Make avast! uninstall properly

[RejZoR]

After reading this avast! blog entry:
https://blog.avast.com/2012/11/09/when-installing-avast-antivirus-do-i-have-to-remove-old-antivirus-software/

Even though we were always screaming how nasty Norton was or any other product, no one apparently bothered to look at avast!. After inspecting it, it leaves a lot of files and folders behind even after you uninstall it. Why? These files are all junk and they don't have any purpose. So why leave them there? Quarantine files and maybe logs, sure. With a checkmark at the end of installation. If user doesn't want to keep them, uninstaller should clean everything. But there is no need to leave behind empty folders, registry entries that have no purpose, even screensaver scanner component is left in Windows folder.

Why not be the first company to admit it and do it properly as an example to everyone else? Maybe others will follow and the world will again be a better place.

[Tetsuo]

Yeah, just a couple of days ago I had to do a clean install of Avast Free on my system (Win XP Pro SP3). Last time I did a clean install on this machine was when v.7 was released, so before re-installing I checked the system to see if the removal utility has been improved but I still found a lot of leftovers - as RejZoR pointed out.

[ManyQs]

I wish to add a voice of support for this idea.

But I seem to remember that cleaning out bits and pieces here and there is something that we've had to do with Avast for a fair number of years, so I guess I just got used to it.

But, yes!, if Avast wants to lead the way toward what RejZoR has very neatly outlined I think that would be really great of the company.

[Aventador]

I have never in all my years of computer have had trouble uninstalling a product. Using a 3rd party uninstaller like Revo and Advanced Uninstaller is a good first step. But so what if you use the normal uninstaller which is provided. Just manually delete the left overs and your all set. No big deal.

[RejZoR]

Why would you chase leftovers yourself? Why do we have uninstallers then if they don't do their job?

[Aventador]

Why would you chase leftovers yourself? Why do we have uninstallers then if they don't do their job?

Chase......................Lol. I didn't realize it was so hard to make a simple couple of clicks. We click more reading our email.

[RejZoR]

So, what you're saying is: "Go ahead, keep on making sloppy programs..."

[Aventador]

So, what you're saying is: "Go ahead, keep on making sloppy programs..."

90% of software leaves leftovers. Thats why there are uninstall tools especially made and 3rd party uninstallers. Every single antivirus has an uninstall tool. So you honestly think Avast is alone? I just uninstalled Avast to test your theory. I used the default uninstaller via add/remove programs. Then ran the Avast uninstaller. Rebooted and everything was fine. Took a mere 5 minutes. Wow..................And your making a big deal out of this? 

[ManyQs]

I'm not trying to get at any User Agent information here, so it's hard to be specific.  I'll go by what this unit shows and ask this way.

After you were finished with that test of the uninstall process was there any Avast file under Program Files or ProgramData?

And did you actually check in the registry?

By the way, you're braver than I.  Or very dedicated.  I wouldn't test an uninstall process of any software with my units.  The oldest one I would have last year before I retired it.  But all the others I need. 

[CraigB]

I have never in all my years of computer have had trouble uninstalling a product. Using a 3rd party uninstaller like Revo and Advanced Uninstaller is a good first step. But so what if you use the normal uninstaller which is provided. Just manually delete the left overs and your all set. No big deal.

I agree with RejZoR that the avast uninstaller needs to be improved, it's not to hard to remove the files left in program files and program data but all the same they should be removed fully when uninstalling, the biggest mess is the amount of leftover keys in the registry

Aventador, third party tools are also not recommended to be used on antivirus ( security ) software and typically I wouldn't use a third party removal tool at all - these tools are well known to take out a lot more than they should such as shared Dll's and other bits and pieces and we shouldn't really have to resort to programs such as these to remove stuff that the programs themselves should be removing, it shows pride and respect in one's work to clean up properly when finished or removed.

[Vladimyr]

Didn't I read somewhere that one of the criteria for Windows 8 certification is that the uninstaller must completely remove all traces of the program?

[RejZoR]

So, what you're saying is: "Go ahead, keep on making sloppy programs..."

90% of software leaves leftovers. Thats why there are uninstall tools especially made and 3rd party uninstallers. Every single antivirus has an uninstall tool. So you honestly think Avast is alone? I just uninstalled Avast to test your theory. I used the default uninstaller via add/remove programs. Then ran the Avast uninstaller. Rebooted and everything was fine. Took a mere 5 minutes. Wow..................And your making a big deal out of this? 

Well, your test was severely flawed. All it did was remove folder in Program Files because you picked it. I know because i've made my own dedicated cleaning tool for avast! and trust me, there is a lot more left behind...

REG DELETE "HKCU\Software\Avast Software" /f
REG DELETE "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Enum\Root\LEGACY_ASWFSBLK" /f
REG DELETE "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Enum\Root\LEGACY_ASWMONFLT" /f
REG DELETE "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Enum\Root\LEGACY_ASWFW" /f
REG DELETE "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Enum\Root\LEGACY_ASWNDIS2" /f
REG DELETE "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Enum\Root\LEGACY_ASWRDR" /f
REG DELETE "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Enum\Root\LEGACY_ASWSNX" /f
REG DELETE "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Enum\Root\LEGACY_ASWSP" /f
REG DELETE "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Enum\Root\LEGACY_ASWTDI" /f
REG DELETE "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet002\Enum\Root\LEGACY_ASWFSBLK" /f
REG DELETE "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet002\Enum\Root\LEGACY_ASWMONFLT" /f
REG DELETE "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet002\Enum\Root\LEGACY_ASWFW" /f
REG DELETE "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet002\Enum\Root\LEGACY_ASWNDIS2" /f
REG DELETE "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet002\Enum\Root\LEGACY_ASWRDR" /f
REG DELETE "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet002\Enum\Root\LEGACY_ASWSNX" /f
REG DELETE "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet002\Enum\Root\LEGACY_ASWSP" /f
REG DELETE "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet002\Enum\Root\LEGACY_ASWTDI" /f
REG DELETE "HKCR\.avastconfig" /f
REG DELETE "HKCR\.avastsounds" /f
REG DELETE "HKCR\.avasttheme" /f
REG DELETE "HKCR\avastconfigfile" /f
REG DELETE "HKCR\avastsoundsfile" /f
REG DELETE "HKCR\avastthemefile" /f
REG DELETE "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\AVAST Software" /f
REG DELETE "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Tracing\afwServ_RASAPI32" /f
REG DELETE "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Tracing\afwServ_RASMANCS" /f
REG DELETE "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Tracing\avast_RASAPI32" /f
REG DELETE "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Tracing\avast_RASMANCS" /f
REG DELETE "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Tracing\avastEmUpdate_RASAPI32" /f
REG DELETE "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Tracing\avastEmUpdate_RASMANCS" /f
REG DELETE "HKU\.DEFAULT\Software\Avast Software" /f
rd /s /q "%ProgramFiles%\AVAST Software"
rd /s /q "%ProgramW6432%\AVAST Software"
rd /s /q "%SystemDrive%\Program Files (x86)\AVAST Software"
rd /s /q "%PROGRAMDATA%\AVAST Software"
rd /s /q "%TEMP%\_avast_"
del /f /q "%WINDIR%\System32\aswBoot.exe"

Are you still sure all was fine after you did the cleanup using official removal tool? This is the list i use to REALLY clean it properly even AFTER you use avast! Uninstall Utility. The tool is called "avast! Cleanup Tool" which i made. There are few other tweaks that allow cleaning because using the above alone in BAT won't do the job. How hard can it be for uninstaller to do the same, maybe in some better official way?

And i don't care if 90% of software leaves junk behind. Why should avast! follow the rest of lazy and sloppy made software if it can set an example for all of them. Users trust apps that behave properly more than the rest. And if they'll know that avast! doesn't leave anything behind after uninstallation they'll prefer to use it even if they'll have no intention on removing it anytime soon. It's a psychological thing and it works.

So yeah, this is an appeal to avast! team to set an example for everyone else and do it properly. So my tools won't even be needed anymore...

[DavidR]

I thought that Legacy keys were under the control of the OS and possibly anything to do with the HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet*\ sub-keys.  But that still leaves a lot even if they are under the control of the OS.

[RejZoR]

Yeah, the root section is supposedly off limits though i have bad experience with it. Many AV's keep certain drivers active even after uninstallation and you can see them by showing hidden system drivers in Device Manager. And i've seen quite some performance and compatibility problems between them.

[Aventador]

Those aree just registry entries and will not effect or hurt the performance of your pc. Man your making mountains out of mole hills.