Avast will not start. Major problem.

[mc.]

Avast:
i don't know what's wrong with this thing, but something is very wrong.
i recently have bought the avast 4 professional antivirus.
i recieved an email confirming my purchase.
i follow the directions in the email.
i download it.
i install it.
and then it asks me to restart my computer.
i allow my computer to restart.
after my computer is restarted, i have no blue avast ball in my right hand corner.
instead, i have an orange circle with a smaller red circle in it with an X in it.
i click on this, and it tells me that i am "unsecured."
it tells me to click the "fix now" button.
this does nothing.
it also says that the avast has been "stopped or is in an inconsistant state."
it tells me to click the "start program" button.
this does nothing.
i have tried to deleting avast and then redownloading it several times.
this does nothing.
i have tried going to the control panel and repairing it.
it tells me to restart my computer.
after restarted, it is still the same.
please help me.
i have no clue what else to do!

[mkis]

What was yr previous antivirus?
Was it fully removed from your system - say, with an uninstall facility?
Remnants from earlier installs of other antivirus have been known to cause problems.

[carlcc]

Avast:
i don't know what's wrong with this thing, but something is very wrong.
i recently have bought the avast 4 professional antivirus.
i recieved an email confirming my purchase.
i follow the directions in the email.
i download it.
i install it.
and then it asks me to restart my computer.
i allow my computer to restart.
after my computer is restarted, i have no blue avast ball in my right hand corner.
instead, i have an orange circle with a smaller red circle in it with an X in it.
i click on this, and it tells me that i am "unsecured."
it tells me to click the "fix now" button.
this does nothing.
it also says that the avast has been "stopped or is in an inconsistant state."
it tells me to click the "start program" button.
this does nothing.
i have tried to deleting avast and then redownloading it several times.
this does nothing.
i have tried going to the control panel and repairing it.
it tells me to restart my computer.
after restarted, it is still the same.
please help me.
i have no clue what else to do!

It seems that it's not the problem belonging to avast.

I have the same situation you met.
I think that an orange circle with a smaller red circle in it with a X is originally existed in ur computer, which is the warning.
It warns that your computer is not protected now.
Or it means that although you have installed the avast, your computer doesn't know this installation.
So you need to modify the setting to let it know that you choose avast to be antivirus software.

cuz' avast 4.8 hasn't been identified by ur computer.
so you need to modify the computer program.

You click on the circle.
and try to "tell the program" that you want to protect your computer by avast 4.8.

I forget what the procedures are.
but i remember that the circle only occurs when ur computer doesn't acknowledged any antivirus software.
So you need to adjust and modify the setting that you want to use avast to be your computer protector.

[mc.]

Before avast, I had kasperski (or however you spell it.)
I guess that I removed it all..
I went to control panel>add or remove prgrams>kasperski.
It all acted like it deleted.
I have not found anything else on my computer about it.
So, now what should I do?

[DavidR]

Download and Run this utility to remove all traces of Kaspersky from the registry:
http://support.kaspersky.com/faq/?qid=208279463. You might want to print the instructions on the page for use of-line.

[mc.]

ok.. so i went to this and tried it and it says: "kaspersky anti-virus was not deleted."
so, this didn't work.
what now?

[DavidR]

I don't really know, as it is reporting it wasn't deleted, not that it wasn't found. I don't know if that messages means it wasn't deleted because it wasn't found.

However, reading your post again, is it avast 5.0 or 4.8 that you downloaded, as in 4.8 the avast 'a' icon is Blue (image1) and not working a red circle with a bar through it. In 5.0 the avast a icon is Orange.

[mc.]

well, i think it's 4.8.
the email that avast sent me when confirming my purchase said that the icon would be a blue ball.
when i click on the icon i do have and go under maintenance>about avast>program verson: unknown.

everything is saying "unknown." (including the virus definitions version)

[mc.]

but, when i have my avast popped up, it also shoes the orange a. so i have no clue. but i think it's 4.8.

[mc.]

shows*

[DavidR]

The "maintenance>about avast>program verson:" you mention is most certainly avast 5.0 (see image of mine which is 5.0 but the free version, GUI is the same)), so it looks like you purchased 4.8 but downloaded the latest version of avast which is 5.0.377. Download http://www.avast.com/documentation/quick-start-guide-pro-en-ww.pdf I think you will see your program matches that documentation.

And it would seem that the installation didn't complete successfully. You may need to do a clean reinstall, but see ~~~ below.

So your email with the 4 licenses in the email (correct yes) is related to 4.8, but 5.0 now uses a license file system. You can convert these 4.8 licenses -  avast! 5 Pro license convert from 4.8 Pro license. Try http://www.avast.com/resend-license.php now, fill in the form giving your email and 4.8 Pro License key and they will send the new license file to you (presumably it will check you have a legit 4.8 Pro license first).

~~~
Have (or did) you another Anti-Virus installed in this system, if so what was it and how did you get rid of it ?

[mc.]

whoah. ok, so now you lost me little bit there.
i'm sorry. i'm very new to this.
now what should i try first?
downloading something? or a reinstall..? or.. i dont know.

[gizbar]

@mc

You have apparently 'paid' for version 4.8 - A blue ball with an 'a' in the system tray.

But it appears that you have downloaded and installed version 5 - An orange ball with an 'a' in the system tray.

If you double-click the desktop shortcut and open the program, you can verify what version you have - as DavidR tried to tell you.

You also said you had Kaspersky installed before installing avast!. Most of these antivirus companies are now producing 'uninstaller' programs to clear all traces of the old antivirus off of your system. Avast! do one called 'aswclear'. Norton do one too.

You need to make sure that all traces of the old one is gone before installing the new one - 'Add/Remove programs' does not seem to be enough on it's own.

Then you need to decide which version that you wish to run. If you wish to keep version 5 - you need to get your licence key converted to a version 5 one.
If you wish to use version 4.8, then you will need to uninstall version 5, and install version 4.8. Then you will be able to use the current licence key that you have paid for.

Hope this makes things a bit clearer.

regards, Gizbar.

[DavidR]

whoah. ok, so now you lost me little bit there.
i'm sorry. i'm very new to this.
now what should i try first?
downloading something? or a reinstall..? or.. i dont know.

1. click the image I posted in my last post to expand it, your avast GUI should basically match as that is the Maintenance, About avast you mentioned (and that path/screen isn't in 4. this is why I said I believe you have 5.0 not 4.8. So you confirm that my images matches yours with the exception mine has the registration info.

2. there is no need reinstall just yet.
I gave you a link to download a pdf file with quick start info for 5.0 so you have some reference documentation.
I gave you a link so that you can convert the 4.8 license key (which won't work with 5.0) into a license file that does work with 5.0. The Quick Start Guide (page 7&8 shows how to register.

So for 5.0 to work it needs to be registered to register it you need a license file.

[mc.]

ok.. so i got pissed a deleted avast all together.
i went back to kasperski.
but i want a refund.
but i dont know if this is going to be possible.
do you know?