OMG!! Somebody help me.

I have been posting about my problems with an antivirus program. I am new, and don't know if I can say the name. Oh gosh, I have been at this for days. I uninstalled the program, tried to download an updated version, which took hours as I have a dial-up, and finally got it to download successfully from this site. The program seemed to work fine after I downloaded it, but today I got a message saying"failed to load due to a configuration error", try to reinstall, the same message I got with the other program. Sick of this, as this was the same thing I got with the other version, I tried to uninstall the program and got a message saying It may have already uninstalled, and it wouldn't let me uninstall. It is still on my computer, is on add/remove programs, and when I ran search all 67 mbs were still on my computer. So now I have this 67 mb megalith that doesn't work and won't uninstall! I went to the website, which only offers a support forum for this program, and was given a very complex set of instructions that neither I nor my more computer literate friend can understand. Is there a program that I can download that will just take this turkey off my computer. What can I do? I must go on the net, but don't dare without an antivirus. Also, I got my computer secondhand, and don't have a back up disk for xp prof, sp2, which is what I am running. Help me. I am exhausted.
Sheena

 

Yes, you can tell us the name. Without the name, offering accurate help will be difficult. It would also be helpful if you could supply a link to the "complex set of instructions" for the uninstall; maybe we can simplify them for you. In situations like this when a program won't uninstall because it 'thinks' it's already uninstalled, and won't run and tells you to re-install, a 3rd party uninstaller can be helpful. I have used the free program Revo Uninstaller to get rid of messed up installs. You can also try running the Microsoft Installer Clean-Up Utility. When you run it, it will show a list of all installed programs and will allow you to remove one (or more) from the installer in scenarios where the installer has become corrupt. This can sometimes help with removal of programs.
Good luck! Let us know how it goes, and post the name of this program and the link to the removal instructions if you need more help.

 

Another way of dealing with programs that won't uninstall is to run the installer again to reinstall the program 'over the top' of the existing installation. Then try again to uninstall.

 

DLB, Thanks. I actually solved this myself! After hours of trying everything to delete Avira, I finally bit the bullet and tried to learn stuff. I had to research and look up things. Then I went in. The scary black screen came up; I'd achieved 'safe mode', and then I had to make decisions as the instructions weren't precise. I went into windows explorer, froze, remembered that when I first got the computer I was afraid it would explode if I hit the wrong thing; said this was no different, and continued. I typed in c:\program files and tried to delete Avira from the list that came up. It wouldn't delete. The instructions had warned this might happen, and said if I renamed Avira I could then delete it after another safe mode reboot. So I renamed it "crap" (it was the only thing that came to mind) and then boldly decided to try to delete it without going thru another reboot. It worked!
The instructions had said I had to download THEIR registry cleaner to clean up after all this. I have a wonderful utility program I actually paid for 2 yrs. ago ($25 on sale), Tune-up its called, and among many things it has a registry cleaner, and I trust it. So I used that and it deleted 40 things, so I felt something had been done. Anyway, if someone else has this problem, I know how to fix it and will be happy to help between the hours of 6 and 8pm for only $50. lol
sheena