Author Topic: Avast installed itself  (Read 114178 times)

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Avast installed itself
« on: January 06, 2017, 12:20:39 PM »
To whom it may concern:

I don't know if this is the right place to post this but it sems very difficult to contact your company and I would like to make the following points:

One of your products has apparently installed itself on my Windows 10 partition as some sort of trial.

How or why did was it able to do this?

I don't want it - I'm happy using SOPHOS and WIndows Defender

Will Windows' uninstall feature get rid of it completely?

How do I know if it has altered or disabled anything on my computer?

How can I stop this happeneing again?

Who can I report this to?

regards
Terence

Offline Eddy

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Re: Avast installed itself
« Reply #1 on: January 06, 2017, 12:32:12 PM »
avast doesn't install itself out of the blue.
It is always a user that need to start the installation.

If you want to remove avast :
- Remove it through apps and features
- Run avastclear
- Remove leftover folders/files/registry entries manually

Offline Asyn

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Re: Avast installed itself
« Reply #2 on: January 06, 2017, 12:57:59 PM »
avast doesn't install itself out of the blue.
It is always a user that need to start the installation.
Confirmed.
W8.1 [x64] - Avast Free AV 23.3.8047.BC [UI.757] - Firefox ESR 102.9 [NS/uBO/PB] - Thunderbird 102.9.1
Avast-Tools: Secure Browser 109.0 - Cleanup 23.1 - SecureLine 5.18 - DriverUpdater 23.1 - CCleaner 6.01
Avast Wissenswertes (Downloads, Anleitungen & Infos): https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=60523.0

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Re: Avast installed itself
« Reply #3 on: January 06, 2017, 02:40:41 PM »
Well it apparently DID install itself out of the blue because I didn't do it.

Unless it's piggy-backing on top of something else?

I've only just formatted the Windows partition and have only installed 3 apps on there, they are:

SOPHOS Home edition
Elite Dangerous
X-Plane 11 beta
Falcon BMS 4.33

Which is why I am very annoyed that unwanted garbage is finding it's way on there already.

Offline Pondus

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Re: Avast installed itself
« Reply #4 on: January 06, 2017, 02:47:47 PM »
Quote
Unless it's piggy-backing on top of something else?
Dont know of any program that has avast bundled

Avast Uninstall Utility  >>  https://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility

« Last Edit: January 06, 2017, 02:50:53 PM by Pondus »

Offline Eddy

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Re: Avast installed itself
« Reply #5 on: January 06, 2017, 04:55:00 PM »
Some brand system manufacturers do install avast  by default.
Only ways avast gets installed are :
- if you used a recovery/install cd/dvd from such a manufacturer
- if you (or someone there) installs avast
- if the system is a client system and avast is deployed remotely by the admin of the network

In all 3 cases there is someone who installs avast as avast never has nor does installs itself out of the blue.

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Re: Avast installed itself
« Reply #6 on: April 26, 2017, 06:20:29 AM »
The same thing has just happened to me. I posted on another thread. I used to have Avast but when I up graded to Windows 10 more than 12 months ago I had terrible trouble with Windows not loading and discovered that by removing Avast and just using Windows Defender the problem went away.  Today i went to scan an individual file and realised tht at some point avast had randomly reinstalled :-(  I have absolutely no recollection of reinstalling it.

Offline Eddy

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Re: Avast installed itself
« Reply #7 on: April 26, 2017, 10:16:59 AM »
If you posted it in a other thread, you did not do it with the same name as you are using here.

And what part of "avast doesn't install itself out of the blue" is it that you don't understand ?

You upgrade to Windows 10 and you had avast installed.
That is what triggered it as has been explained in other threads.
That means you did not remove avast completely.

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Re: Avast installed itself
« Reply #8 on: April 26, 2017, 01:11:46 PM »
I understand "Avast doesn't install itself" I am a native English speaker and have  major in English in my first degree.  The simple fact is that I did not to my recollection  reinstall AVAST but it is there.

I have found the other thread I believed I had posted on and I apologise but I somehow stuffed up that post, but it was an old 2015 thread anyway so this one is more appropriate. (It was the first one which came up on a google search.) When I went to post on the 2015 thread I was warned that nothing had been posted in 120 days.

Given that there is more than one thread with this kind of topic, obviously other people have experienced a similar issue.

I further apologise if I have upset you in some way. When programs whatever they are seem to install themselves it is a little bit of a worry which is why I went searching in the first place.

I will uninstall it. It is my recollection that I did remove AVAST after installing Windows 10 because it was not until I removed AVAST that Windows 10 would function. For over 12 months the only anti virus software operating was Windows Defender with no sign of AVAST in context menus, notification trays or task manager. I believe you that it may not have uninstalled completely. That seems a reasonable explanation.

Thank you for your reply! :-)

I hope your day improves. You seem a little grumpy.

Offline Pondus

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Re: Avast installed itself
« Reply #9 on: April 26, 2017, 01:52:33 PM »
Quote
I hope your day improves. You seem a little grumpy.
;D   ;D    ;D


Use avast uninstall tool  >>  https://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility


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Re: Avast installed itself
« Reply #10 on: February 16, 2018, 09:51:23 PM »
I only registered to make this post.
Some program that I downloaded installed Avast. I didn't ask for it. I'm perfectly happy with Avira. I uninstalled Avast thinking that was the end of it. I continued to get popups from Avast. I went to regedit but was unable to remove it. The other day I got a message from Avast saying it was in a passive mode. I checked my programs and say that it was back. Now, if it didn't reinstall itself who did? It sure in hell wasn't me. Avast is lying if they say they didn't do it.
 I will say that using the unclear program has removed everything completely. I hope that I din't have to return here.

Offline bob3160

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Re: Avast installed itself
« Reply #11 on: February 16, 2018, 10:01:05 PM »
I only registered to make this post.
Some program that I downloaded installed Avast. I didn't ask for it. I'm perfectly happy with Avira. I uninstalled Avast thinking that was the end of it. I continued to get popups from Avast. I went to regedit but was unable to remove it. The other day I got a message from Avast saying it was in a passive mode. I checked my programs and say that it was back. Now, if it didn't reinstall itself who did? It sure in hell wasn't me. Avast is lying if they say they didn't do it.
 I will say that using the unclear program has removed everything completely. I hope that I din't have to return here.
You probably had Avast installed when you installed Ccleaner. It was a pre-checked item that you most likely missed.
To uninstall Avast is a two prong removal. First step is to uninstall it via Programs and Features.
Next, remove the remainder using their removal tool
http://files.avast.com/iavs9x/avastclear.exe
Run avastclear and allow it to reboot into Safe Mode. Follow the instructions. Once you reboot, Avast should be gone.
This may help: https://youtu.be/KD8LO8OxmvM
Free Security Seminar: https://bit.ly/bobg2023  -  Important: http://www.organdonor.gov/ -- My Web Site: http://bob3160.strikingly.com/ - Win 11 Pro v22H2 64bit, 16 Gig Ram, 1TB SSD, Avast Free 23.5.6066, How to Successfully Install Avast http://goo.gl/VLXdeRepair & Clean Install https://goo.gl/t7aJGq -- My Online Activity https://bit.ly/BobGInternet

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Re: Avast installed itself
« Reply #12 on: February 24, 2018, 09:07:39 PM »
I just had this happen today, with a computer already running Bitdefender AV.  I run Avast on another computer, but not this one.

I had only downloaded the update to CCleaner Free via the company website, which directed me to FileHippo for the installer.  I submitted to VirusTotal to verify the file.  Then I checked the advanced install option and everything looked good, so CCleaner updated to the latest version 5.40.

Then shortly afterward I noticed an Avast icon in my system start menu, and an Avast notification icon in my system tray.  I really don't recall seeing any pre-checked Avast offers on the screen.  So I uninstalled Avast after verifying that Windows Programs and Features showed the Avast install date as today.  I double checked and do not have any Avast installers in my downloads folder, or anywhere else.  I reran the same CCleaner installer again to see if there were any Avast offers available, and there were none.  Mystery???

Anyway, Avast appears to be gone now.  Do I really need to run avastclear?  What remains behind if I don't do this safe mode step?

Offline bob3160

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Re: Avast installed itself
« Reply #13 on: February 24, 2018, 09:25:50 PM »
You would not have seen the Avast installation option the second time since there are still
Avast traces on your system. Till you run the removal tool, the remaining Avast files and reg. entries will remain.
Removing them is your decision to make.
Free Security Seminar: https://bit.ly/bobg2023  -  Important: http://www.organdonor.gov/ -- My Web Site: http://bob3160.strikingly.com/ - Win 11 Pro v22H2 64bit, 16 Gig Ram, 1TB SSD, Avast Free 23.5.6066, How to Successfully Install Avast http://goo.gl/VLXdeRepair & Clean Install https://goo.gl/t7aJGq -- My Online Activity https://bit.ly/BobGInternet

Offline Asyn

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Re: Avast installed itself
« Reply #14 on: February 24, 2018, 09:32:47 PM »
I just had this happen today, with a computer already running Bitdefender AV.  I run Avast on another computer, but not this one.

I had only downloaded the update to CCleaner Free via the company website, which directed me to FileHippo for the installer.  I submitted to VirusTotal to verify the file.  Then I checked the advanced install option and everything looked good, so CCleaner updated to the latest version 5.40.

Then shortly afterward I noticed an Avast icon in my system start menu, and an Avast notification icon in my system tray.  I really don't recall seeing any pre-checked Avast offers on the screen.
-> https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=208612.msg1446139#msg1446139
W8.1 [x64] - Avast Free AV 23.3.8047.BC [UI.757] - Firefox ESR 102.9 [NS/uBO/PB] - Thunderbird 102.9.1
Avast-Tools: Secure Browser 109.0 - Cleanup 23.1 - SecureLine 5.18 - DriverUpdater 23.1 - CCleaner 6.01
Avast Wissenswertes (Downloads, Anleitungen & Infos): https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=60523.0