Removing Avast launches the executable file. Avast Free Antivirus: how to completely remove it from your computer

Users to protect personal computers use various types of antiviruses. One such security program is Avast. The advantage of this application is that it can be installed for free. Sometimes antivirus programs produce critical errors. In this case, you need to get rid of them.

Many beginners do not know how to remove Avast antivirus so that there are no traces of it left on the hard drive. In fact, there are several ways by which the application will be completely removed from the machine.

Preparing for removal

Faced with antivirus errors, users begin to think about how to uninstall Avast. It will not be difficult for a professional to cope with the task, but beginners have some difficulties.

Self-defense is enabled in the antivirus settings. To completely remove the application, you must first disable it. To do this, you need to perform the following steps sequentially:

1. Open the application. Just click on the antivirus icon located in the tray (near the clock, on the desktop).
2. In the main menu, find the “Settings” gear icon.
3. When a new window opens, you need to go to “Troubleshooting”.
4. Among the entries in the list that opens, you need to find the item “Enable self-defense module”, and then uncheck the box.

It should be noted that after disabling protection, the application will notify the user of a potential threat. Don't worry, because it's necessary measure. There is no other way to get rid of the antivirus.

Uninstalling an antivirus

Before you remove Avast antivirus, you need to understand what methods exist to remove the application. At the moment, there are 3 known methods, thanks to which not a trace will remain of antivirus software:

1. Windows Removal Tools;
2. Avast application uninstall utility;
3. Third-party programs designed to uninstall applications.

Removal using OS tools

The most in a simple way Uninstalling any programs for the user is to use the built-in uninstaller. Thanks to OS tools, it is not difficult to remove Avast from your computer.

First of all, you need to go to the control panel. First, you should open the Start menu. In the menu that opens, you need to find “Control Panel”.

When will it appear new form, the user should find “Programs and Features”. This is necessary in order to proceed with the actual removal of the application.

Now all that remains is to find it in the loaded list, and then select it to delete it. To do this, you will need to click on the “Delete” button.

After a moment, the program's uninstaller will appear. To begin eliminating anti-virus software, the user must click on the “Yes” button. If this is not done, the process will be automatically canceled after a minute.

When avast software is uninstalled, your computer will restart.

Cleaning the registry

The operating system will boot and the user will see that there is no antivirus anymore. In fact, everything is not quite like that. To completely remove a program from your computer, you need to clean the registry.

Again you need to open the Start menu, and then in the Search field write: Regedit. A similar command will launch the operating system registry.

In the window that opens, users will see several sections containing subsections and keys. Be careful when deleting important Windows key will cause the system to crash.

To find all Avast keys, you need to open the Edit menu and then select Find.

In the search form you will need to enter the word “avast”. After clicking on the “find next” button, the registry will display a list of all found keys containing the search word.

You will need to right-click on all the results one by one, selecting “Delete”. After a few minutes, not a trace will remain of the antivirus.

Avast utility

Many users are afraid to enter the registry, and since it is impossible to remove avast free antivirus without this, you will have to use another method. The easiest way is to use the utility developed by Avast.

First you need to download the “Avastclear” utility from the developer’s official website. Since you can’t simply uninstall Avast, you need to boot into safe mode. To select the appropriate mode, when loading the OS, the user must press the service key “F8”. When the list of modes appears, it is recommended to select " Safe Mode».

After loading the operating system, you will need to run the previously downloaded utility. To remove Avast, the user should select the directory in which the antivirus is installed. If the security software was installed in the default folder, you do not need to select anything.

To get rid of traces of the “defender”, you need to click on the “Delete” button. After a few minutes, the program will be removed and the computer will restart.

Third party utilities

Complete removal of Avast Free can be done using specialized programs. The most popular applications include:

• CCleaner;
• Uninstall Tools;
• Revo Uninstaller.

If desired, you can find other utilities that completely remove programs installed on your computer. It does not matter which utility is selected as the uninstaller, since their operating principle is identical. First, the software is removed, and then the registry is cleaned.

It should be noted that after uninstallation, the antivirus being removed will be eliminated and the system will be rebooted. If this is not done, traces of Avast will remain on the computer.

Conclusion

Beginners believe that they cannot cope with deletion antivirus program. Actually this is not true. Just follow the instructions and the application will be completely uninstalled from your computer.

The user only needs to decide on how to remove the program. Do not forget that after uninstallation you need to restart the operating system.

How to remove Avast

Avast Free Antivirus is a security software developed by Avast. The latter has the largest share of the global antivirus application market and provides a wide range of products to protect both consumers and corporations (Android, Microsoft Windows, iOS and macOS).

During setup, the utility registers automatic start at booting Windows using the “Task Scheduler”, which turns it on at different scheduled times (the schedule varies depending on the version of the antivirus). Software is intended to connect to the Internet and adds itself to the exclusion list Windows Firewall to work without interference. After installation, to provide quick access, Avast adds a handler to the Windows shell context menu.

Based on 2016 statistics, Avast had 400 million users and a 40% share of the antivirus software market outside of China. In 2017, it acquired Piriform, the developer of the CCleaner tool. The latter is notorious for being hacked in September 2017, which damaged versions of CCleaner 5.33.6162 and CCleaner Cloud 1.07.3191 and exposed millions of users to the risk of infection with Floxif malware.

Naturally, many who have tried to use Avast have different opinions regarding the tool. However, based on the results of independent testing in third-party laboratories, it has a high ability to block, detect and remove viruses. The antivirus adds a network security scanner, provides a password manager, offers a secure web browser and toolbar ( Google Chrome), as well as other useful features.

Avast is able to detect and block adware and keyloggers in particular. AV-Comparatives analysts conducted a security test and provided two ratings: Advanced+ and Advanced, which means the product was rated much higher than others.

However, Avast often comes under suspicion and negatively impacts device performance when scanning for malware. Some users do not approve of this tool because it does not have parental controls.

In short, Avast is a great antivirus for protecting your PC, but it's not the best. Typically, it can be removed using programs, functions, or Windows applications, but after the release of Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, many reported that the program stopped working or could not be reinstalled/uninstalled.

It has been noted that the uninstall process fails with an error indicating that Avast files (eg Avastip.dll, avast.messaging.dll) are missing.

1. Avast Free Antivirus does not appear in the Programs and Features list.
2. You do not have sufficient rights to remove Avast Free Antivirus.
3. The file required to complete this uninstallation could not be run.
4. An error has occurred. Not all files were successfully deleted.
5. Another process that is using the file is stopping Avast Free Antivirus from being removed.
6. After uninstallation, Avast Free Antivirus files and folders are still present on the hard drive.

Incomplete uninstallation causes many different problems. This is why it is important to properly uninstall Avast and all its components.

If for one reason or another you decide to clean your computer of this utility, but nothing works, we will explain what steps you need to take to successfully remove it.

Option 1: Use Avast Uninstall utility

The antivirus offers a free utility called Avast Uninstall, which allows you to remove all components and parts of the tool. To run it, follow these steps:

Step 1. Download Avastclear.

The avastclear.exe file should now appear on your desktop.

Step 2. Before opening it, start Windows in Safe Mode.

Step 3. Once the system boots, double-click on the avastclear.exe file.

Step 4. Find the standard Avast folder in the list of programs and click “Delete”.

Important! If you have installed the tool in another location, select the last folder in the list, but be careful and make the right choice as all

Step 5.

Option 2: Uninstall Avast manually

Step 1. Quit the antivirus in the task manager

To open it, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc (Windows 10) or Ctrl + Alt + Del (older versions).

Open the “ ” tab and find Avast in the list.

Click on it and select End Process.

Step 2: Remove the tool from apps and features

To go to options, click Windows keys+I. Open the Applications section.

Users of older versions of the system should open Control Panel and select Programs and Features.

Find the Avast Free Antivirus entry, click on it and select Uninstall.

Step 3: Remove antivirus remnants

Right-click File Explorer and select the Open tab. Then click on "View".

Select "Options" and in the dialog box that opens, go to the "View" section.

Check the box "Show hidden files, folders and disks."

Hold down the Windows + R keys, type regedit and press Enter.

Open the Edit section at the top of the screen and select Find Next.

If the search finds recovered antivirus entries, delete them.

Finally, restart your computer.

After uninstalling the program it is better, otherwise it may be too late. In some cases, it is very important to use several security utilities, since every second your computer is at risk of infection harmful viruses or software that never misses a chance to cause serious damage to your device or personal data. Thus, you need to periodically scan your system and remove the culprits of the infection. Never underestimate the power of damage they cause. Even if you have several powerful antivirus programs, don't be too cocky because new virus technologies always appear faster than antivirus technologies. Keep your security utilities updated and stay vigilant anytime, anywhere.

Video - How to remove Avast Software

Antivirus programs install without any problems, but the uninstallation process in most cases can cause a bunch of errors. To prevent this from happening, we will discuss several ways to remove the well-known Avast antivirus from your computer. Why Avast? Because, it is especially popular among PC users, since its services are provided completely free of charge. Of course, there are also paid functions, but for full-time users they are of no use. But if you still decide to delete this antivirus, then to avoid problems, use the following methods, where we will analyze the instructions step by step.

Using the standard feature to uninstall Windows programs.

Everyone's favorite operating systems from Microsoft have a huge number of hidden capabilities that ordinary users are not even aware of. One such possibility is complete removal absolutely any utility from your computer, without using other programs. The algorithm for this option is not very different from each other in old and new Windows versions. This method It is considered one of the long ones, but after the process, your computer is guaranteed to get rid of all antivirus components.

Instructions for the first method:
- First you need to go to the control panel and select Uninstall programs;
- After opening this section, a window with a list will open installed programs on your computer. Click on Avast Free Antivirus, then click the Uninstall button.

After completing all the above steps, a separate window will open with the Avast uninstallation process, where we also select the Uninstall option;
- Complete removal will take you about 2-3 minutes. During the process, a window will open in front of you, where all information about the uninstallation progress will be shown. You will also be asked several questions related to the reason for deleting the antivirus. After completing the entire procedure, you will be advised to restart your computer, which is what you should do;

After your PC has rebooted the system, go to Start-Programs-Accessories-Run, or use the simple method by holding down the WIN+R keys. These actions will launch a window with standard services, allowing you to access all sections of your computer system;

In the empty field, enter the regedit command, thanks to which you can manually change the system registry;
- This window contains all the registry information that helps various programs work with the system and with each other. Several thousand records are stored in this place and therefore, in order not to get lost in long search, you just need to use the search, which opens after the key combination CTRL + F. It is imperative to find all Avast registry keys;

Keys are deleted using the context menu, activated by right-clicking.

The next way to uninstall an antivirus is to use the built-in utility from the manufacturer Avast.
Almost all modern antiviruses contain a utility for removing their products from your computer. Avast manufacturers also did not leave their brainchild without this function.

First, go to the manufacturer’s website avast.com and select the Support section from the menu on the right;
- On the page that opens there will be a FAQ item, where in the search we type the word Delete, and then select the appropriate result;
- This location contains the download link the desired program. After downloading, open it and uninstall the antivirus. For correct operation, you should select safe mode, which ultimately will not harm your computer.

The utility will automatically find necessary files, as well as the antivirus version. Then click the Delete button and wait for the process to complete. If the utility indicated incorrect data for your antivirus, then you should do it manually in order to avoid various errors in the future;

After completing the uninstallation, you need to restart the PC to completely remove the remaining components.

Third and last method, this is the use of programs from third-party developers.

In addition to the programs listed above for uninstalling an antivirus, you can also use utilities from other manufacturers, which can be found on the Internet. Today, there are about a hundred such programs and they all work without any interruptions. They automatically remove the necessary utility, both from the computer and from the registry. One of the best is CCleaner, which provides its basic services completely free of charge. In addition, it will not only delete the necessary files, but will also clean your PC of excess garbage, which will undoubtedly affect the operation of the system.

Launch CCleaner, then select Tools-Uninstall Programs;

Next, a window opens that is quite reminiscent of a standard OS tool Windows Uninstall programs. From the list presented, select Avast Free Antivirus and click on the button on the right side Uninstall;
- After completing all the steps, the already familiar Avast uninstall window will open in front of us, where we also click on the Delete button. Then you should enter the Registry section located on the left side of the window and perform the system cleaning procedure. To do this, click on the Search for problem button, and after finding them, select Fix.

Quite recently I wrote a note about installation, but after testing I had problems with uninstallation and I decided to briefly describe how to remove Avast antivirus from a computer completely and without tails in the system.

Due to the fact that antiviruses are closely integrated into the system (and that’s normal, that’s how they work) Quite often a situation occurs when a standard uninstaller cannot cope with its task or removes anti-virus software not quite correctly or completely. Everything would be fine, but as a rule they are like this tails in the system may conflict with installed applications or does impossible to install other antivirus protection.

I can't say what this is connected with (and no one knows for sure) why can’t I remove the Avast Free Antivirus antivirus - but this situation just happened to me. When I tried to uninstall it through the control panel, the system said that Avast was in the process of installation and did not allow me to do anything... I tried to reboot the system, roll back - it was not possible to remove it, the standard uninstaller simply thought that the installation process was not yet completed.

To remove any Avast antivirus you have several correct and reliable methods:

1. Uninstallation via the standard uninstaller application via the control panel;
2. Using the proprietary Avastclear utility

If possible, use the standard install/uninstall program; if nothing works, use the utility

We remove Avast Free Antivirus using standard system tools

What is the process like to remove Avast antivirus from your computer? — Go to “Control Panel”, “Programs and Features”, find Avast Free Antivirus in the list (it could be Avast Internet Security or any other Avast antivirus defender) and click the “Delete” button.

If there are no errors in the system and the installation was carried out correctly, the Avast removal utility will start Free Antivirus... here you can reinstall the antivirus by clicking the “Restore” button, change the composition of the components (this is the window with settings before installation) and, accordingly, the desired “Delete” button - that’s what we need.

All you have to do is wait for the uninstallation to complete and restart the computer - at this stage the uninstallation procedure can be considered successful

Avast Removal Utility - Avastclear

If Avast antivirus software always uninstalled without problems, I would not have written this note. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to remove Avast antivirus with the utilities built into the system, which is why the developers have provided us with a proprietary utility, avastclear, the purpose of which is to find all files related to their software and correctly remove them.

Unlike similar solutions from the same Eset, I liked the Avast software more... everything works correctly even with Windows 10. So, let's get down to business - go to the download page and download avastclear

This note could be shortened by forcing you to first reboot into safe mode, but in Windows 10 the method of entering there is inconvenient and the developers of the utility made an original solution - they force the computer to reboot in safe mode and automatically launch the uninstall utility (with your consent of course)

We are waiting for the utility Avast Antivirus Clear will scan your computer and launch (this process can take quite a long period of time, for example, it took me about a minute to start)

After a successful start, we will be notified that it is better to run the program in safe mode - this is generally logical; in safe mode, the antivirus will not be launched and it can be correctly cleaned from your system. We agree to reboots and don’t touch anything at startup - it’s automatically in the list operating systems Avast Antivirus Clear will appear.

After starting your computer in safe mode, the Avast product removal utility will automatically launch. If you did not make any changes to Avast during installation, leave everything as default, this type settings will help in 9 cases out of 10. Click the big green “Delete” button...

...and wait until Avast antivirus is removed from your computer. After correct removal, you need to restart your computer, and yours will start up as before. copy of Windows, and the antivirus item will automatically disappear.

Afterword and alternatives to removing Avast

We have looked at how to remove Avast, and it would seem there is nothing more to add... but I still have some thoughts - after all, there are also third party programs to organize work with installed programs.

For example, there are third-party uninstallers (like Revo Uninstaller), however, I recommend using such methods only in the most extreme cases. As a rule, such utilities remove applications incorrectly and program remnants interfere with the normal operation of the system (it is quite possible that all files will be deleted, but registry entries and other information will most likely remain in the system).

It would be a good idea to delete files and folders created during the operation of the antivirus - just type Avast into the search on your PC and remove all unnecessary garbage from the system (this is for moral satisfaction - such little things do not interfere with the operation of the computer and do not take up much space)

In general, I have not yet encountered situations where the native avastclear utility could not remove tails from the system (after all, many people try to simply delete the folder with the program, but the antivirus will not allow this). There is a choice, but I hope you will successfully use Avast and you will not need to remove it...

Open the panel Windows management and select the "Uninstall Programs", "Add or Remove Programs" or "Programs and Features" menu. Find them in the list and remove them one by one.

In the window that opens, click "Delete":

After this, Avast antivirus self-defense will work, the screen will darken and the notification “An attempt to uninstall Avast has been detected” will appear. Confirm deletion:

Wait for the removal process to complete:

To complete the uninstallation of the antivirus, you will need to reboot the system. Confirm this action:

After the reboot, Avast and all its components will be completely removed from the operating system.

Uninstalling Avast antivirus using the Avast Clear utility

If you have one of Avast's antivirus programs installed on your computer and you cannot completely remove it in a standard way, through the "Control Panel" - "Uninstall programs", then for such cases the antivirus developers have released a special uninstaller utility. This utility removes all remnants of the antivirus program, including files, drivers and registry entries. The utility allows you to uninstall Avast even if it is not in the list of installed programs or an error appears during normal uninstallation.

Download the utility and run it (avastclear.exe file). It is recommended to run the utility in Windows "safe mode", since in normal mode complete removal is not always possible and leads to errors. For example, the error “The avast! self protection module is enabled. For this reason, the operation cannot be completed” may appear, which indicates that uninstalling avast antivirus is only possible in safe mode.

To boot into Safe Mode, press and hold the F8 key while your computer boots and select "Safe Mode" or " Safe Mode", and press the "Enter" key.

After launch, the utility will check in which Windows mode it is running, and if this is not “Safe Mode”, then the utility will offer to restart the computer and automatically enter “Safe Mode”. We recommend clicking "Yes" and confirming reboot Windows; or select "No" to run the utility normally.

During the reboot, a menu may appear in which you need to select the "Avast Clear Uninstall" item (this item is selected by default):

After launching the utility, it scans your system for Avast antivirus components. You can change the folder with the detected product and its edition, but if you are not sure, then do not change anything and click the "Delete" button:

If the removal was successful, you will see the information “The product was successfully removed...” and you will be prompted to restart your computer. Click "Restart your computer" and after rebooting, Avast will be completely removed from the system.