Can’t install Avast4 home free

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Hi there,

I recommended a friend to convert from AVG to Avast for use on her Win98se/IE6sp1 system. She has now tried four separate Avast4free downloads and they all fail to install, reporting an error during the unpacking of Lang.dll. Anybody got any ideas what this may be caused by? ???
A VB runtime error perhaps – (she has the latest VB6sp6 runtimes though).

Thanks for any help.

2

It could be a corrupted download.
Before trying to download again:

  • Remove all cookies
  • Remove all temporary files
  • Remove all temporary internet files
  • Delete everything in \windows\Downloaded Installations
  • Delete everything in \windows\Downloaded Program Files

Before trying to install again:

  • Run two online scanners
  • Run Ad-Aware
  • Run Spybot s&d
    (fix/delete the things they find ofcourse)
  • Disable everything that is running
  • If needed (for safety), take out the plug to the internet
3

Thanks for the reply Eddy,

She has done all of that but none of the 4 downloads gets past the error point.
I’ve now sent her a magazine CD version that installs OK on my system so I guess that will be the acid test.
I have a feeling some system file or other is corrupted or missing from her OS - but AVG6 & 7 and AntiVir do install ok.

Steve

4

Let us know if that cd worked.

5

My friend is still finding it impossible to install Avast 4 home.
To rule out corrupted downloads, I sent her a CDr with 3 different downloads - the latest was 15 Nov 2004. – the one before current I think.
All these downloads installed first go on mine but her install fails every time with the same report:

‘failed to unpack ‘Lang.dll’ from ‘av_pro_dll.409’’

Anyone got any suggestions what to try next?

Both of our systems run on Windows 98se and AVG installs without problem (other than that the new AVG7 is rubbish!). :wink:

Thanks,

Steve

6

Looks like it is time for that friend to do a repair of the OS.

7

Thanks for the prompt reply Eddy. I had already suggested that a Win98 reinstall would be a logical next step but I don’t think she is too confident about doing that, or a repair, especially when all major apps are currently working OK.

She’s a novice (though a very bright one) but she’s 120 miles away and would have to do the thing on her own. Tough call, as she has no manufactures system image CD, just an OEM Win98 one.

I’m assuming you are suggesting that some system file is missing that the Avast installer calls on to run the install? Would that be because whatever Avast is written in is missing a runtime file or something similar – as in VB or JavaVM? Out of general interest, what is Avast written in? (Not that I can remember much about programming, these days!!)

I’m pretty sure she won’t want to re-install so has anyone got any other ideas before we give up?

Thanks,

Steve

8

She can start with the system file checker that shouldn’t be hard to do and not causing any damage.

url=http://www.helpwithwindows.com/windows98/start-142.html[/url]

With a bit of luck, it may even solve the problem.

edit: Has she already tried the uninstall util from the website to remove Avast, reboot and reinstall?

9

Thanks again Eddy.
My pal was ahead of both of us with sfc, which she ran about three weeks ago. There were one or two odds and ends (as usual) and I sent her updated files from my system to cover them but they appeared to make no difference. I’ve just asked her to do another sfc to see if it throws up anything new.

Oh and yes, I sent her the uninstaller just in case the broken installs were causing a conflict and she ran that first every time.

Best regards, Steve