Xp slowed to glacial pace after reboot following latest program update

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Computer is a Xp Pentium 4 with all MS updates installed. The latest avast program update required a re-boot. Computer stalled to a glacial pace after reboot.
Went into safe mode to remove AVAST. Thought it might be a conflict with Firefox so I removed it also.
Reinstalled older version of Avast and everything is great. Updated definitions, still OK
Updated program and after re-boot, computer is back to glacial speed (took an hour to shut down).
Removed AVAST in safe mode.(Won’t run in normal mode).
Installed MS Security Essentials and scanned computer. Everything is dandy.

There is NEVER more than one AV program installed on this computer at any time. However the latest AVAST program update sure disagrees with something that is installed. Again things are OK in safe mode. I really like AVAST and would like to re-install it. Any ideas why THIS program update causes problems? I have been using AVAST for years and update it regularly…
Thanks

2

Please, indeed use Windows Safe Mode, but instead of “Add/Remove Programs” use the special removal tool for Avast located at http://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility.

Reboot into Safe Mode, select the correct Avast version and Folder, run the removal tool. Reboot (yes, again, do NOT skip this reboot) into Safe mode and run the removal tool again for previous versions you ever HAD installed before (like, of you used to have Avast 5.x sometime, select it and remove).

Repeat for each version, rebooting into Safe Mode between each removal.

The same should be done (also from Windows Safe Mode) with other security tools you ever HAD. Some (but not all) removal utilities for security software are listed at http://thewebatom.net/uninstallers/security-software/.

So before reinstalling Avast again, “really” remove other AV (MSE for example). If the removal tool is not listed in that link, search it at the producer’s website.

Reinstalled older version of Avast and everything is great. Updated definitions, still OK

Avoid that step (older version). Download ANEW the latest stable version of Avast from the official site.

3

Might I inquire… which older version did you go back to?

Tks.