after today, my faith is shaken. IF you have win 7, allow ADVAST to remove a certain Google Plugin, its goodbye computer reboot.
THE REST OF THE STORY… Brought my crashed computer into my local repair shop, advised them the last thing I did with PC was using ADVAST and the subsequent “Black screen of death” occuring on reboot.
The shop ran some type of reboot tool and fix it utility that repaired the damage done. I paid the one hour labor charge to the repair shop and all is well and up running again.
You have this bad experience with a piece of software and it shakes your confidence in it.
The obvious conclusion to this story is that Avast removed some system files it shouldn’t have touched. Avast Browser Cleanup is known to cause problems and is a marketing scam tool done badly. This sub-forum discusses this nuisance in detail: https://forum.avast.com/index.php?board=54.0
I agree with Tech here. Removing an add-on would not delete any system files + you should be able to boot into safe mode.
From your quote above, there are symptoms that proof that your PC was infected since it was blocking websites when you were trying to remove the infection.
The infection could have been the add-on or linked towards the add-on.
If you don’t want browser clean-up, it’s simple enough to remove from:
Control Panel > Uninstall a Program > avast! > Change > [untick] browser cleanup.
I also agree with Aliken that there is more here than a bad add-on removed.
The PC shop fixed a boot problem but what caused this ?
You can assume that it is the Avast Browser Cleanup tool…which I personally think is total junk…and removal is good suggestion. However, I’d also run sweeps on the machine for virus, malware, adware…here is Avast how-to link. https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=53253.0
I’d also add AdwCleaner to the mix of scans: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/adwcleaner/
…BUT I’d do as the Avast link says first and post a thread and have the experts comment.
Well, I can definitely vouch for this story. The exact same thing happened to me 2 days ago! Man was I pissed. I let Avast remove a AVG toolbar it said had a bad reputation and after Avast wanted to reboot… that was it. Windows would not load. I spent 5+ hours trying to repair windows (couldn’t be done) and then trying to restore to a previous system save–couldn’t be done. I finally had to use my recovery disks to return the computer to its factory state. I then still had to use the windows disk to fix something to allow it to boot but then it finally did and has been fine ever since. Thank goodness, I only had to reload a couple of programs on there which I routinely use–quickbooks and MS office and the rest was stuff that didn’t matter. Thank goodness I back up my quickbooks companies to a network drive.
Avast did it. No question about it. I have been using Avast for years and this computer did not have any viruses. I have Avast do a weekly full scan and it has been coming up clean everytime. Avast did some serious screwing up with important windows files and ‘bricked’ my Dell XPS One 27.
Thanks Avast!
I just got chills when the same popup came up on my Alienware! I just closed it and then went into Avast and turn off the ‘broswer cleanup’. I need to check my office computers pronto and turn that shit off so one of my employees doesn’t wipe out a computer.
I’m shocked that this is going on and Avast is clueless about it??
And oh yeah, Windows 7 Home 64 bit on automatic updates is what I run.
Just fallen victim to this aswel!!.. Computer bricked after powering up today and Avast is the only explanation, Tons of stuff missing from the registry, it’s cleaned out files that controlled media components and I can’t access system restore points anymore… Thanks a bunch Avast!! after years of using your av software I’m well and truly sickened. I’ve also lost a full days work trying to fix this issue and I’m sure I’ve lost another tomorrow!!!
The above really sucks…sorry to hear that.
However, don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.
What I mean is I 100% agree with the assessment about all these “extras” Avast has…only has gotten worse.
The combination of them buying companies, pushing new utils, features, out-sourced pay support IMHO has diluted them.
I understand their attempt to expand and make $$$ but many others have gone down that road with bad consequences.
The fix for me is to only use their Virus protection…just do Custom Install and uncheck everything but the Shields, zero tools. I truly believe Avast provides the best Virus protection…I’ve tried almost all the others…the Utils, well just say there are better solutions that work out there.