Restarting avast service after clearing malware...

Viruses and worms
1

The missus hit one of the many faux internet security scanners. After running Malwarebyte’s anti-malware (which removed the offending nasty) and resetting the internet connection away from nasty’s portal, I still cannot get Avast anti-virus off of the unsecure screen. I checked the services, and found that the avast anti-virus service was stoppped. It would not permit me to restart it.

This is version Avast Internet Security, 6.0.1.000

2

The latest version of avast is 6.0.1125, so I would suggest doing a clean reinstall of avast.

  • Download the latest version of avast, 6.0.1125 (see below) and save it to your HDD, somewhere you can find it again (if you didn’t save your last download). Use that when you reinstall.

  • Download the avast! Uninstall Utility, aswClear.exe find it here and save it to your HDD (it has uninstall tools for both 5.x and 6.0.x).

    1. Now uninstall avast! (using add remove programs, if you can’t do that start from the next step), reboot.- 2. run the avast! Uninstall Utility from safe mode, first for 5.x if previously installed and then for 6.0, once complete reboot into normal mode.- 3. install the latest version, reboot.

Free AV: - http://files.avast.com/iavs5x/setup_av_free.exe
Pro AV: - http://files.avast.com/iavs5x/setup_av_pro.exe
AIS: - http://files.avast.com/iavs5x/setup_ais.exe

3

DavidR,

Thank you for the prompt reply.

I had the previous ais file, so I cleared the disabled version and reinstalled, then updated.

It is now working.

I had thought there would be a way to do this this without a reinstall. Being this is the second time this year that a false internet scanner has bumped Avast, I should perhaps purchase an active malware blocker.

Again, thank you for your help,
david

4

No problem, glad I could help.

In cases like this I feel it is better to do a clean reinstall when the current version isn’t the latest one and more so after an infection.

If it were the current version, then I would have suggested an avast Repair as a first option.

The problem with many of these fake alerts, they require a degree of complicity, allowing them to download/run a scan, etc. If you see one of these alerts the best option is to use the task manager and end process for the browser.

I would also suggest using firefox and the NoScript add-on as this really does put a crimp in these drive by downloads, as all scripts on the page are blocked unless explicitly allowed.

Welcome to the forums.