After my Avast auto-updated, it said “would you like to restart now?” I selected no. Then my pc didn’t shutdown properly (I held down the power button). When I turned on the pc and logged on to the account I waited for all programmes to load, Avast finished loading and it hang - I couldn’t push anything but the mouse could move, the computers disc read icon didn’t blink or light up. Repeating this a couple of times, I noticed if I exit a program from the tray icon before Avast fully loads it sometimes doesn’t hang and everything works just a bit slower. If I don’t do anything the pc hangs or processes extremely slowly, it takes a couple of minuets for an icon to highlight if mouse-overed. After I uninstall avast this is no longer a problem, so I believe its Avast fault. I tried reinstalling Avast, system restoring a couple of times and nothing worked. Latter I made a new windows account and there were no problems with Avast, but on the old account it still hanged if Avast was installed, I don’t have any other antivirus or scanning programs. Please help!
In some computers, update from 4.7 to 4.8 version could due to problems.
I suggest an installation from the scratch:
- Uninstall avast from Control Panel first.
- Boot.
- Download the latest version of Avast Uninstall and use it for complete uninstallation.
- Boot.
- Install again the last avast! version.
- Boot.
- Check and post the results.
Also, which is your operational system? Any other security programs that could interfere?
I did, but I can try again
I’m running on
Microsoft Windows XP
Home Edition
Version 2002
Service pack 2
Tech … may I suggest that for now it would be best in your script that you stress the need to download the new version of the avast uninstall utility?
Done 
Sorry Tech in English that wording is confusing - please consider changing “last” to “latest” or “most recent”.
Thanks. Done.
Tried everything a couple of times even deleted Alwil from registry, but still noting.
If it is still there, please, post the last 200-250 lines of avast log: C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\log\Setup.log
I actually just downloaded an older version (4.7) and now there are no problems. Just what I disabled automatic updating, so I’ll wait until another new version comes. Tell me if you really need the log, I can return the problem and copy it.
You might not, it depends if there any changes to the way the VPS is updated in the future it may require you update the program to be able to get the VPS updates.
I have exactly this problem on our 2 Dell laptops running XP SP2.
Frezzes, freezes, freezes. On the internet at first. Then I tried defrag, which took hours.
It just installed with the standard oprions - I didn’t alter it at all
I’ll uninstall with aswclear.exe (thanks for the link) and reinstall the previous version, 4.7.1098
It’s on filehippo if anyone else wants it!
Hmmm… using 4.7 instead of 4.8 is losing a lot of new features.
It would be better an installation from scratch and try to solve any pending issue with 4.8.
- Uninstall avast from Control Panel first.
- Boot.
- Download the latest version of Avast Uninstall and use it for complete uninstallation.
- Boot.
- Install again the last avast! version.
- Boot.
- Check and post the results.
If the PC really freezes, I’d suggest to try to generate a memory dump, as described here.
The dump could tell us where the problem might be.
Ones again, I have done this - no difference. I remind that it doesn’t work on my old windows account; it works perfectly if I make a new one and test Avast on it. I need the old account functional with no exceptions.
If the PC really freezes, I'd suggest to try to generate a memory dump, as described here. The dump could tell us where the problem might be.If I return the problem will I be able to let my pc freeze on purpose and leave it for some time, power off the pc, then go into safe mode and generate the memory dump?(it doesn’t bug in safe mode since there are no taskbar icons).
I had that problem with 4.8, and here’s what I had to do to solve the problem.
- Download the latest version of Avast Uninstall (aswclear.exe dated 31.03.2008)
- Try to uninstall avast from Control Panel first. That was impossible for me though…
- Boot in Safe Mode.
- Use the latest Avast Uninstaller.
- Boot to normal Windows.
- Install the latest avast! version. (4.8)
- Boot again.
Everything is perfect now! 
No, the dump must be generated while you’re using normal Windows (not Safe Mode) as described in the link posted by Igor.
Maybe you should test what OisteinR posted before.
Well this is good to know i am not the only one with this problem…At first i thought i had a virus causing my PC to not boot up…Called a friend to help me…I uninstalled in safe mode did a redownload than reinstalled and PC still would not reboot…So i did another uninstall in safe mode…Till you guy’s fix the problem i will be using a different ant-virus program…I can not be without an anti-virus program on my PC and or LapTop…
Looking forward to a fix…
You can use the 4.7v of Avast! which I’m currently using too! At first I turned to AVG free edition, but didn’t like it at all.
Did you use the latest avast! uninstaller??? (aswclear.exe)