Cannot install Avast Home edition

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Hi,

I had Avast Home edition installed on my machine but I noticed a problem doing updates. It was not updating at all. So, I tried the repair and that did not work either telling me that it could not update the configuration. So, I figured if I un_installed and re_installed, things should work. Boy was I wrong. Now I get a message when launching Windows that it could not find the aswMon.SYS driver and when i run the avast_home_setup.exe, it fails to install. So, I currently have no virus protection at all. Is there a way to fix this problem? I am running on Windows 2000 Pro with fix pack 4.

Elias Wehbeh

2

[font=Segoe UI] Welcome to the forums Elias Wehbeh,

Please take time to answer these questions:

(1) What are your computer specs?
(2) What is/are your current antivirus(es)?
(3) What is/are your previous antivirus(es)?

3

I have an AMD CPU with 250 MByte Ram. I also have an 80 GByte Harddrive. I only had Avast antivirus Home edition on the machine. Nothing else.

4

That is the online installer…

How about a try with the Full installer, maybe as part of a complete re-install…

For a re-installation of avast!:

VERY IMPORTANT - Do not uninstall avast! yet, follow the instructions
(Ignore this, it is already un-installed)

  1. Download the most recent version of avast!
    Make sure to download the Full setup file, NOT the ‘universal installation file’
  2. Download the avast! Un-install Utility
  3. Disconnect from the net
  4. Uninstall avast! through ‘add/remove programs’
  5. Reboot into safe mode and run the avast! un-install utility
  6. Reboot
  7. Install the the latest version of avast!
  8. Re-connect to the net.
5

I followed the steps that you recommended and I am still getting the same problem. I even went into the registry and deleted any avast entries manually because the tool did not seem to remove all and still got the same problem. The only thing that seemed to work is that I stopped getting the aswMon.SYS driver not available every time I launched Windows. By the way here is a part of the log regarding what is failing

23.10.2009 10:07:47 file: Installed file:E:\Avast4\Data\report\avast.xsl
23.10.2009 10:07:47 package: Extract: Couldn’t open av_pro_dll409-1a7.vpu, error code 0x20000011
23.10.2009 10:07:47 system: Reboot set by changed resident C:\WINNT\system32\drivers\aswmon.sys
23.10.2009 10:07:47 system: Driver file copied: C:\WINNT\system32\drivers\aswmon.sys
23.10.2009 10:07:47 system: Reboot set by changed resident C:\WINNT\system32\drivers\aswmon2.sys
23.10.2009 10:07:47 system: Driver file copied: C:\WINNT\system32\drivers\aswmon2.sys
23.10.2009 10:07:47 registry: Set registry: SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\aswMon\DisplayName=avast! Standard Shield Support
23.10.2009 10:07:47 registry: Set registry: SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\aswMon\ErrorControl=1
23.10.2009 10:07:47 registry: Set registry: SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\aswMon\Type=2
23.10.2009 10:07:47 registry: Set registry: SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\aswMon\Start=2
23.10.2009 10:07:47 registry: Set registry: SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\aswMon\Parameters\ProgramFolder=\Device\HarddiskVolume2\Avast4
23.10.2009 10:07:47 system: Reboot set by changed resident C:\WINNT\system32\drivers\aswSP.sys
23.10.2009 10:07:47 system: Driver file copied: C:\WINNT\system32\drivers\aswSP.sys
23.10.2009 10:07:47 registry: Set registry: SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\aswSP\DisplayName=avast! Self Protection
23.10.2009 10:07:47 registry: Set registry: SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\aswSP\ErrorControl=1
23.10.2009 10:07:47 registry: Set registry: SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\aswSP\Type=1
23.10.2009 10:07:47 registry: Set registry: SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\aswSP\Start=1
23.10.2009 10:07:47 registry: Set registry: SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\aswSP\Parameters\ProgramFolder=\Device\HarddiskVolume2\Avast4
23.10.2009 10:07:47 registry: Set registry: SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\aswSP\Parameters\ProgramFolder2=\DosDevices\E:\Avast4
23.10.2009 10:07:47 system: Service avast! Antivirus uninstalled
23.10.2009 10:07:47 system: Service aswUpdSv uninstalled

6

Is that all of the log?
Which log is it?

I’m sorry, but I can’t really understand the log contents, you’ll have to wait for someone who can…

7

Cannot post the full log because it is too long. I only posted the portion where it failed and started uninstalling, that is deleting the files that it created. This happens after I run setupeng.exe, I get a message saying that there was an error and the install failed. The message box has a button which allows you to view what went on. I copied a portion and posted it.

8

I suggest an installation from the scratch:

  1. Download the latest version of avast! Uninstall Utility and save it.
  2. Download the latest avast! version and save it.
  3. Uninstall avast from Control Panel (if possible). If, for any reason, you can’t run it, try booting in Safe Mode and doing it from there. Anyway, boot after that.
  4. Run the avast! Uninstall Utility saved on 1. If, for any reason, you can’t run it, try booting in Safe Mode and doing it from there. Anyway, boot after you’ve run it.
  5. Install avast! using the setup saved on 2. It will be good to accept the boot time scanning. Boot.
  6. Check and post the results.
9

That is exactly what I already did.
I downloaded aswclear.exe and setupeng.exe based on the links which you supplied me with.
I started Windows in safe mode and ran the aswclear.exe. That went OK but too fast. Maybe because I have already uninstalled it before.
I rebooted in Normal mode and tried to run setupeng.exe which failed and gave me the messages which I posted above.
I ran aswclear.exe again in safe mode.
I checked the registry, but reference to avast was still there. So, I cleaned up the registry, too.
I ran setupeng.exe again after rebooting with the same result.
I must note that I ran setupeng.exe with the network line disconnected based on the recommendation listed above. I also get the same error running avast_home_setup.exe or setueng.exe.
So, as you can see, I followed all the instructions given to me, but with no success.
Any other options that I did not try yet?

10

[font=Segoe UI] For some instances, are you having trouble installing other security softwares too?

11

@ Elias Wehbeh

Using an AMD CPU with olly 250 MByte RAM is severly impeding the use of your system.

Adding RAM is the cheapest and most effective way to improve the system.

A minimum of 512MB addition will cost about $30 to $50 and will really improve the system performance.

Add more memory to your computer
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/setup/addmemory.aspx

12

I don’t think that performance is the issue here. As for problems with installing other security software, it seems to fail installing a couple of Windows security updates. I don’t have other security stuff on the machine.

13

[font=Segoe UI] That could be a possible sign of a malware preventing you from installing a security software. You may try:

Step 1: Windows Disk Cleanup Utility ============

1 Press Windows Key + R
2 Type in: cleanmgr
3 Put a check beside: Temporary Internet Files and Temporary Files. Optionally, you may check other options too
4 Click OK

Step 2: Malwarebytes Antimalware (MBAM) ============

1 Download Malwarebyes’ Antimalware here
2 Proceed to installing MBAM after downloading
3 On the last dialog box, do not forget to leave Update Malwarebytes’ Antimalware and Run Malwarebytes’ Antimalware checked
4 Malwabytes’ Antimalware GUI would appear, from there select Perform Quick Scan and click Scan
5 When scan is completed, click Show Results
6 Click Remove Selected and then, a notepad file will appear.
7 On the notepad window, click File > Save As and save it on your desktop. You may now close MBAM.

Step 3: Hijack This (HJT) ============

1 Download Trend Micro Hijack This here
2 Install HJT in C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\HijackThis (the location is already displayed by default). Click Install
3 HJT Window will appear. Click Do a system scan and save a logfile. A notepad file will pop-up once the scan is completed
5 Click on the Notepad window and click File > Save As and save the file on your desktop
6 Go back here on your topic and start a reply. On the Reply window, click Additional Options
7 Attach the two .txt files that we created and saved on your desktop (click more attachments to have more slots for attaching files)
NOTE: Do not have HJT fix anything yet.

14

I followed the steps that you outlined and attached the two files. Hope this helps.