Here is an Article I wrote about discovery and removal of leftovers from previous anti-virus products, and my “when all else fails” procedure. Hope this helps!
Antivirus software is the most invasive application we will ever use on our systems. Specifically here, we are addressing the upgrade of avast! 4.8 to avast! 6.0. However, this situation also occurs with other antivirus vendors (Symantec, Norton, and McAfee just to tag a few.) What has really occurred here, is that there are left over pieces of previous antivirus software, and they are conflicting with the current antivirus software. And the classic symptom is Internet access is blocked, and by disabling the avast! Web Shield now gets Internet access.
This particular process is specific to avast! 6 upgrading over an avast! 4.8 installation, however it also applies to other antivirus vendors as well. I have been through this process, removing avast! 4.8, then removing avast! 6 with the uninstaller, and then having to use the removal tool for other A/V vendors that had previously been installed. If you look in “Program Files” directory, you can find leftover directories of every antivirus that was loaded on the system. I have sporadically had to use those vendors uninstallers as well. Here is the most comprehensive list of uninstallers – almost every A/V is here:
http://thewebatom.net/uninstallers/security-software/ Removal of previous versions of avast! using the avast! uninstaller utility
1)Remove all avast! versions as well as any other A/V programs from add/remove programs in control panel.
2)Download the latest version of avast! Uninstall Utility (aswclear.exe) and save it on your desktop.
http://files.avast.com/files/eng/aswclear.exe 3)Start Windows in Safe Mode (F8 key before Windows splash screen on a reboot)
4)Open (execute) the uninstall utility
5) Choose which version of avast! to uninstall (default is 4. If more than 1 version of avast! was installed, this
process will be repeated for each version (version 4, 5, and 6 are all there) So let’s assume this system had all 3 versions of avast! install. Choose version 4.8.
6)If you installed avast! in a different folder than the default, browse for it. (Note: Be careful! The content of any
folder you choose will be deleted!)
7)Click REMOVE
8)Restart your computer
9)Start Windows in Safe Mode again
10)Open the uninstall utility
11)Choose version 5 of avast!
12)If you installed avast! in a different folder than the default, browse for it.
13)Click REMOVE
14)Restart your computer
15)Start Windows in Safe Mode again
16)Open the avast uninstall utility again
17)Choose version 6 of avast!
18)If you installed avast! in a different folder than the default, browse for it.
19)Click REMOVE
20)Restart your computer
21)Now install avast! version 6.0 Pro
J.R. Guthrie
President
Advantage Micro Corporation
520-290-0595
JR@Advantage77.com
“The internet should be known as an enemies weapons system!” Pentagon
http://advantage77.com/blog/2011/12/22/discovery-and-removal-of-previously-installed-antivirus-leftovers-including-avasts-special-tool/