How to uninstall Avast!

I decided to uninstall Avast (for numerous reasons) from my Win XP Pro (SP3) computer. Avast! hung a popup on the screen telling me I didn’t have enough privileges to perform the action. On this system I AM GOD!!! There is NO OTHER higher authority. And yet I cannot uninstall software? Give me a break.

So I resorted to Revo (which I love) and it managed to kill Avast! Now, there are several “devices” in the Device Manager (Network adapters) that are named ‘avast’ this and ‘avast’ that. How do I get rid of these also as they are preventing normal operation of the network adapter and I cannot get to my local LAN or the Internet?

I didn’t have a bit of trouble uninstalling from three other computers (Win7 (x64), Win7 (32), and Vista (32). I.E. I didn’t get that warning. WHy is XP different? and WHY can’t I uninstall it?

Have you used Avastclear : http://files.avast.com/iavs9x/avastclear.exe in safe mode?

At this point I am ready to try anything. I’ve struggled with the problem all afternoon. I am about to rip XP off the system and install LINUX and just get on with it.

I’ll let you know how it comes out.

It is also worth giving Rejzors Uninstall tool: http://rejzor.wordpress.com/avast-cleanup-tool/ a go to remove any traces/registry entries as well.

Well, I’ve just spent the last 2.5 hours messing with the computer and haven’t gotten things straightened out as of yet. The first tool (Avastclear) worked a little (I managed to get rid of all the directories and crud), but the three virtual firewalls/hubs that Avast! sticks into the Network Device area simply would not go away.

So, what I did was replace their drivers with a completely off-the-wall device driver (accepted the “this may not work for you”) and rebooted. When XP booted up, it “found” those drivers but no hardware so it deleted them. NOW I can at least get to my LAN and the Internet (after rebuilding my TCP/IP stack).

Periodically (like every 5 minutes) the task bar and the quick-start programs on it go completely unresponsive. Ctl-Alt-Del will NOT bring up the Task manager. At that point, I have to hold down the power button to kill the computer.

I cannot believe just how deeply Avast! sent it’s roots down into my HD and computer. It is EVERYWHERE! I am pretty sure that until I search and destroy each and every tendril of this blankety-blank program my computer might was well be a toaster.

As of now, I am never ever going to recommend Avast! for any purpose whatsoever; except, perhaps, as a very bad example of a program gone amuk.