Avast WEBforum
Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: lnjr on July 02, 2012, 03:38:23 PM
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Hello,
I have my Avast (Version 6.0.1407) set to do automatic updates and the program seems to be running just fine but for some reason I decided to check the maintenance tab and it states that in the update engine and virus definitions the current version is 120224-2
Release date: 2/24/2012 4:05:20PM
Number of Definitions: 3,206,594
at the bottom it states that my virus definitions are out of date! Latest virus definitions : 000000-0.
I tried clicking to update the engine and virus definitions but all I get is Updating...... Step 1 / 2 Initializing, please wait...... and the overall progress bar is blank.
I am running Windows Vista Home Premium and when I move my mouse over the Avast icon in the lower left corner it states that my system is secure but it seems that it has not been updating since February!
I don't even know why I decided to look since I do not seem to be having any issues with my pc (but something in the back of my mind told me to look and I'm glad I did!)
I found a link at http://www.avast.com/download-update for getting the updates and I did try downloading it but it would not download. I did find another link that has the updates at http://www.techspot.com/downloads/2108-avast-virus-definitions.html which I could download but it would not install.
Why has my Avast Free Edition (version 6) stopped updating itself. I did make sure that it is in fact set for automatic updates and it is so that is not the problem.
Any suggestions would be GREATLY Appreciated.
TIA
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the same is happening to me (see my thread http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=100493.0 )
However my version is older than your one and stopped to update several months before.
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hey and welcome to the forum. i suggest you install avast from scratch and the latest version 7.0.1451
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Is your Avast registration current? If not, it quits updating. Also, check your system date to make sure that it is correct.
As mikaelrask stated, a clean install of Avast 7 would be the best. There has been many improvements since your versions, and there is an update due this week to correct issues some are experiencing.
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Hello,
Yes my registration is up to date. The registration does not expire until 11/20/2012 @ 7:48AM. My system date and time are correct as well. I guess I will have to follow the information that ser2012 has listed on their link for a similar problem. I did see that post prior to posting mine but since their version was older than mine I was hoping that I was not going to have to go through all the steps of uninstalling the current version; restart the pc in safe mode and run the uninstall utility and then reboot and install the newest version.
Would I also use the same uninstall utility that craigb gave the link for in the post from ser2012? http://forum.avast.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=u6kudceu45qrisunomt6pri314&topic=100493.0
Also, I use Revo Uninstaller when uninstalling anything on my pc - can I use that for the uninstall or do you suggest that I just use the add/remove programs section in the control panel to do the uninstall?
Also, I know this is going to sound strange but how to I get to Safe Mode?
Thanks Again!
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Revo Uninstall is a poor tool for security products. Better to follow CraigB's direction on that thread you mentioned. http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=100493.msg803257#msg803257 (http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=100493.msg803257#msg803257)
Run the uninstall tool one time in Windows Safe Mode for each version of Avast that was ever on your computer, rebooting after each run. Then, install the latest version that you should have already downloaded.
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Hello Again,
I won't use the Revo Uninstall program for removing Avast but instead will go to the control panel and find the add/remove programs section and uninstall it from there.
I honestly don't know how many versions of Avast have been installed on this pc (have been using Avast for some time now) but I'm pretty sure that it must have been updated from at least one version to the current version since the pc is a couple of years old now. Just to be on the safe side I will run the uninstall tool 3 times (I'm guessing that should be enough) - each time in safe mode and rebooting after I run it every time. Should I install the newest version while in safe mode as well?
Thanks Again!
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No it needs to bee installed in normal mode... Don't forget to uncheck Chrome if you do not want it
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Here is the Avast Uninstaller Tool: http://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility (http://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility). Do as was suggested above and uninstall ALL versions and products of Avast you had in the machine with a reboot in between each one while in Safe Mode.
Once you install the current version of Avast, as Essexboy said, I recommend a Custom Install while in normal mode, and untick on the bottom left corner of the window if you do not want Chrome installed. In Custom install, you can also untick anything else you do not want installed as well. If you are uncertain what you want installed except maybe Chrome (which you can still untick), then do a regular install and you will get everything for that product.
Remember to reboot your machine after you install Avast. After restarting, update your virus definitions, then register your product while ONLINE.
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Thanks for all the help. I will do as suggested. I did download the uninstall utility and put it into a folder on the desktop (same thing with the newest version of Avast that I downloaded from the link that was given as well). I will jot a note to remind myself to select the custom install and uncheck the Chrome (although I do use Google Chrome as my primary browser now - so I don't need it to be installed again).
I will also be sure to reboot after installing the newest version and then select to have it update the definitions and register the free version as well.
Unfortunately this will all have to wait for now since I have to go and pick up my mother from therapy and then get dinner completed for my parents. Hopefully I will be able to do all of this tonight - if not it will be the first thing I do tomorrow.
Thanks Again!
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Okay, I finally got a chance to do the uninstall of the current Version of Avast Free but nothing happens when I click on it in the programs and features section of the control panel.
Well actually, when I click on the program and select continue in the pop up box for User Account Control then nothing happens. Just to make sure that it wasn't some other sort of problem with the add remove section I tried selecting another program to uninstall and that one worked just fine.
So why won't it uninstall from the Programs and Features section of the control panel as I was instructed to do. The installation date of that program was 12/1/11 (in case that is of any importance).
I would have used the Revo Uninstaller, Windows Install CleanUp or the uninstall section of CCleaner but it was suggested that I use the programs and features section of the control panel --- only nothing happens when I try to uninstall it with that.
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
TIA
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Okay, I finally got a chance to do the uninstall of the current Version of Avast Free but nothing happens when I click on it in the programs and features section of the control panel.
Well actually, when I click on the program and select continue in the pop up box for User Account Control then nothing happens. Just to make sure that it wasn't some other sort of problem with the add remove section I tried selecting another program to uninstall and that one worked just fine.
So why won't it uninstall from the Programs and Features section of the control panel as I was instructed to do. The installation date of that program was 12/1/11 (in case that is of any importance).
I would have used the Revo Uninstaller, Windows Install CleanUp or the uninstall section of CCleaner but it was suggested that I use the programs and features section of the control panel --- only nothing happens when I try to uninstall it with that.
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
TIA
If your having troubles removing the normal way then proceed straight to safe mode and run the removal tool from there.
Download the removal tool http://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility and save, boot to safemode and run the tool for all versions of avast ever installed, when completed reboot back to normal mode.
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You could also try uninstalling through CCleaner. It uses the program's built in uninstaller just like Add/Remove does but for some reason always has seemed faster and more efficient to me.
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I was going to try using the CCleaner uninstall but since it was suggested here that I use the programs and features and then the uninstall utility. Since I could not anything to happen when I clicked on it in programs and features I finally restarted in safe mode and then tried from there with no luck so I then tried using the uninstall utility to remove it. It did remove the program and I was able to install the newest version and get the current updates as well as register it.
However.....now my desktop looks completely different and I have been having to mess with the personalize section to try and get it back to the way it was before the uninstall and install of the new program. I'm beginning to wish I had used the CCleaner uninstall section or Revo Uninstall to remove the older version (although I'm not sure that it was the uninstall process that changed the entire desktop on me).
I have the desktop almost the way it was before but the icons and text in the task bar located across the bottom of the screen is much smaller than it was before and if I click to change / adjust the font in the personalize section it is then huge (which is how it was after the uninstall of the old version and install of the newest version. I want those icons and my text to be just a little bit larger than they are now but not huge. The same goes for my browser tabs as well.
Also, when doing the install of the newest version I was told that I might want to select the custom install and remove the check mark from the chrome option. There was no option for Chrome ---- but there were options for remote assistant and gadget which I did remove the check marks from since I did not know what they were and I was not going to go back online until I have the anti-virus program installed. Maybe it is because I removed the check mark from one of those items in custom install that the desktop changed (although I am not sure why)
I just wish I could now get my desktop (text and icons) back to where it was before.
Thanks!
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Sometimes it happens then when you go into safe mode and then boot back into regular, your icon placements get messed up. The other things sound like maybe your video resolution also got changed. Right click on the desktop and if there is an option for your video controls, click on that, if not, click on properties ,or screen resolution in Win 7, and see if your resolution is set the way you want it. Things like that are why I avoid Safe Mode as much as I can.
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Avast does NOT recommend that you uninstall any other way other than the Avast Uninstaller Tool http://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility (http://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility). This is because it is a security program, and this holds true for many other security programs. CCleaner is a great program, but not for uninstalling Avast. If you want to uninstall Avast, go by the vendors instructions, and that is to use their tool with the link I reposted. Thank you.
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Thanks for that help. I will do as suggested and hopefully I can the desktop back to the way it was (or at least close). I'm pretty sure you are correct about the video resolution since I did right click on the desktop and went into personalize and when I clicked on the section on the right (in windows vista home premium) and selected the adjust font size (dpi) it was set to Larger Size so I switched it to default scaling and things do look much better than they did (just a little smaller than I had it before). I am thinking of going back in there and selecting the custom DPI setting section and maybe changing that just a little so that the icons and text is just a little larger.
As to the reply regarding using the Avast Uninstaller Tool - I did use the tool to uninstall the older version and then installed the new version. I was just saying that I wondered if uninstalling that way was why my desktop was all messed up now but according to Dch48 --- and it seems they are right about Safe Mode possibly being the culprit for the changes to the desktop. I'm not sure I have ever had to go into safe mode on this pc and the only other time I had to use Safe Mode in the past was many years ago on my first computer when tech support had me going into Safe Mode alot and they talked me through everything (it turned out the hard drive was bad on that pc when I bought it)
Anyway, Thanks for All the Help and suggestions on getting my desktop back to the way it was. Now to go and uninstall the Avast version 6 on my mothers computer and install the newest version.
Thanks again!
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Okay, now I just went to do the uninstall of Avast Version 6 on my mothers pc and then install the newest version (since I figured that Avast version 6 had simply stopped updating) but by the time I had downloaded the uninstall utility and the newest version Avast version 6.0.1367 had updated itself. So just why is it that is is still doing the automatic updates on the pc running windows xp professional (sp3) is working fine but it would not update anymore on the Vista machine?
Since this pc (the one running xp) is only used on a rare occasion I don't see why it is necessary to go through all those steps and have to worry about her desktop screen being all screwed up afterwards. If the program stops updating as it did on the vista home premium laptop I'll do the uninstall and install the newest version at that time.
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Did the Avast subscription expire on one of the machines?
For the machine that is working properly, you can probably just do an upgrade from the Avast GUI.
If you don't want to do the uninstall/clean install, you can try doing an Avast Repair first to see if that resolves the problem, reboot, then try to upgrade through the GUI:
XP Users:
- Go to Control Panel > Add/Remove programs > Avast Antivirus.
- Scroll down and choose Repair function in the pop-up window.
- Reboot.
Vista & Win7 Users:
- Control Panel
- Programs & Features
- Uninstall a Program > Select Avast Antivirus
- Click the Change/Remove button and scroll down to Repair
- Click Next and follow.
- Reboot.
Here is how to do an uninstall/clean install of Avast:
1. Save a copy of Avast and save it to your HDD:
Avast Free AV: http://files.avast.com/iavs5x/avast_free_antivirus_setup.exe (http://files.avast.com/iavs5x/avast_free_antivirus_setup.exe)
2. Download the Avast Uninstall Utility http://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility (http://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility) and save it to your HDD.
3. Disconnect from the Internet at this time.
4. Go into Safe Mode (http://Safe Mode) (hit F8 repeatedly) and run the Avast Uninstall Tool. Uninstall ALL previous versions and products of Avast you had on this machine and reboot in between each uninstall.
6. Reboot.
7. Install the newest version of Avast and reboot.
8. Get Internet access and register your copy for Free online.
Free – http://www.avast.com/registration-free-antivirus.php (http://www.avast.com/registration-free-antivirus.php)
9. Update the Avast definitions.
Knowledge based article:
https://support.avast.com/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=504#idt_0003 (https://support.avast.com/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=504#idt_0003)