Author Topic: Avast! Free Has Messsed Up My Computer  (Read 44962 times)

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Avast! Free Has Messsed Up My Computer
« on: August 18, 2015, 05:05:10 AM »
 My scans using Avast! Say that I "Have some problems in my network". I went to try to look for the problem by clicking on "Resolve All". When I clicked on it, it takes me to a page that reads:
"Smart Scan Home Network Security".  The word "Loading" is in the middle of the screen with a spinning wheel, but it just sits there and does nothing.  Nothing gets loaded.  Same with "Scanning Performance Issues".

 I had to remove Avast! Free then reload it, and ever since I did this my computer has been messed up.  Slow, sluggish, can't watch You Tube videos or videos on the news or Facebook without interruption or they will not play at all.  I contacted my Network ISP, Time Earner Cable, and they told me that I have to get rid of Avast! and download the latest McAfee free anti virus because Avast isn't compatible with Time Warner and they recommend McAfee. I do not want McAfee Free, I want to keep Avast! Free.

 My scans using Avast! Say that I "Have some problems in my network".

  I called Avast! technical Support, and they are backed up half an hour, and my time is limited.

 Anyone ever heard this before?   

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Re: Avast! Free Has Messsed Up My Computer
« Reply #1 on: August 18, 2015, 05:31:52 AM »
I've never had this problem. When you run a "Smart Scan" it always shows you have network issues. Are you sure you correctly uninstalled Avast! Free Antivirus?

Please navigate to the "Uninstall or Change a Program" menu.
Find to "Avast Free Antivirus".
Right click it, and select Uninstall.
Please wait for it to uninstall.
When it has successfully uninstalled, please make sure that there are no other Antivirus Programs installed into your computer.
To be sure there are no Antivirus Programs installed onto your computer, navigate to the Security Center of your computer. On most computers, you can click the Start Menu, click on the search bar and type "Security Center". It looks like the User Account Control symbol, I believe.
Upon navigating to the Security Center, be sure Malware Protection reads red. If it doesn't, check to see what is installed. If it says Windows Defender, which it might, I believe; Ignore it. That's okay.
Once you have uninstalled Avast and made sure you have no other Antivirus Software installed, please Reboot your computer.
Once your computer is back at the main menu, reinstall Avast! Free Antivirus.

I hope this works. I tried to make the list in as much depth as I can, sorry if it's a bit much to read. ^^;

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Re: Avast! Free Has Messsed Up My Computer
« Reply #2 on: August 18, 2015, 03:34:28 PM »
 Thanks very much for your comment, Ix. 

I cannot be certain that I uninstalled Avast! free, but I thought that I did. 

My computer is 10 years old, bought it in 2005, so, I am not certain that what you instructed me to do will work, but I will give it a try as best I can. I'm not very savvy when it comes to computers, other than basics.  As far as I know, I do not have any other anti virus programs running on my PC. I still have some remnants that I can't seem to get rid of, of AVG, but I did download their removal program, so, whatever is left behind probably isn't having any effect on my PC.

 Well, here goes...

Thanks again!

  Steve

Offline essexboy

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Re: Avast! Free Has Messsed Up My Computer
« Reply #3 on: August 18, 2015, 03:46:34 PM »
When you uninstalled Avast did you use the utility ?

Download Avast Uninstall Utility to your Desktop.
Download the correct version of Avast 
Avast Free
Avast Pro
Avast Internet Security
Avast Premier
Disconnect from the net
Uninstall Avast via control panel

  • Run the uninstall tool and accept the reboot to safe mode
  • Once complete reboot your system
  • Reinstall Avast
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Offline Gopher John

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Re: Avast! Free Has Messsed Up My Computer
« Reply #4 on: August 18, 2015, 04:34:21 PM »
I have no problems with Time Warner Cable.  I have 3 laptops with AIS 10.3.2225, and 3 Android devices with AMS Free.  As TWC furnishes McAfee to it's subscribers for free, of course that is all that they will support.  All other security programs are "not compatible".
AMD A6-5350M APU with Radeon HD Graphics, 8.0GB RAM, Win7 Pro SP1 64bit, IE11
i7-3610QM 2.3GHZ, 8.0GB Ram,  Nvidia GeForce GT 630M 2GB, Win7 Pro SP1 64bit, IE 11
Common to both: Avast Premium Security 19.7.2388, WinPatrol Plus, SpywareBlaster 5.5, Opera 12.18, Firefox 68.0.2, MBam Free, CCleaner

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Re: Avast! Free Has Messsed Up My Computer
« Reply #5 on: August 18, 2015, 04:53:08 PM »
  Hi essexboy,

    Actually, I did not use the uninstall utility. I didn't know about it until you just mentioned it. Thanks so much for this information.

 I just followed your instructions, and downloaded the uninstall utility. A window popped up telling me that I should run it using Safe Mode.

 Am I first supposed to physically uninstall Avast Free in the "Add/Remove programs" in my control panel, then run the Uninstall Utility in the Safe Mode, as recommended, then download the correct version( in my case, this would be Avast Free), then disconnect from the Internet, then Uninstall what I just downloaded via the control panel, then run the uninstall panel in safe mode, after it's completely uninstalled, reboot my PC, then reinstall Avast Free? 

 I just want to make certain I am following you correctly.

   Thanks ever so much.

 Steve

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Re: Avast! Free Has Messsed Up My Computer
« Reply #6 on: August 18, 2015, 04:57:25 PM »
I have no problems with Time Warner Cable.  I have 3 laptops with AIS 10.3.2225, and 3 Android devices with AMS Free.  As TWC furnishes McAfee to it's subscribers for free, of course that is all that they will support.  All other security programs are "not compatible".

 Thanks for your response, GopherJohn. My PC is only a 32 bit, and I cannot download McAfee supplied by Time Warner because Internet Explorer 7 or higher needs to be installed, and unless a person has a 64 bit PC, Internet Explorer 7 or higher cannot be installed.  That's what I discovered, and like I said, I don't want to switch from Avast! Free. 

  Thanks so much,
 Steve

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Re: Avast! Free Has Messsed Up My Computer
« Reply #7 on: August 18, 2015, 05:10:37 PM »
  Hi essexboy,

    Actually, I did not use the uninstall utility. I didn't know about it until you just mentioned it. Thanks so much for this information.

 I just followed your instructions, and downloaded the uninstall utility. A window popped up telling me that I should run it using Safe Mode.

 Am I first supposed to physically uninstall Avast Free in the "Add/Remove programs" in my control panel, then run the Uninstall Utility in the Safe Mode, as recommended, then download the correct version( in my case, this would be Avast Free), then disconnect from the Internet, then Uninstall what I just downloaded via the control panel, then run the uninstall panel in safe mode, after it's completely uninstalled, reboot my PC, then reinstall Avast Free? 

 I just want to make certain I am following you correctly.

   Thanks ever so much.

 Steve

Just follow the steps Essexboy laid out one at a time in the order he laid them out.
Take your time, one at a time. :)

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Re: Avast! Free Has Messsed Up My Computer
« Reply #8 on: August 18, 2015, 05:20:47 PM »
 Hi schmidthouse,

   Okay, thanks ever so much. Will do. :) 
 
  Steve

Offline schmidthouse

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Re: Avast! Free Has Messsed Up My Computer
« Reply #9 on: August 18, 2015, 05:22:56 PM »
Hi schmidthouse,

   Okay, thanks ever so much. Will do. :) 
 
  Steve

You're welcome.
Report back when you're finished and all is resolved. :)

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Re: Avast! Free Has Messsed Up My Computer
« Reply #10 on: August 18, 2015, 05:53:01 PM »
 Well...now I have another problem.

When I tried to go into Safe Mode and start the utility, a window popped up that says:

                               " Attention!:
 The necessary registration could not be completed".

 If this is in reference to my not having registered with Avast...Avast will not connect when I try to register.  It is saying that I have 23 days remaining to register/ All I get when I click on "Register" is the word "Loading" accompanied with an animated spinning wheel and it just sits here and does that. 

  I really screwed something up when I went through all that trouble with uninstalling my Avast! Free as instructed by Time Warner who told me that my issue with videos not playing and such, is because I am using a different anti virus program and not McAfee.  : (

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Re: Avast! Free Has Messsed Up My Computer
« Reply #11 on: August 18, 2015, 06:17:28 PM »
Nope it is something different

Lets recap .. Avast was uninstalled via control panel
The utility was run and the change to safe mode was as expected
The registration popup then appears ?  This is to do with internal registration of the programme within windows

I can manually remove the remainder of Avast for you and then help set it up

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Re: Avast! Free Has Messsed Up My Computer
« Reply #12 on: August 18, 2015, 08:43:52 PM »
 Okay, thanks.

   Avast was uninstalled when I went to Add/Remove programs, through the control panel.

 I then rebooted the computer as it asked me to do now or later.

 I then clicked on the Avast Utility icon on mt desktop, opened it, clicked on Run.
 It told me that I need to run in safe mode, and told me to click on Yes to continue to Safe mode.  I assume I went into Safe Mode when none of the desktop icons loaded onto the desktop.

 The computer rebooted, this time without any desktop icons loaded onto the desktop.   
I had to leave for 2 hours, and now I cannot remember what I did after that, but somewhere in here is when I clicked on something that popped up, and when I did, the registration window popped up.   

 I also did a "Search" typing Avast into the Search window, to see what, if anything, comes up, and 119 different things came up that are obviously still in my computer.  Some of them date back to November 2013. 

  Did you mean that you can take control of my PC and clean out this 119? 

 
« Last Edit: August 18, 2015, 09:54:50 PM by Steve197 »

Offline essexboy

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Re: Avast! Free Has Messsed Up My Computer
« Reply #13 on: August 18, 2015, 10:13:41 PM »
No I can run a scanner which will show me any file locations, I can then write a script to remove said files

How is the computer behaving at the moment ?

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Re: Avast! Free Has Messsed Up My Computer
« Reply #14 on: August 18, 2015, 10:19:28 PM »
 Hi, 

    The computer I am afraid to do anything with, other than using this forum. I just spoke with an Avast rep from tech support and he told me it's a network issue.
 
« Last Edit: August 18, 2015, 10:21:25 PM by Steve197 »