Have been using Avast now, for about 10 years.
However, yesterday I did a Windows 7 Update and that caused problems with my wireless USB mouse. Unable to resolve that problem, recommendations on the Internet was to roll back Windows to the previous working version. That was a disaster - many programs wouldn’t work for missing dll files like api-ms-win-downlevel-user32-|1.1-0.dll (there are numerous api-ms-win-xxxxxxxxxxx.dll problems)
As avast was one of these programs, I had to resort to uninstalling it with the avast uninstaller. Having initiated the uninstall, a popup message appeared (something like unable to uninstall) and having accepted it, uninstall then proceeded but was unable to uninstall completely. The result is that now I do not have Avast installed and I am unable to install a new version which I have just downloaded, as I get the following message:
The application cannot start correctly (0xc000007b). Click on Accept to close it.
Do you know how to overcome this problem so I can reinstall Avast?
Luckily, I dual boot Windows 7 with Linux Ubuntu or I wouldn’t have the capability of the internet.
A though has just occurred, as I downloaded Avast through Linux, would I have a Linux package and not a Windows package.
As avast was one of these programs, I had to resort to uninstalling it with the avast uninstaller.
before running system restore....turn off avast self protection module....if not this often happens
did you run avast uninstall tool from safe mode....as instructed on avast website?
I have practically solved the problem - I ran the microsoft sfc/scannow program and it resolved most errors. I have now been able to install Avast but the icon does not appear in the tray.
At start up, I get a message box ASTray.exe that rt|120.bpl is missing. Is this an Avast file or is ASTray from another program?
I was incorrect when I said that I had installed Avast - it has not installed - that’s why I had no icon in the task bar!!!
Now, the question is, why has the install not completed? I tried a second time when I realsized that it didn’t install and the only thing it does is put an Avast folder in the programs directory.
I copied the install report to the clipboard and pasted it into word document hoping to keep the colours but that didn’t happen just 150 pages which is a lot to go through!
I have uninstalled Avast as required. However, I had a problem with Windows 7 update which made my mouse very jerky on the screen.After much investigation on the web, I went for a roll back to the previous working system (i.e. pre the update) and that completely banjaxed the computer - there was a problem with various api-ms-downlevel-xxxxxxx.dll files as missing. As that also affected Avast, I thought best to uninstall it with the Avast uninstaller but it failed to completely uninstall. What was left, I don’t know.
Having remedied the Windows 7 problem (by running ms scf, which probably would have solved the entire problem if I had known about it in the initial stages), I have been unable to install Avast, so after numerous attempts, I decided to go with a different Antivirus software (there was no problem installing it) which is working fine but I will never know if it is better than Avast.
I should add that Avast let a ransomware through back in December last year which left me without a computer over the New Year (not to mention the cost of getting it removed). Since then, I installed Linux as dual boot which has proved very useful during this lastest fiasco as I was able to boot into Linux and use the internet, download various recovery programs, move them to my Windows desktop and then go back to Windows and run them.
Long live the dual boot machine! So, sorry Avast, after over 10 years of using you, I have now fled the nest.
After having totally screwed up the OS, the smarter thing to do would have been a format and reinstall of the OS
followed by the installation of all the updates.
All of this could have been prevented by simply having a valid recovery procedure in place. (Hindsite at this point.)
Sometime trying to take a shortcut in restoring a compromised system isn’t the best solution.
I wish you luck with whatever security program you currently have installed.