Avast won't start, repair, or uninstall!!!

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Hello! We’ve just built a new computer today and things seemed fine until we realized that Avast was not working. We are running Windows 7 Ultimate. Here is what we have tried:

  • restarting the computer
  • attempting to repair the program via the control panel and then restarting
  • attemtping to uninstall (this resulted in an error every time
  • installed the external Avast uninstaller in safemode per another thread’s suggestion, then restarted and tried a fresh install of Avast. Avast would still not run
  • We ran Malwarebytes and CCleaner in an attempt to remove any malware that might be holding Avast back(problem items were found and deleted). Repeated all of the above, but Avast still won’t start

We’ve also been having some other odd issues. Through my searching for an answer to our Avast issues on this forum, I tried to use my Firefox history to return to a thread from earlier, but instead discovered that Firefox has not been tracking our browsing history for the last 3 hours. Private browsing is not on and the internet options are set for FireFox to remember our history. I attempted to revert back to a system restore point from earlier today but something is not letting me.

If at all possible we would prefer not to have to completely reinstall the operating system…

2

Do you have any security related applications installed?

Disable Windows Defender too before installing avast!.

This should fix it… Use the installer I linked not an old one and run it from desktop

  1. Download Avastclear, Rejzors uninstall tool and the appropriate Avast program edition

Note: It’s important you used the stub online installer from the one I linked… NOT the offline one.

Note: You need to be ONLINE during this install (online installer works in all cases whereas offline sometimes doesn’t)

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

Avastclear : http://files.avast.com/iavs9x/avastclear.exe
Rejzors Uninstall tool: http://rejzor.wordpress.com/avast-cleanup-tool/

  1. Uninstall Avast by control panel [If you don’t have Avast in control Panel go to #4]
  2. Uninstall in safe mode using Avastclear.
  3. Run Rejzors Uninstall Utility in Normal Mode (removes traces avastclear doesn’t) - reboot.
    Check : Once uninstalled check in device manager>view>show hidden devices if there is anything related to avast with a yellow triangle… if so, uninstall it and reboot.
  4. Install the version you downloaded.
  5. Reboot.
3

Since you built a new PC I assume you have O/S disc…so “IF” the suggestion for a clean un-re-install does not work and you can get into Windows 7…you can do a repair install…it is called a in-place upgrade. This is one of the better links on How-To: http://www.pcworld.com/article/243190/how_to_repair_a_corrupt_windows_7_installation.html
It keeps all your data files and only takes about an hour or so…much less severe than a reformat/re-install of O/S.

Alikhan’s advice still holds true though…for Avast Uninstall in safe mode using Avastclear & Run Rejzors Uninstall Utility in Normal Mode (removes traces avastclear doesn’t) - reboot. Also, make 100% sure all other A/V-Security software is removed. If you “built” the PC you may not have installed any but if you did here is good removal link: http://www.avast.com/faq.php?article=AVKB11#artTitle