Help uninstalling Avast completely

Hi there,

Wondering if someone can help me resolve this:

  • My Macbook pro crashed part way through installing Avast One for Mac (it had never previously crashed and is a 2021 model)
  • Once rebooted, Avast looked as if it was installed but wouldn’t open. This meant I could not access the built in uninstaller
  • I uninstalled by deleting Avast from applications
  • I can’t reinstall Avast as it returns the error: ‘avast is already installed, please uninstall the previous version first’
  • Since that time, I have had continuing problems with crashes. These may be unrelated to the above, but I would like to make sure I’ve fully uninstalled Avast.

Any help gratefully received.

Try this, https://www.avast.com/faq.php?article=AVKB67

Sorry - but that seems to lead me to the general ‘how can we help’ avast support page?

Sorry, try this link,
https://support.avast.com/en-eu/article/Uninstall-Mac-Security/

Thanks for this - but it doesn’t help in the case I described. First - I was never able to open Avast, presumably as it had crashed mid way through installation (therefore I didn’t have access to the built-in uninstaller).

Second, owing to the above, I deleted the app from the applications folder by putting it in the trash…

So it looks as if Avast is not installed - but when I try to reinstall it, it tells me it is.

Any other suggestions?

I’ve alerted Avast to your plight.
Let’s see what they can provide.

To my knowledge there is no standalone uninstall tool.

Try starting the Mac in Safe Boot mode. Restart the Mac and immediately press and hold the shift key. Release shift once the login screen appears. This prevents most extensions from loading that may have interfered in the install process. Now reinstall Avast and then reboot without pressing any keys to get back to normal mode.

Hopefully you have a fully functional copy of Avast at this point, and if still needing to uninstall can use the built in uninstall procedure that was already linked to

Here’s what Avast suggested:
Hi, open Terminal and type sudo rm -r /Library/Application\ Support/Avast (confirm with Enter) and then reinstall Avast

Explanation: The crashed installation left some files in that directory and the new installation refuses to install, because it thinks the Avast application is already present - but in reality, there are just some leftovers from the crashed installation. If the leftovers are deleted by the command above, the application can be reinstalled as usual.

Thanks for this - it is now allowing me to progress the install.

With this said, do you think I should be installing Avast given the fact it seemed to cause the crash last time (which I think is a kernel panic?)? Specifically - is this a known issue?

Crash report;

panic(cpu 0 caller 0xfffffe0020d787e0): [data.kalloc.16]: element modified after free (off:0, val:0x0000000000001747, sz:16, ptr:0xfffffe22883f1850)
0: 0x0000000000001747
Debugger message: panic
Memory ID: 0x1
OS release type: User
OS version: 21A559
Kernel version: Darwin Kernel Version 21.1.0: Wed Oct 13 17:33:01 PDT 2021; root:xnu-8019.41.5~1/RELEASE_ARM64_T6000
Fileset Kernelcache UUID: 3B2CA3833A09A383D66FB36667ED9CBF
Kernel UUID: 67BCB41B-BAA4-3634-8E51-B0210457E324
iBoot version: iBoot-7429.41.5
secure boot?: YES
Paniclog version: 13
KernelCache slide: 0x0000000018c10000
KernelCache base: 0xfffffe001fc14000
Kernel slide: 0x0000000019438000
Kernel text base: 0xfffffe002043c000
Kernel text exec slide: 0x0000000019520000
Kernel text exec base: 0xfffffe0020524000
mach_absolute_time: 0x987b2375
Epoch Time: sec usec
Boot : 0x620385be 0x0003cc02
Sleep : 0x00000000 0x00000000
Wake : 0x00000000 0x00000000
Calendar: 0x62038621 0x0005b1a7

Zone info:
Foreign : 0xfffffe00282e0000 - 0xfffffe00282f4000
Native : 0xfffffe10001a8000 - 0xfffffe30001a8000
Readonly : 0 - 0
Metadata : 0xfffffe7a200c8000 - 0xfffffe7a2c028000
Bitmaps : 0xfffffe7a2c028000 - 0xfffffe7a31a7c000
CORE 0 PVH locks held: None
CORE 1 PVH locks held: None
CORE 2 PVH locks held: None
CORE 3 PVH locks held: None
CORE 4 PVH locks held: None
CORE 5 PVH locks held: None
CORE 6 PVH locks held: None
CORE 7 PVH locks held: None
CORE 8 PVH locks held: None
CORE 9 PVH locks held: None
CORE 0 is the one that panicked. Check the full backtrace for details.
CORE 1: PC=0x0000000107e81bc4, LR=0x0000000107e829c0, FP=0x000000016b9caba0
CORE 2: PC=0xfffffe00205aac70, LR=0xfffffe00205aac6c, FP=0xfffffe60ba583ef0
CORE 3: PC=0xfffffe00205aac6c, LR=0xfffffe00205aac6c, FP=0xfffffe60bae7bef0
CORE 4: PC=0xfffffe00205aac6c, LR=0xfffffe00205aac6c, FP=0xfffffe60ba793ef0
CORE 5: PC=0xfffffe00205aac6c, LR=0xfffffe00205aac6c, FP=0xfffffe6fec493ef0
CORE 6: PC=0xfffffe00205aac70, LR=0xfffffe00205aac6c, FP=0xfffffe6fec463ef0
CORE 7: PC=0xfffffe00205aac70, LR=0xfffffe00205aac6c, FP=0xfffffe60ba6f3ef0
CORE 8: PC=0xfffffe00205aac70, LR=0xfffffe00205aac6c, FP=0xfffffe60bb4f3ef0
CORE 9: PC=0xfffffe00205aac6c, LR=0xfffffe00205aac6c, FP=0xfffffe60a6fb3ef0
Panicked task 0xfffffe150dbe3128: 7184 pages, 19 threads: pid 349: WindowServer
Panicked thread: 0xfffffe1510afe1f8, backtrace: 0xfffffe6fec39aaf0, tid: 3177
lr: 0xfffffe0020576488 fp: 0xfffffe6fec39ab60
lr: 0xfffffe0020576158 fp: 0xfffffe6fec39abd0
lr: 0xfffffe00206b2558 fp: 0xfffffe6fec39abf0
lr: 0xfffffe00206a52d4 fp: 0xfffffe6fec39ac70
lr: 0xfffffe00206a2c9c fp: 0xfffffe6fec39ad30
lr: 0xfffffe002052b7f8 fp: 0xfffffe6fec39ad40
lr: 0xfffffe0020575dcc fp: 0xfffffe6fec39b0e0
lr: 0xfffffe0020575dcc fp: 0xfffffe6fec39b150
lr: 0xfffffe0020d74748 fp: 0xfffffe6fec39b170
lr: 0xfffffe0020d787e0 fp: 0xfffffe6fec39b620
lr: 0xfffffe00205dda04 fp: 0xfffffe6fec39b680
lr: 0xfffffe0020c38e00 fp: 0xfffffe6fec39b6a0
lr: 0xfffffe002255aa34 fp: 0xfffffe6fec39b6c0
lr: 0xfffffe002257b678 fp: 0xfffffe6fec39b6e0
lr: 0xfffffe0022586884 fp: 0xfffffe6fec39b750
lr: 0xfffffe002256a998 fp: 0xfffffe6fec39b7e0
lr: 0xfffffe0022574e90 fp: 0xfffffe6fec39b860
lr: 0xfffffe002255f118 fp: 0xfffffe6fec39b8b0
lr: 0xfffffe0020cd4fdc fp: 0xfffffe6fec39b910
lr: 0xfffffe0020ce1940 fp: 0xfffffe6fec39baa0
lr: 0xfffffe00206733a0 fp: 0xfffffe6fec39bbc0
lr: 0xfffffe002057be48 fp: 0xfffffe6fec39bc70
lr: 0xfffffe002055383c fp: 0xfffffe6fec39bce0
lr: 0xfffffe002056b354 fp: 0xfffffe6fec39bd70
lr: 0xfffffe00206982ac fp: 0xfffffe6fec39be50
lr: 0xfffffe00206a3160 fp: 0xfffffe6fec39bf10
lr: 0xfffffe002052b7f8 fp: 0xfffffe6fec39bf20
Kernel Extensions in backtrace:
com.apple.iokit.IOGPUFamily(35.11)[D6840617-D3A3-393F-A190-0C64F904F3BD]@0xfffffe002255a8f0->0xfffffe0022588e83
dependency: com.apple.driver.AppleMobileFileIntegrity(1.0.5)[3EF67662-7297-3BC3-94C3-B1F2778149E6]@0xfffffe0021848a10->0xfffffe0021863627
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily(593)[73F92AD6-FBB0-3F8A-A8BC-139F968E74AE]@0xfffffe0022588ec0->0xfffffe00225c0537
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.9)[38E6DC01-BDA7-38F0-A6AF-C1FEAA322FB4]@0xfffffe00227d42d0->0xfffffe00227f0937
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOReportFamily(47)[EA48F6C5-6287-39A9-A6C6-229C5029AE20]@0xfffffe00227f0940->0xfffffe00227f398b
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOSurface(302.9)[AE90C4A8-943B-3D6B-B2E4-92056D53E6DC]@0xfffffe00228cd310->0xfffffe00228ed567

last started kext at 944840712: com.apple.driver.AppleBluetoothHIDKeyboard 228 (addr 0xfffffe001fe93bb0, size 1756)
loaded kexts:
com.apple.fileutil 20.036.15
com.apple.filesystems.autofs 3.0
com.apple.fsplaceholder 1.14.1
com.apple.driver.AppleTopCaseHIDEventDriver 5010.1
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com.apple.driver.DiskImages.UDIFDiskImage 493.0.0
com.apple.driver.DiskImages.RAMBackingStore 493.0.0
com.apple.driver.DiskImages.FileBackingStore 493.0.0
com.apple.driver.SEPHibernation 1
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com.apple.filesystems.apfs 1933.41.2
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBDeviceNCM 5.0.0
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com.apple.AppleFSCompression.AppleFSCompressionTypeDataless 1.0.0d1
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com.apple.driver.AppleAOPVoiceTrigger 100.1
com.apple.driver.AppleDPDisplayTCON 1
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com.apple.driver.AppleActuatorDriver 5400.25
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com.apple.AUC 1.0
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com.apple.iokit.IOCECFamily 1
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com.apple.driver.AppleIISController 100.1
com.apple.driver.AppleAudioClockLibs 100.9.1
com.apple.driver.AppleM2ScalerCSCDriver 265.0.0
com.apple.iokit.IOSurface 302.9
com.apple.driver.IODARTFamily 1
com.apple.security.quarantine 4
com.apple.security.sandbox 300.0
com.apple.kext.AppleMatch 1.0.0d1
com.apple.driver.AppleMobileFileIntegrity 1.0.5
com.apple.security.AppleImage4 4.1.0
com.apple.kext.CoreTrust 1
com.apple.iokit.IOCryptoAcceleratorFamily 1.0.1
com.apple.driver.AppleARMPlatform 1.0.2
com.apple.iokit.IOStorageFamily 2.1
com.apple.iokit.IOSlowAdaptiveClockingFamily 1.0.0
com.apple.iokit.IOReportFamily 47
com.apple.kec.pthread 1
com.apple.kec.Libm 1
com.apple.kec.corecrypto 12.0

** Stackshot Succeeded ** Bytes Traced 481307 (Uncompressed 1172592) **

Hello,

from the provided panic report, this is the important part

Kernel Extensions in backtrace: com.apple.iokit.IOGPUFamily(35.11)[D6840617-D3A3-393F-A190-0C64F904F3BD]@0xfffffe002255a8f0->0xfffffe0022588e83 dependency: com.apple.driver.AppleMobileFileIntegrity(1.0.5)[3EF67662-7297-3BC3-94C3-B1F2778149E6]@0xfffffe0021848a10->0xfffffe0021863627 dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily(593)[73F92AD6-FBB0-3F8A-A8BC-139F968E74AE]@0xfffffe0022588ec0->0xfffffe00225c0537 dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.9)[38E6DC01-BDA7-38F0-A6AF-C1FEAA322FB4]@0xfffffe00227d42d0->0xfffffe00227f0937 dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOReportFamily(47)[EA48F6C5-6287-39A9-A6C6-229C5029AE20]@0xfffffe00227f0940->0xfffffe00227f398b dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOSurface(302.9)[AE90C4A8-943B-3D6B-B2E4-92056D53E6DC]@0xfffffe00228cd310->0xfffffe00228ed567

This is the driver that caused the kernel panic. Avast is not involved in this. We do not even have a driver loaded in your macOS (the full listing of drivers was part of your report as well).

I would assume this was a one-time issue due to some bug in the driver. It should not affect your ability to install Avast if you are able to boot the macOS. Of course a faulty driver can cause multiple similar panics in the future.

Kind regards,

Jakub