Please help. Avast breaks all browser function.

[zanep]

I installed avast on my aunts computer (PC on Windows 7) via TeamViewer.  The next day she told me her email and internet didn't work.  I TeamViewered into her computer and fixed settings in Avast and email works fine.  The next day she calls me and tells me she can't login to her bank.  I TeamViewer into her computer and confirm that all connections using HTTPS do not work on any browser (Firefox, Safari, Explorer).  I disable avast and find that it still doesn't work.  After looking around and determining that there is nothing else that could be causing the trouble I uninstall Avast.  Now no browser function works.  Now keep in mind the entire time I am doing this I am connecting via TeamViewer so the internet works.  Something about installing then uninstalling Avast has completely shot my Aunts browser capabilities.

I appreciate any support you can provide.  I have already spent 8 hours on this.  I installed Avast to help her.  I switched me and all my family and friends from Avg to Avast a year ago (because AVG caused windows to blue screen).  This is the only time I have faced an issue.

[Lisandro]

Which is the firewall in her computer?
Any other security program that could interfere?

[zanep]

Only windows 7 firewall.  And I have disabled it.

I was able to transfer avast setup via teamviewer and re-install avast.  Again standard http traffic works.  If I disable all shields http is blocked so I have confirmed that Avast is the cause.

This is a major problem since uninstalling leaves the computer unable to browse anything and installing blocks https.

I appreciate any support.  Once again I am the one who tried to help and broke the computer!  Seems to always be the case 

[Lisandro]

I suggest an installation from scratch:

1. Download the latest version of avast! Uninstall Utility and save it.
2. Download the latest avast! version and save it.
3. Uninstall avast from Control Panel (if possible). If, for any reason, you can't run it, try booting in Safe Mode and doing it from there. Anyway, boot after that.
4. Run the avast! Uninstall Utility saved on 1. If, for any reason, you can't run it, try booting in Safe Mode and doing it from there. Anyway, boot after you've run it.
5. Install avast! using the setup saved on 2. Boot.
6. Register your free copy or add the license key for Pro.
7. Check and post the results. If, for any reason, you did not solve, try doing the step 3 in Safe Mode anyway.

[zanep]

Thanks for the quick reply.  I have just run the uninstall utility and am rebooting now.

[zanep]

The clean utility did not fix the issue.  I have no interest in re-installing avast on this computer anymore.  I just want to restore the computer to the state it was in before the install.

[zanep]

What does Avast do that stops browsers from working at all even after uninstalling from the computer?

[zanep]

I have been on the phone with tech support ever since my last post and they are having no luck either.

[zanep]

Do any developers of avast check this forum?  What is is that avasst does to windows browser function that redirects https traffic?  What would cause disabling all shields to disable all browsing functionality?  How does an uninstall not remove whatever redirect functions?  The only hope I have of resolving this issue is to get an Avast developer involved with knowledge of how the product is installed/uninstalled and how it effects basic browsing functionality. 

[Gargamel360]

Do any developers of avast check this forum? 

Yes

What is is that avasst does to windows browser function that redirects https traffic?  What would cause disabling all shields to disable all browsing functionality?  

Nothing, that is what is weird here.  The Web Shield redirects regular web traffic, but can't handle SSL (https), so just leaves it alone.  The "typical" Web Shield problem is blocking http, not https, while this is the reverse.  I can honestly say (and I spend an inordinate amount of time here) I have not seen this in the year I have hung around here.

  What would cause disabling all shields to disable all browsing functionality?  How does an uninstall not remove whatever redirect functions? 

Nothing should, again, strange. Sorry I cant be of more help. 
Hope you can get official help soon.

[Dieselman]

Are by chance using Online Family Norton? If so they are not compatible and will cause this issue.

[doktornotor]

Well... What I would do is adding DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES to environment variables (set the value to 1) and check whether some avast! drivers are still present in device manager.

[zanep]

They had Norton.  I have sent my Aunt to best buy to purchase an external hard drive.  She is also swinging by her house to pick up Office and Quick books media.  We are prepping for a system restore.

She is going to look to see if she can find what version of Norton she was on.  Not sure if it was family.  We uninstaller it prior to installing Avast.  Now that I think about it I uninstalled Norton and declined on the recommended reboot, then installed avast.  Would not rebooting after uninstalling Norton and then installing Avast cause this failed state?

How does one set environmental variables?  Editing a data file in the program directory?  Will take a look and try if I can find it.

Thanks for the feedback Gargamel.  Everything you have said is in line with what I was finding in my forum research.  The computer I am working on seems to have the opposite characteristics of what is expected.

I appreciate the attention this is getting.  If I can resolve this without a system reboot I would prefer.  The way this troubleshooting is going :/  At one point my Aunt reset her modem for me but did a factory reset instead of a power pull.  This caused us to need to connect to the modem to set passwords.  Unfortunately at the time I didn't have avast installed on her computer so she couldn't connect to the modem.  To make a long story short it took a long time on the phone to get her connected back to where I could connect to her via teamviewer.

[doktornotor]

She is going to look to see if she can find what version of Norton she was on.  Not sure if it was family.  We uninstaller it prior to installing Avast.  Now that I think about it I uninstalled Norton and declined on the recommended reboot, then installed avast.  Would not rebooting after uninstalling Norton and then installing Avast cause this failed state?

Reboot is required after installing AVs/FWs. Pretty likely the Norton uninstall was incomplete. Also recommend using the removal tool, normal uninstall does a sloppy job.

ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/english_us_canada/removal_tools/Norton_Removal_Tool.exe

How does one set environmental variables?  Editing a data file in the program directory?  Will take a look and try if I can find it.

Start - Run (or simply press Win+R) - systempropertiesadvanced - Advanced tab - Environment variables

[zanep]

Norton Removal Tool did not resolve.  Thank you for the forward though.

Lets get back to the basics.  What would cause shutting down the web shield to block all traffic?