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Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: Kobra on June 12, 2004, 12:14:03 AM

Title: Not fully uninstalled?
Post by: Kobra on June 12, 2004, 12:14:03 AM
Yes, I used the external uninstall program, and I used RezJors as well.  However, I noticed in the Registry, under my control sets:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet002\Enum\Root\LEGACY_ASWMON2

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Enum\Root\LEGACY_ASWMON2

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\Root\LEGACY_ASWMON2

These all pertain to Avast still left in registry.  However, these and everything else in this area, is undeletable by me in REGEDIT, it says they are locked.  No slant on avast at all, but everything i've ever installed, has left traces in this area i'm seeing now!

I'm no registry genius, and google hasn't shed light on this, but WTF are all these legacy lines doing in there - growing my registry needless, and unable to be deleted?

Any help or enlightenment would be appreciated.
Title: Re:Not fully uninstalled?
Post by: DavidR on June 12, 2004, 01:18:25 AM
You could try RegSupreme Pro (http://www.macecraft.com/") a registry checker, removes bad registry entries, I have found it to be very good and haven't come across much that it can't remove.

My registry was full of dead entries now clean as a whistle.

It comes as a 30 day free trial (no restrictions) and should you decide you like it it's now expensive.

HTH David
Title: Re:Not fully uninstalled?
Post by: Kobra on June 12, 2004, 01:30:13 AM
Negative. I have 5 registry cleaning programs, nothing touches these, as they are somehow "Locked" by Windows.  Go ahead and check your legacy keys in your registry and you'll find the same thing.

As I said, I cannot MANUALLY delete them in RegEdit or Regedt32. Thats my question.
Title: Re:Not fully uninstalled?
Post by: Vlk on June 12, 2004, 01:39:15 AM
First take ownership of the keys (using regedit), and then delete them.

This is a general feature of Windows (the Service Control Manager), not really related to avast's services...
Title: Re:Not fully uninstalled?
Post by: softwareguy on June 12, 2004, 01:40:53 AM
After you uninstall Avast,
You could safely remove Avast devices drivers from the Device Manager. (Make sure you check View -> Show Hidden Devices.)
After you uninstall those devices, those registry entries will be deleted.

LEGACY registry entries could only be accessed by the SYSTEM. If you are an administrator, you could set Full Access for yourself. But I suggest you using the above method instead.

Make sure Avast is fully uninstalled before performing this action.
Title: Re:Not fully uninstalled?
Post by: DavidR on June 12, 2004, 01:48:41 AM
I see what you mean, I just found 3 left behind from AVG (probably more for many other uninstalled progs) and they can't be deleted either.

If there is only the 3 entries you mention for Legacy_aswmon2 then you havent done badly as there are lots of Legacy entries for avast, before you uninstall.
Title: Re:Not fully uninstalled?
Post by: Kobra on June 12, 2004, 04:08:32 AM
That pretty much solved it, with manual delete removing permissions. Ironically, I found a program to do it for me, something called "Tuneup Utilities 2004" has a really nice registry editor and stuff in it.

Apparently *ALOT* of programs leave behind stuff in this area of the registry.

Lastly, Software Guy, what makes my registry keep growing and growing?  I can't really find anything in it that would do that, and i've cleaned and defragged it quite often. One of the reasons I reinstall windowsXP Pro quite often, is because of this, maybe I shouldn't worry about it?  I believe reg starts out at around 15-18MB.  On my machine its already up to 23MB, on my sons machine which sees less action, its only 19MB.

Seems like registry and windows grow like some weed when you install and uninstall stuff.  >:(
Title: Re:Not fully uninstalled?
Post by: Lisandro on June 12, 2004, 04:43:06 AM
Well, I couldn't read all the thread but I can give a trick:

You can delete the Legacy keys if you do value by value, one by one.
Have patience... I suggest RegistrarLite (see my links bellow).
I have to do it quite some times... No worry about denied access, you just can't delete all the key by once.
Title: Re:Not fully uninstalled?
Post by: softwareguy on June 12, 2004, 04:56:14 AM
Yea, I agree with you Kobra.
Every time you delete a prog, check the HKEY_USER and HKEY_MACHINE for the vendor and delete the entry.
That should maintain it "a bit".
A Regcleaner is also cool in keeping your registry clean.

Formatting... yummm  :o