avast! 8.x: Uninstallation methods

There are two basic ways to uninstall avast! 8.x, but in both cases, the procedure is quite simple:

• Uninstallation from Control Panel
   
• Uninstallation using the avast! Uninstall Utility
   

Note:
In some circumstances uninstalling avast! 8.x and then reinstalling it can help to resolve problems created by a faulty initial installation.
 

Regular uninstallation from the Control Panel is the simplest method:
 

1. The first step differs slightly according to which operating system you are using:
   
   Windows 8 | Windows 7 | Windows Vista | Windows XP
   
   
   Windows 8
   1. On Windows 8 Start Screen or Desktop press simultaneously "Win" + "X" keys on your keyboard and select 'Program and Features' from the menu displayed in the bottom left corner.
      
      
      Figure I. A
   2. Depending on the installed avast! product version, select 'avast! Premier', 'avast! Internet Security', 'avast! Pro Antivirus' or 'avast! Free Antivirus', then click on the 'Uninstall/Change' button in the bar above the listed programs,
      
      Figure II. A
      
      ...and then continue to the next step (2).
       
   
   Windows 7
   
   
   1. From the Start menu select 'Control Panel'.
      
      Figure III. A
   2. Under 'Programs', click 'Uninstall a program' if you're using the default Category view,
      
      Figure IV. A
      
      ...or click 'Programs and Features' if the Control Panel is switched into the Large/Small icons view.
      
      
      Figure V. A
   3. Depending on the installed avast! product version, select 'avast! Premier', 'avast! Internet Security', 'avast! Pro Antivirus' or 'avast! Free Antivirus', then click on the 'Uninstall/Change' button in the bar above the listed programs,
      
      Figure VI. A
      
      ...and then continue to the next step (2).
       
   
   Windows Vista
   
   
   1. From the Start menu select 'Control Panel',
      
      Figure VII. A
      
      ...or select 'Settings' and then click 'Control Panel' if you're using the Classic Start Menu.
      
      
      Figure VIII. A
   2. Under 'Programs', click 'Uninstall a program' if you're using the default Control Panel Home view,
      
      Figure IX. A
      
      ...or double-click 'Programs and Features' if the Control Panel is switched into the Classic view.
      
      
      Figure X. A
   3. Depending on the installed avast! product version, select 'avast! Premier', 'avast! Internet Security', 'avast! Pro Antivirus' or 'avast! Free Antivirus', and then click on the 'Uninstall/Change' button in the bar above the listed programs.
      
      Figure XI. A
      
      ...and then continue to the next step (2).
       
   
   Windows XP
   
   
   1. From the Start menu select 'Control Panel',
      
      Figure XII. A
      
      ...or select 'Settings' and then click 'Control Panel' if you're using the Classic Start Menu.
      
      
      Figure XIII. A
   2. Click 'Add or Remove Programs' if you're using the default Category view,
      
      Figure XIV. A
      
      ...or double-click 'Add or Remove Programs' if the Control Panel is switched into the Classic view.
      
      
      Figure XV. A
   3. Depending on the installed avast! product version, select 'avast! Premier', 'avast! Internet Security', 'avast! Pro Antivirus' or 'avast! Free Antivirus', and then click on the 'Change/Remove' button which appears in the bottom-right corner of the highlighted selection.
      
      Figure XVI. A
2. When the avast! Setup Wizard appears, select the option 'Uninstall' from the left pane,
   
   Figure XVII. A
   
   ...and then click 'Next'.
   
   
   Figure XVIII. A
3. Click 'Yes', when asked if you really want to uninstall avast! 8.x.
   
   Figure XIX. A
4. After the uninstallation is successfully completed, you will be asked whether your computer should be restarted. Select 'Restart' to reboot your computer immediately, or select 'Restart later' if you wish to restart the computer later manually. Then click 'Finish',
   
   Figure XX. A

Once the computer is restarted, avast! 8.x should be correctly uninstalled. But please keep in mind that your computer is now without protection against malware and/or other kinds of malicious threats.
 

If you are experiencing any problems with your computer, for example if your operating system has been corrupted by some other 3rd party software, which prevents avast! 8.x from being correctly uninstalled via Control panel, you can uninstall it using the avast! Uninstall Utility while running Windows in Safe Mode:

1. Firstly download the avast! Uninstall Utility from the avast! website:
   
   http://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility
   
   ...and save it to your computer, in a location where you will easily be able to locate it. For example save the downloaded file aswclear.exe on your Windows Desktop if you're logged in as Administrator.
    
2. Reboot your computer and start Windows in Safe Mode according to the instructions on the Microsoft website:
   
   Windows 8 | Windows 7 | Windows Vista | Windows XP
   
   
   
   Figure I. B
3. With Windows running in Safe Mode browse your computer to locate the downloaded file aswclear.exe (depending on your system preferences, the file extension may be hidden). Once you have located it, on your Windows Desktop for example, double-click on it to execute the avast! Uninstall Utility.
   
   Figure II. B
4. On the avast! Uninstall Utility screen select 'avast! 8 Free/Pro/Internet Security' from the drop-down menu as the product to uninstall, if it wasn't already selected automatically.
   
   Figure III. B
5. Then enter the path to the folder where avast! 8.x is installed, if it wasn't detected automatically, or you can click on the button marked '...' on the right,
   
   Figure IV. B
   
   ...and locate the installation folder by browsing via the navigation dialog.
   
   Figure V. B
6. Then click on 'Uninstall' to proceed with the uninstallation of avast! 8.x.
   
   Figure VI. B
7. You will be asked to confirm that you want to delete all files in the folder where avast! 8.x is installed. Make sure that entered path is correct and click 'Yes'.
   
   Figure VII. B
8. When the uninstallation is complete you will see the message 'Program was successfully removed' in the Uninstall progress status log.
   
   Figure VIII. B
9. Then you will be asked whether your computer should be restarted. Click to 'Yes' to reboot your computer immediately, or click 'No' if you wish to restart the computer later manually.
   
   Figure IX. B

Once the computer is restarted, avast! 8.x will be completely removed. But please keep in mind, that your computer is now without protection against malware and/or other kinds of malicious threats.
 

avast! Premier 8.x
avast! Internet Security 8.x
avast! Pro Antivirus 8.x
avast! Free Antivirus 8.x

Operating systems:

Microsoft Windows 8 / Pro / Enterprise
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Basic / Home Premium / Professional / Enterprise / Ultimate
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic / Home Premium / Business / Enterprise / Ultimate
Microsoft Windows XP Home / Professional / Media Center Edition