[sgd]

Hi, and thank you in advance for your help.
I run windows xp, and, well, let me describe the problem(s) from the beginning. I have several accounts and I noticed this passed week that sometimes, when I started windows, I was unable to login into my account, because the password window just wouldn't come up. I thought "oh oh, virus/malware trouble???" Until then, I was only running the free version of AVG, so I decided to get serious, and foolishly rushed ahead without further thought: I installed the pro, paying version of avast, without uninstalling avg first. Now even when I can login, well first my computer looks busy starting up, with the sand-timer thingie showing up, but it never gets to the stage where any icon shows up at the bottom right of my screen near the time (sorry for my lack of technical terms, I can't remember what that bar is called). Then whenever I try doing anything, my computer just hangs. Once I succeeded in checking what processes were running, and there didn't seem to be anything running, not even avast (ok so some small numbers would flicker on near different things every so often, too fast for me to read, and then go back to 0). And then it froze anyway (I'm using another computer right now). Since it's abundantly clear that I am clueless what I'm doing, I thought I'd better stop and ask for advice... what should I try to do? I'm thinking maybe uninstalling either AVG or Avast...??? Assuming I can get that far that is... Or would it be wiser to just seek professional help right away before I cause further harm?
Thank you so much for your help.

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Welcome to Geeks2Go!

If your problems are caused by two conflicting versions of Avast, you should be able to start Windows in "Safe Mode" then uninstall both of them for good measure.

Then you can reboot to see if Windows will start normally. If it does, re-install the Avast Pro that you've bought.

To start Windows in safe mode, keep tapping the F8 key as soon as you turn on your PC. The "Adavanced Startup Options" should appear on the screen.
use the up/down arrow keys to highlight "Safe Mode" then press <Enter>.

Edited by phillipcorcoran, 30 January 2011 - 04:56 AM.

[phillipcorcoran]

Welcome to Geeks2Go!

If your problems are caused by two conflicting versions of Avast, you should be able to start Windows in "Safe Mode" then uninstall both of them for good measure.

Then you can reboot to see if Windows will start normally. If it does, re-install the Avast Pro that you've bought.

To start Windows in safe mode, keep tapping the F8 key as soon as you turn on your PC. The "Adavanced Startup Options" should appear on the screen.
use the up/down arrow keys to highlight "Safe Mode" then press <Enter>.

Edited by phillipcorcoran, 30 January 2011 - 04:56 AM.

[sgd]

Thanks a lot for your help! The problem that I have now is that in safemode, I get a warning that uninstall cannot run at its full functionality (I actually thought it was plain impossible to uninstall in safemode? So what you suggest is great news!). So far I've been too chicken to tell it to uninstall anyway with whatever limited capacity it has to do so. But then again I bumped into this:
http://reddingitpro....dows-safe-mode/
I'm really tempted to try their first trick... what do you think?
Again, thank you so much for your feedback.

[Macboatmaster]

Your problem is, as I see it, not TWO conflicting versions of AVAST, as suvggested in post 2 - although I will stand corrected.
Your problem is two ANTI-VIRUS programs, one AVAST Pro and one AVG.

You CANNOT run two anti-virus programs, both active and both with real time protection.
AVG although long established, has in my opinion become somewhat of a resource hogger. The new AVG2011 includes an unwanted sort of tune-up which uses a registry cleaner of sorts. There have been many reported problems.

UNINSTALL AVG.
http://www.avg.com/u.../download-tools
IMPORTANT DO NOT USE THE LINK PLEASE AT THIS STAGE

I'm really tempted to try their first trick... what do you think?

NO Do not use it.
If you want help from THIS site, while you are receiving it, please do not use any other fixes YOU find.
Do you wish to continue please on HERE

Edited by Macboatmaster, 30 January 2011 - 03:26 PM.

[sgd]

That's right, I had two different anti-virus programs, the thing that should absolutely never been done, right?! It makes sense in retrospect, but I would have expected a big warning window to pop up about this before the new one allowed me to install it! Anyway I eventually succeeded in removing AVG, and things seem to be back pretty much to normal... I'm running cclean just in case though. I thank you very much for your help, and I'm really sorry about posting that link. I thought just because it wasn't to a forum it was ok, sorry.
Thanks again!

[Macboatmaster]

There is absolutely no need to apologise. It is just that when you are trying solutions other than what I suggest it is very possible that one will contradict the other.
CCleaner is a good utility but do not use the registry cleaning aspect of the program.

Anyway I eventually succeeded in removing AVG

Did you have to use the AVG removal tool on the link I sent.

Have you checked for any remaining aspects of AVG.

Edited by Macboatmaster, 31 January 2011 - 07:52 AM.

[sgd]

Actually I'm not even sure how I would check for remaining aspects of AVG... How can someone check manually that it's all gone?

I've used CCleaner a few times in the past and I was under the impression that it is meant specifically to "clean" (whatever that might mean) the registry. What's wrong with that aspect of the program? Should it never be used?

Thank you against so much for your help.

[Macboatmaster]

CCleaner is no longer recommended here, in respect of the registry cleaning aspect. If you are going to use it, avoid the Registry cleaner section.

For cleaning out temporary files, a better alternative is ATF Cleaner - simple "no frills" program.

For further details as to why you should never use an automated registry cleaner of any sort please click on the link in my signature notes.

Search on files entering AVG

As to my recommend to uninstall AVG see post 189 on this link - from the founder Geek - of THIS site.
http://www.geekstogo...yware-software/

and have a look at post 27. If that Avast Pro has its own firewall, this post may be relevant advice to you.

Edited by Macboatmaster, 31 January 2011 - 12:13 PM.

[sgd]

Ok. Thanks a lot for all your help, I really appreciate it!