Author Topic: Updated avast and no programs open - PAID Support BROKE my PC  (Read 13669 times)

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  • Guest
Re: Updated avast now application errors and no programs open
« Reply #15 on: March 05, 2017, 10:26:27 PM »
Decided to call Avast tech support, which is really AVG tech support. They told me Avast is the sister company to AVG.
You are supposed to get a free consult in which they will tell you what the problem is, but that never happened. Instead he tried to tell me how a few of the programs I've been using for years could 'potentially' contain viruses. That's funny, as I run malwarebytes scan regularly and it has never been picked up.
Then without consulting or finding a problem I was put on to his tech support manager who sold me on a $39US tech support solution (I am based in Australia). I get a free AVG driver updater in that, which is normally $39 per year. I didn't think about the 'per year' part.
The tech manager said included in this, the computer will absolutely be fixed. Cool.
So I thought he'd be running the fix, but as soon as the credit card payment went through, he handed me back to the original tech support guy who still hasn't provided my free consult/diagnosis.
So here is what they have done on my paid support/fix:
Opened CMD and ran SFC /SCANNOW
Mine came back with 'windows resource protection did not find any integrity violations.'
Now they are doing a full Microsoft windows malicious software removal tool scan on the full PC. By the look of it, this is going to take a full 60-90 minutes. Maybe even more. Scanned 450,000 files and the blue line has barely moved.
To run this they type in 'mrt' into command prompt.
I just ran the mrt on my laptop doing a quick scan and it took only a few minutes.

Will see if they can fix the PC as they promised.

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  • Guest
Re: Updated avast now application errors and no programs open
« Reply #16 on: March 06, 2017, 12:17:30 AM »
2 hours in and mrt has scanned 4 million files. Still not even a quarter of the way through.

Would it be common to run a scan on a drive that Avast is not installed on?

It has finished scanning C drive but now they are scanning my backup 2TB drive.

Is that normal?

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  • Guest
Re: Updated avast now application errors and no programs open
« Reply #17 on: March 06, 2017, 01:42:14 AM »
After support made a number of changes to my PC, they restarted but it never did. They ended up coming back after 30mins and told me to hold down the off button and start it again.

On restart it says Configuring windows updates 100% complete but has been hanging there for around 20 mins.

Now my PC won't shut down and start up without hanging. Arggh.

I hope they can resolve this.

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  • Guest
Re: Updated avast now application errors and no programs open
« Reply #18 on: March 06, 2017, 02:45:27 AM »
1 hour down the track and still sitting on 100% complete, the tech support's manager reckons we need to wait another full hour on 100% complete.

He believes the computer isn't hanging. Even after 90mins on the same 100% complete screen.

What a wasted day.

Offline bob3160

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Re: Updated avast now application errors and no programs open
« Reply #19 on: March 06, 2017, 03:26:18 AM »
"They told me Avast is the sister company to AVG."
Since Avast purchase AVG, the correct answer would have been that Avast is the parent company.
The only suggestion I can still make is to work with Avast support:
https://www.avast.com/en-us/faq.php?article=AVKB33#artTitle
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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  • Guest
Re: Updated avast now application errors and no programs open
« Reply #20 on: March 06, 2017, 03:27:56 AM »
"They told me Avast is the sister company to AVG."
Since Avast purchase AVG, the correct answer would have been that Avast is the parent company.
The only suggestion I can still make is to work with Avast support:
https://www.avast.com/en-us/faq.php?article=AVKB33#artTitle

Hey Bob
Gotcha. It is good to know they are part of the same company. I didn't know that.
I am working with support and hopefully, we can achieve a successful resolution soon.
Thanks for your follow up.
Ash.

Offline bob3160

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Re: Updated avast now application errors and no programs open
« Reply #21 on: March 06, 2017, 03:32:09 AM »
Hopefully you'll have a good outcome. If that's not the case then follow the link I've sent you.
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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  • Guest
Re: Updated avast now application errors and no programs open
« Reply #22 on: March 06, 2017, 04:26:56 AM »
This keeps going from bad to worse.
They got me to shut down the PC after the updates.
Then hold down the power button for 20 seconds to do a reset.
Now the PC keeps looping on startup.
Tries to start, goes to a blue screen for 1 second, then goes back to booting up. Just keeps looping like that.
Won't even start in safe mode now. Keeps looping even when selecting safe mode.

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  • Guest
Re: Updated avast now application errors and no programs open
« Reply #23 on: March 06, 2017, 04:29:04 AM »
And this is with paid support.
It's like I paid to have support done, to waste 7 hours of my time and leave me with a PC that can't even boot.

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  • Guest
Re: Updated avast now application errors and no programs open
« Reply #24 on: March 06, 2017, 05:12:07 AM »
WOW.

They are now saying they are going to reinstall windows 7 cos nothing is working.

They suggest I will have to load up all my programs again, from scratch. Another 2 hours of windows 7 install from USB.

WTF?

Offline Eddy

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Re: Updated avast and no programs open - PAID Support BROKE my PC
« Reply #25 on: March 06, 2017, 09:06:40 AM »
Contact avast and ask your money back for that horrible support.

Right now, I would say install Windows from scratch.
Who knows what else that wannabe ( not Wallaby  ;D ) tech has messed up.

- Format the drive
- Install Windows
- Install the latest drivers for all devices
- Create the user accounts that/how you want
- Install the applications that you normally are using (for all accounts)
- Make changes in the settings if you wish to do so (e.g. other background, font type etc)
- Put back data (if you want)
- Create a image of the drive

With the image you can restore a system in (depending on the speed of the system) 10 - 40 minutes.
Much faster than installing Windows and everything from scratch. ;)

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Re: Updated avast and no programs open - PAID Support BROKE my PC
« Reply #26 on: March 06, 2017, 10:59:21 AM »
Contact avast and ask your money back for that horrible support.

Right now, I would say install Windows from scratch.
Who knows what else that wannabe ( not Wallaby  ;D ) tech has messed up.

- Format the drive
- Install Windows
- Install the latest drivers for all devices
- Create the user accounts that/how you want
- Install the applications that you normally are using (for all accounts)
- Make changes in the settings if you wish to do so (e.g. other background, font type etc)
- Put back data (if you want)
- Create a image of the drive

With the image you can restore a system in (depending on the speed of the system) 10 - 40 minutes.
Much faster than installing Windows and everything from scratch. ;)

Hey Eddy
Thanks for being awesome. Very much appreciated. Nice Wallaby joke too. Very cool.
I'm taking your suggestion and going ahead with what you suggest.
I managed to view the SSD hard drive on another PC and copy my files from it across.
I had just upgraded from 120SSD to 240SSD. So my old 120SSD is already formatted. I might put Win 7 back on that.
Then keep my 240 for another build.
No matter what, it seems all the programs I had installed will have to be put back on from scratch. Bummer.
That's the toughest part. The time needed to reinstall win 7 and then load all my programs back on.
Again I truly appreciate your follow up.
Thanks
Ash.

Offline Eddy

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Re: Updated avast and no programs open - PAID Support BROKE my PC
« Reply #27 on: March 06, 2017, 11:04:40 AM »
Yes it will take some time to do everything, but the goods news is that you have a smooth running system again without any pollution ;)

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Re: Updated avast and no programs open - PAID Support BROKE my PC
« Reply #28 on: March 06, 2017, 11:16:50 AM »
Hey Eddy
Might be a silly question, but what anti virus would you suggest if I reinstall win 7 64bit?

Offline Eddy

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Re: Updated avast and no programs open - PAID Support BROKE my PC
« Reply #29 on: March 06, 2017, 11:39:16 AM »
Depends if you want a free one or a paid one.
Free > avast
Paid > Kaspersky