The modern Internet offers the user a huge selection of various information, programs, services and offers. All of them can be divided into paid and free.
Among this multitude, the user can install on his computer and software that will fight against malware. If we talk about paid versions, then there are undoubtedly well-known products here, such as Kaspersky, Dr.Web, Nod 32, etc. Among the free antiviruses are Avast, AVG, Avira.
But mentioning the "good side" of such products that do not require money, it is worth talking about the negative positions. One such aspect of free antivirus software is to disclaim responsibility if a computer becomes infected with malware and crashes.
The second factor is incomplete removal of all antivirus products from the computer. This action may lead to the fact that the user will not be able to install other antivirus software, which will claim that, for example, it is Avast that interferes with the installation.
This article tells how to properly remove antivirus software in windows 7 using the free Avast program as an example. The usual uninstallation offered by the operating system is not suitable for these purposes.
To completely remove the free antivirus program Avast, first you need to resort to standard methods of the Windows 7 operating system. To do this, the user needs to go to the menu for managing all installed computer applications. To do this, you need to click the "Start" button, then in the window that appears, find the "Control Panel" section and click on it with the left mouse button.
In the window that appears, for a quick search, you need to switch at the top on the right side opposite the "View" section to the "Category" item. In the changed menu, select the line "Remove programs".
If everything is done correctly, the user will see all the applications and utilities of the computer installed in Windows 7. To uninstall Avast, you need to find it from the list presented, select it by clicking on it with the left mouse button and click on the "Delete" button in the table header.
After these steps, the cleaning utility of the antivirus application will start, which will ask the user that he really wants to remove Avast. And after confirmation, it will remove all components from the computer. But, as a rule, some elements of the former protection still remain on the device. These are entries in the Windows 7 registry, system components and services. To remove them, the user must use the following method.
The second stage - Special utility for uninstalling the program
It is this method that completely removes all traces of activity, records and components of the Avast antivirus program from the computer. As you can see from the subtitle, for its implementation you need a special utility, which is recommended for uninstallation even by the manufacturers of free protection.
You can find it and download it from the official website of the anti-virus software developer. This utility is called Avast Uninstall Utility and is designed to search for all Avast components and completely uninstall them from the user's PC. More details about it can be found on the developer's website.
To successfully complete it, you will need to put your computer into Safe Mode. To do this, you need to restart the computer and, after waiting for the boot to start, press the F8 key until the context menu appears on the screen. Here you need to select the "Safe Mode" line.
After all the conditions are met, the user should enable the Avast uninstall utility. After starting the program will offer to select the version of the product that should be removed (Avast 7/8, etc.). This selection can be made in the "Select product to uninstall" field. Next, you need to click the "..." button, after which you should show where the Avast program was installed or installed. After specifying the path to the utility, click the Unistall button.
After a few minutes, the program will remove all entries and components from the computer. To continue working, you must restart your computer.
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Many users wonder how to remove avast from a computer if it is not deleted. The solution to this problem will be discussed later in this article.
Browsing the Internet, there is a big risk of getting to an unscrupulous site or downloading a dubious file. In such or other ways, you can easily bring a virus to your computer and thereby infect the operating system.
Viruses not only damage stored data, but also block the normal operation of programs and disable some functions. Thus, their treatment or removal is a primary task that special programs - antiviruses - can cope with.
There are many antiviruses, and therefore from time to time, many users change them. One of the most common is Avast antivirus, which occupies a leading position.
However, even it, many users remove it in the desire to try out more modern or advanced antiviruses. When uninstalling this program, a situation often arises that the uninstallation process was successful, but some of the anti-virus elements remain on the computer and interfere in every way.
How to remove avast from a computer if it is not deleted
After removing the Avast antivirus program from the computer, some components may still remain unaffected. These are mainly registry entries, residual files or drivers.
This is due to the fact that software that monitors the security of a computer can deliberately overly secure files in memory and registry using self-preservation mechanisms. A similar situation may arise if the uninstallation was performed using the standard uninstall function provided in the operating system.
If after uninstalling the program, some components remain on the computer, and the program itself has disappeared from the list of installed ones and gives an error when trying to uninstall it again, that is, there is a way to finally get rid of it.
The mentioned method involves the use of a special utility designed purely for uninstalling Avast. This utility is called Avast Clear and must be downloaded and installed separately. You can find it on the official Avast website in the Support -\u003e Downloads section.
It is preferable to run this utility through safe mode, which can be selected using advanced startup options. This will ensure maximum efficiency of the program. In addition, in normal mode, complete deletion may fail or cause a number of errors.
After launching the utility, it should automatically detect the version and installation path of the antivirus, otherwise it can be done manually. Continuing the operation, the utility will completely remove Avast, and then a computer restart is required.
Those who are wondering how to remove avast from the computer if it is not removed , will be able to use the utility to finally solve their problem.
Ways to remove Avast for advanced users
In addition to the method discussed above, there are also methods that will help to permanently remove Avast from your computer.
One of them involves tampering with the computer registry and the operating system file base. This is a fairly responsible and serious method, which is more suitable for those users who understand what they are doing and represent the possible consequences. These manipulations are performed after disabling the self-protection module of the Avast program itself and removing it with a standard uninstall tool.
Next, you need to write a request through the Start menu and open a shortcut with the appropriate name in the program menu. This function is a registry editor, with which you will have to work in the framework of the considered method.
It will help remove all remaining system and registry entries from the computer that are related to Avast.
In the internal menu of the editor, select the "Find" button and enter the query - " avast". It is important to ask this request using the original name of the program in Latin letters. After completing the search operation, the results will be returned. All records that in one way or another contain a given query in their name should be completely removed.
In addition, if the antivirus installer is located on the computer's hard disk, then it is better to uninstall it using the standard context menu function, rather than through the registry.
After carrying out this manipulation, you should set the query - avast in the search bar of the operating system explorer. Any residual antivirus files detected by the system should also be deleted and then rebooted.
There is another way to completely delete Avast antivirus files. It involves the use of special programs designed exclusively for complete uninstallation.
Often, such programs automatically perform not only deletion, but also cleaning of the registry, as well as all related operations. This is a fairly versatile solution that suits users of all levels.
Let's consider this method using the example of the "Revo uninstaller pro" program. The following is the required procedure:
After launching the program, you should find the desired Avast antivirus in the list of programs;
- By clicking on the antivirus shortcut with the right mouse button, select the "Delete" command in the menu that opens;
- Next, you need to confirm the delete operation;
- At the end of the process, select the "Restart" command later;
- After that, "Advanced scan type" is performed;
- All found elements are selected by the select all button and then deleted.
Here is a general algorithm of actions using a specific program as an example, but for all such uninstallers, this order will be almost identical and will completely remove all files of the Avast antivirus from the computer.
Reinstallation of anti-virus programs is performed by users quite often. This may be due to the fact that the installed antivirus program can "eat up" a lot of computer resources. In some cases, antivirus software can block many sites that are not malicious and you have to regularly add certain addresses to exceptions. Also, if an antivirus program was installed with a free license, its functionality is limited and only a purchase can provide maximum protection. Due to the fact that parallel installation of antivirus software can lead to various conflicts in the system, the computer can be very slow. That is why it is necessary to know, for example, how to remove Avast Free Antivirusto avoid possible problems and to be able to install a different antivirus program.
Of course, you can remove Avast Free Antivirus using the standard Uninstall tool, but in this case all traces will not be removed. For example, a browser can be installed together with this antivirus (according to the developers, it is maximally protected from hacking and reliably protects personal data, passwords, etc.), information about found viruses can be stored, files that were quarantined, etc. P. That is why the removal of such software must be approached responsibly.
Avast Free Antivirus is run by two processes avastui.exe and AvastSvc.exe. You can see them if you open the Task Manager.
As you can see from the screenshot, this antivirus program does not require many resources and its removal is most likely caused not by the fact that it overloads the system, but by other reasons, for example, insufficient protection tools.
The above processes are launched from the C: \\ Program Files \\ AVAST Software \\ Avast directory (if your OS is in a different partition, only the drive letter will be changed).
To proceed directly to uninstallation, you need to open the "Remove Programs" tool. This can be done by following the path "Start" - "Control Panel" - "Uninstall a program", or open the "Run" window (press Win + R) and enter the command appwiz.cpl.
A window with a list of installed programs will appear on the screen. Find Avast Free Antivirus, select it and click on the "Remove" button, or right-click on it and also select the line of the same name.
The deletion process will be launched, the user can only wait until the end.
After completing this operation, you need to restart the computer, which will be reported in the window that appears. Also, it is proposed to answer the question why you decided to get rid of Avast, but this is absolutely not necessary.
Note: It is better to reboot immediately and do not postpone this action. Even before the OS is loaded, those files that are used by the OS will be deleted.
Remember that the usual removal of directories with the program can only bring a bunch of unnecessary problems, because the installed antivirus drivers will not be affected, after which the computer will constantly crash, give a bunch of errors, etc.
After the performed procedure, it is necessary to clear the computer of files that probably remain and delete entries in the registry. So, to delete files related to Avast, you need to:
- open "My Computer";
- go to the system partition (as a rule, this is drive C);
- enter the word Avast in the "Search" field and search for directories and files in the system that have not been deleted;
- after waiting for the search results, you will have several folders and files that remain even after the removal procedure with a standard tool;
- select all found directories and files, right-click on them and select the line "Delete";
- confirm the action you are taking;
- also after that a message will be displayed stating that you need to have administrator rights to delete these folders. Check the box so that this dialog does not appear again and click on the "Continue" button.
Some folders and files from this list cannot be deleted, because they are also used by the system. A corresponding window will be displayed on the screen.
Do not click on the "Repeat" button, this action will cause this window to appear again, click on the skip button by checking the box on the execution of a similar command for all similar objects. To delete these particular directories and files, you must use another tool, for example, "Unlocker", which can be downloaded from the link.
After you have installed this software (by the way, it consumes a minimum of resources and it is absolutely not necessary to remove it from autorun), re-search all directories and files in the system partition. Select them all, right-click and click on the "Unlocker" line.
After that, a security window may appear, in which you need to click on the "Yes" button.
To prevent such a window from being displayed, click on the "Configure the issuance of such notifications" link and move the slider to the bottom. After that, the security window will never be displayed.
The Unlocker window will open in front of you. Select “Delete” from the pop-up menu and confirm the action.
The process will start and a window will appear indicating that the object has been deleted.
Searching again will confirm that all traces of Avast Free Antivirus have been permanently removed.
After that, you just need to delete the entries in the registry. To do this, press Win + R, enter regedit in the field and click "OK".
In the registry window that appears, search for the word Avast. Remember that the mentioned word can be not only in the name, but also in the meaning. To search, click Ctrl + F and enter the specified word.
If the value was found, right-click on it and select "Delete" and confirm the intended operation.
In the same way, it is necessary to delete those records, in the name of which there is no mention of Avast, but they are present in the value field. Right-click on them and select "Delete".
Having reached the end of the list, the operating system will display a message that the search is complete and there are no more items with the specified word.
This completes the uninstallation process for Avast Free Antivirus. According to this scheme, you can remove not only this antivirus, but any other.
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Avast Antivirus! from the Czech developer Avast Software - a good, reliable choice for protecting home computers, moreover, it's free (in the Free version).
But despite this, anyone may have a desire to change Avast! on something new, because there are many decent antivirus solutions on the market.
That is why it is important to figure out in advance how to uninstall Avast so that there are no problems installing another product.
Any anti-virus program deeply "puts roots" into the operating system, and it often happens that after uninstallation using standard tools, you have to additionally clean up undeleted files and registry entries with your hands or utilities.
Otherwise, the installation of a new antivirus will end in crashes, or even blue screens of death. Avast is no exception in this regard.
It's time to get acquainted with the methods of "eviction" of this "tenant" from your computer - simple and for advanced users. There is no difference in the methods if you are going to remove Avast from Windows 7 or from Windows 8
Standard uninstallation method via Control Panel
Uninstallation via the "Programs and Features" applet launches the built-in uninstaller of Avast. After it works, the computer needs to be restarted and you can proceed to installing another antivirus.
All steps described below must be performed with administrator rights.
- Expand the Control Panel - this is done through the Start menu, through the Settings option in the Windows 8 sidebar, or through the Run program. In the last option, enter the control command in the "Open" line and click OK.
- Select "Programs" and "Uninstall a program" - if you have an active view "Categories"
or "Programs and Features" if you choose Classic View.
- Find Avast! Software installed in the list, right-click on it and click Uninstall / Change.
- In the uninstaller window (this is the file C: \\ Program Files \\ Avast Software \\ Avast \\ Setup \\ instup.exe) select the "Uninstall" option, then click "Continue".
- Confirm your intentions to remove Avast from your computer:
- Then confirm again (what if it's not you, but an evil virus?):
- After the uninstallation is complete, the browser will open a page that looks like this (the last attempt to dissuade you from uninstalling):
It is enough just to close it.
- Restart your computer.
Removal using third-party programs
There are a lot of free applications for uninstalling Windows programs. These are the well-known Revo Uninstaller, Geek Uninstaller, IObit Uninstaller, etc.
Compared to the built-in uninstaller, they completely clean up the remnants of the uninstalled application on the disk and in the registry.
If you are using the Ccleaner utility, you do not need to download the universal uninstaller. To remove garbage after Avast! her capabilities are enough.
The procedure for removing Avast through Ccleaner
- Run Ccleaner as administrator. In the main window select "Tools" and "Uninstall" from the list of options.
- Select from the list of installed applications Avast! and click "Run Uninstaller". This action will launch Avast's own uninstaller.
After the uninstaller completes, you can use Ccleaner to clean the remaining junk from the hard drive and from the registry.
To do this, open the "Cleaner" section, mark the necessary items, first click the "Analyze" button, and then "Run Cleaner".
- Next, using the "Registry Cleaner" option, look for the remaining entries in the registry and delete them.
- After cleaning is complete, restart your computer.
Uninstall using Registry Editor (Regedit.exe)
The registry entries left after an incorrect "demolition" of the antivirus is the main reason why a new one cannot be installed. Uninstalled services that manage drivers, even if the drivers themselves are missing, are especially troublesome.
If it is not possible to carry out cleaning with the help of other, safer tools, or you are an experienced user who knows the Windows registry perfectly, you can use the registry editor - C: \\ Windows \\ Regedit.exe. Fortunately, he is always at hand.
- Start Registry Editor. This is done through the explorer or using the program already familiar to us "Run": enter the regedit command in the "Open" line and click OK.
- When prompted for permission from UAC (User Account Control System), select Yes.
- Open the Edit menu in the editor window and select Find (or press Ctrl + F). Leave the search scopes: "section names", "parameter names" and "parameter values" checked.
- Pressing the F3 key, search in turn for the entries "asw" and "Avast" (words and parts of words). Found sections and individual parameters must be deleted.
Attention! Not all search results with the syllable "asw" are related to Avast. If you are unsure, do not delete this data.
- To delete the found section (the folder in the left half of the editor window), open its context menu and click the "Delete" item in it.
- To delete an individual parameter (in the right half of the window), open the context menu of this parameter and also select the "Delete" command from it.
- After cleaning the registry, restart your computer.
Removing Avast using the aswClear utility
aswClear (Avastclear) - a free utility from the manufacturer Avast !, specially created for deep removal of all traces of this antivirus in the system, and for the case when you need to remove the Avast antivirus if it is not uninstalled in a standard way
To run the utility, you need to boot Windows in safe mode.
- After rebooting, run Avastclear.exe. From the “Select product to uninstall” list, select your version of the antivirus. If necessary, specify the Avast installation folder (if Avastclear does not find it itself) and click “Uninstall”.
- Please confirm your agreement to delete all product data. After cleaning is complete, the program will prompt you to restart your computer.
Using the AV Uninstall Tools Pack
AV Uninstall Tools Pack is a free collection of antivirus removal utilities from their developers. It does not require installation, is easy to understand and convenient for those who are looking for "their" antivirus and often change them.
You should also run AV Uninstall Tools Pack in Safe Mode.
- The folder where you unpacked the program contains the autorun.exe file - it opens the tool selection window. Find Avast! Antivirus Removal Tool and click on the button shown in the picture:
This will open the folder where the familiar Avastclear.exe is located and instructions for its use in Russian and English. We have already considered further work with the utility.
On this, perhaps, we can stop. Now you have a sufficient arsenal of tools to cope with Avast, if suddenly he does not want to voluntarily leave your "hospitable" system. Choose a method to your taste and - go ahead. You can handle it!
One of the pretty good antivirus programs, including those on the free software market, is Avast. Which is quite popular among PC owners. But, sometimes there are difficulties with it, in particular, it is difficult to remove it from the computer without problems.
It can be quite problematic to remove any antivirus program completely, without tails. There are always some hidden files and registry entries left, and when installing a new antivirus program, problems may arise due to these leftover files. Antivirus Avast, one of these utilities, which is difficult to remove in a standard way. Next, we will tell you how to remove Avast completely from Windows 7.
Remove Avast in the standard way
The first way is standard.
- We go to " Start».
- « Control Panel».
- Removing programs - in the section " View"You need to switch to" Category».
- We find in the list of installed programs Avast, select it and press “ Delete / Change».
- The Avast installation wizard will open, here you need to click the " Delete". We confirm the action.
- During the uninstallation process, while services are stopped and kernel drivers are removed, you can answer a few questions related to uninstallation, but this is not necessary. Then the program will ask you to restart your computer - click "Restart computer".
- After rebooting, you need to clean the registry - press the key combination on the keyboard Win + R .
- The built-in utility “ Execute", In which we write the word regedit .
- The registry editor will open, here we click " Edit"And in the drop-down menu select" Find Next».
- Uncheck the boxes " Parameter names"And" Parameter values».
- In field " To find"Write the word Avast and click" Find Next».
- Delete all folders named Avast.
When you delete each folder in the name of which will appear, in whole or in part of the name of Avast antivirus, you need to confirm. After that, the search will automatically go to the next registry folder. And thus you need to delete all folders containing the name Avast.
- Next, close the registry editor and you need to clean the computer of temporary files and fix registry errors. The CCleaner utility is perfect for this purpose.
- Having started it, you need to analyze, and delete all temporary files and clear the cache, as well as in the section " Registry»Run a scan and fix all found errors and vulnerabilities, then restart the computer.
Removing antivirus using the Avast removal utility
The second way, how to remove Avast antivirus from Windows 7 - This is the removal of the antivirus program using a special uninstaller utility from Avast. You can download it on the official website.
- Next, install the utility and run it.
- A window will open in which there will be a message about the recommendation to run the uninstall tool in Windows 7 safe mode, but this is optional.
- If you don't want to go to safe mode, undo this action.
- Next, you should select the directory where the Avast antivirus was installed, if this is not the default path, then the folder with the program will need to be selected manually
(attention, all contents of the folder you select will be deleted).
- Here you need to select the version of the installed antivirus and click " Delete».
- Next, you should restart your computer.
- We go to the registry editor, and carry out the manipulations described at the beginning of the article, delete all entries containing the name Avast.
- After removing the antivirus, you need to clean your computer from temporary files and debris, and optimize it. The Sikliner utility is also suitable here, but you can use another program, of which there are a great many on the Internet.
After that, you can start installing another antivirus, now there will be no conflict, and the program will be installed on your computer correctly and without errors.
