Cannot install MS Office - Avast won't permit Registry writing

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

I tried to install MS Office 2007 on my desktop.
Running Avast 4.8 Pro. Build Aug2009 (4.8.1351)
Problem is that the install bombs near the end when it tells me that it has no permissions to write to registry.
Ran MicrosoftFix50198.msi to try to fix any problem and Avast comes up with permission denied.

I run Avast home edition on my laptop and MSOffice 2007 installs okay.

How do I turn off registry-editing denial on Avast?

2

What exactly was the registry entry?

3

I didn’t catch the exact error entry name on the registry. But I solved the installation problem after checking a few forum entries further down.

I edited the avast4.ini file and changed SelfDefenseEnabled=1 to 0

I ran MicrosoftFix50198.msi and there were no more popup denials on the bottom bar this time.

That let the MSOffice 2007 install run completely through.

Apparently, SelfDefenseEnabled=1 prevented installation programs from editing the registry.

I run the Avast Home edition on my laptop and had no problems.

4

The self defence module only prevents applications modifying avast registry entries.

So something in that is accessing the avast registry entries with write permissions. So it is important to get the full error text.

Check the avast! Log Viewer (right click the avast ‘a’ icon), Warning section, this contains information on all avast detections, etc. C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashLogV.exe

  • Or check the source file using notepad C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\log\Warning.log and copy and paste the entry.
5

I’d say it’s none of Office installer’s business to write to avast!'s registry keys - so I find it rather suspicous it should do that.
So, this “solution” is quite strange.

6

Isn’t the Outlook plugin involved? ??? ???

7

I don’t know, that’s why I was asking… but I’d expect the plugins to be registered/set in Outlook’s registry, not avast!'s.

8

This MSOffice 2007 install was very strange. It went through about 95% of the install when the program said I had no permissions (I have Admin permissions). The program started rolling back.
I tried again by turning off Avast using the A Globe in bar. Program rolled back again at the same spot.

I ran MicrosoftFixit50198.msi which is Microsoft’s fix for resetting security on Windows Xp.
It would not run because I got those Avast denied pop-ups in BLACK instead of the usual yellow.

I checked this forum and tried a related fix - Avast self protection in the avast4.INI file
SelfDefenseEnabled=1 which I set to 0

Tried Installing MSOffice 2007 again - success.

Turned Avast back on with the SelfDefenseEnabled=0 set back to 1

Re-booted, boot scanned then regular scanned and everything works fine.

Ran Registry Mechanic to check/optimize registry. Applied MSOffice service pack with no problem.

BTW: I do NOT see where Avast wrote the warning DENIED error to the log. I had assumed the denial errors would be logged but they weren’t. That’s why I can’t get more details. But the denials were in the MSOffice entries, that I know.