Problems Getting Avira to Install

I need some help getting Avira to install.

This weekend I have been updating the Winbook laptop from this thread: http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=201999 .

I bought 1 GB RAM, watched the online videos about installation and installed it without any problems. I had no documentation on the laptop and the online manual was generic and not helpful at all. I discovered the wireless card that was already installed actually works; googling, I found out there was a switch that has to be turned on every time to connect to the wireless network. Now able to get online, I updated everything I could think of: Spybot, SAS, MBAM, Spywareblaster, PCTools FW, Firefox, CCleaner, Adobe Reader, Adobe Flash and Java. There must have been 90 Windows and Microsoft Updates. I also set up a limited user account, password-protected it and the admin account, disabled Windows Messenger and defragged the hard drive.

Three months ago I had tried to install Avira from a CD because I could not go online with the laptop. I got as far as the registration, which required being online to continue, so I had to abort the installation then. Yesterday, I tried to install Avira and I got to the registration and filled it out and got messages that registration was successful, but the program would never go on to create the desktop or systray icons. Windows Security Center keeps sitting there red with the X and tells me it did not find any antivirus on the computer. Avira does not show in task manager processes or in Add or Remove Programs, but was detected by Belarc Advisor. I checked the PCTools FW and it shows that Avira is permitted, so apparently firewall blocking is not a problem. Sharon (previous owner) had Kaspersky Internet Security on the laptop when she had it, but it had expired, so I had removed it months ago. I wondered if something left over could be blocking Avira, so I downloaded and ran Kavremover9 and 10.zip, but neither one detected any Kaspersky stuff leftover. However, I did find a few files and folders were left, and I manually removed them. After all this, I again tried to install Avira, but it stopped after the registration again, just as before.

I then searched Google and MG about Avira’s failure to install. I found this thread http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=206786 where Kestrel had someone use Registry Search and then ComboFix to remove Avira so it could be reinstalled. I didn’t think the malware fighters would mind too much maybe if I ran Registry Search, so I ran it for Avira and then for Kaspersky. There was lots of Avira, but just a few Kaspersky entries.

Since it is brief, I’ll copy the Kaspersky here. Maybe someone can tell me if what is in it is enough to keep Avira from installing.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

; Registry Search 2.0 by Bobbi Flekman © 2005
; Version: 2.0.6.0

; Results at 1/31/2010 5:25:25 PM for strings:
; 'kaspersky'
; Strings excluded from search:
; (None)
; Search in:
; Registry Keys Registry Values Registry Data
; HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE HKEY_USERS


[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Security Center\Monitoring\KasperskyAntiVirus]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\Folders]
"C:\\Program Files\\Kaspersky Lab\\Kaspersky Internet Security 6.0\\"="1"
"C:\\Program Files\\Kaspersky Lab\\"="1"
"C:\\Documents and Settings\\All Users\\Application Data\\Kaspersky Lab\\AVP6\\Dskm\\"=""

[HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-1260137263-4158922882-2546383854-1006\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MenuOrder\Start Menu2\Programs\Kaspersky Internet Security 6.0]

; End Of The Log...

I guess I could try to figure out what to put in that quote box for ComboFix to fix, but if it didn’t go well AND THEN I asked for help, I imagine I would get yelled at for playing around with something I shouldn’t have.

So I am asking for help before I do anything else. Maybe someone knows some other tricks or some other way to get Avira to install. I have just about everything else on the How to Protect Yourself from Malware! done, and I’d sure like to get the antivirus installed. Thanks.

 

bbpathd,

You sound pretty knowledgeable and very thorough. I can't help with registry edits, haven't got into that. Some other ideas though.

Did you run the registry cleaner in cCleaner?

Uninstall Avira, reinstall free Kapersky, uninstall Kapersky completely. Use Revo uninstaller from this MG site.

Run Dialafix from MG, I've fixed a lot of little bugs with this.

Run sfc /scannow from a command prompt. Again, a lot of goofy problems solved, but you'll need an install disk or access to the I386 files.

Maybe try safe mode with networking? Not sure about this, though.

Reboot between all tries, can make a big difference.

You may well have tried all this already. If nothing else, I've kept your thread alive.

All the best.:wave

 

brandypeppy,

Thanks for the kind words and encouragement. Most of what I know to do to the computer I learned here at the MG website in the past year—the Malware and Software Forums-- and Google.

I had not tried some of your suggestions.
CCleaner registry cleaner is a good idea.
I have no way to uninstall Avira since it does not show in Add or Remove Programs.
I have come across both Revo Uninstaller and Dialafix, although I have never used either one before.
No install disk and no idea if there is a copy of i386 folder on the hard drive—something to check out. Have not been into Safe Mode on this laptop yet, but I will give that a try.
And reboot often; that is good advice too.

I’ll see what I can do with these ideas. I suppose I can ask Avira too since I can’t find anything on their website about uninstalling. Thanks for the suggestions.

 

Try to remove Kaperski remnants with this AppRemover. http://majorgeeks.com/AppRemover_d6090.html

Reboot after using the app and try to install Avira.

These are the security apps that the above free software will remove:http://www.appremover.com/supported-applications

Personally, have not tried the above Appremover yet, neither the one Kaperski Tool remover below.

If the above fails, try this link. http://www.askvg.com/ultimate-colle...al-tools-for-all-popular-anti-virus-software/

Browse to the Kaperski Tool Remover, download it and uninstall. Always reboot after using removal tools or removing any software.

Good luck!!

 

I ran CCleaner on the registry. There were some leftovers of both Norton (what the laptop originally came with, I think) and Kaspersky. But odd, not a single Avira entry among them.

I did some more searching through Avira’s support. I found this Avira RegistryCleaner: registrycleaner.zip. I followed the instructions for it, and it found 467 entries! Much more than I had found on the Registry Search report. But then, on Registry Search, I looked only for “Avira” while the RegistryCleaner uses Antivir and a couple of other terms in addition to Avira. On looking through the list, I see panda and macafee in a few entries, looks like it is also picking up antivirus when it wants antivir, so I did not delete anything just yet. I’d hate to delete way too much.

So I then tried Appremover that Oma recommended, doing the scan for failed uninstalls. It detected only four good programs: Spywareblaster, MBAM, Spybot and SAS, recognizing that there was nothing wrong with any of them. So no luck there, but at least it did not flag any leftovers of either Norton or Kaspersky, so maybe they are gone.

Oma, your second tool is the Kavremover9.zip which I have already tried. Wish it had been another different one that might have worked.

Anyone have any other things I might try?

 

Just be aware that one can have only one antivirus software program.

Remnants of other incomplete deleted antivirus software often corrupts a new installation of another antivirus. Therefore, insure that no other remnants are left prior to installing Avira (antivirus).

If I understand you correctly, you deleted Avira registry items? If that's the case, please uninstall Avira with its uninstall tool (see below), reboot, run CCleaner registry, search if any Avira folders left and delete these.

Only then install Avira anew.

Avira's removal tool: http://www.avira.com/en/support/support_downloads.html click on "download here"

 

Yes, Oma, I agree with you on both points.

No, I was not comfortable deleting anything just yet. Just looked for the registry items. I ran the Avira RegistryCleaner in safe mode according to the directions, but I hesitate to delete all 467 items it found. I am not positive that all of those entries are related to Avira only. I tend to be cautious when I don’t fully understand what the consequences of my actions might be.

I think I first will run CCleaner on registry again and see if any Avira entries pop up now that Norton and Kaspersky appear to be gone. Then I will try the uninstall tool you have found. It is the weirdest thing, but I have looked high and low through my folders and there are no Avira folders that I can find anywhere. So where those Avira files I downloaded are is a great mystery to me.:confused

I'll let you know what happens.

 

I ran just the regular CCleaner first. A lot of the Avira files showed up in Temporary Internet Files as C:\Documents and Settings\Lee\Local settings\Temp\RarSFX0\basic\ and I let CCleaner delete them. I then ran CCleaner on registry, but not a single Avira-related item appeared.

The Avira removal tool you found does not appear to remove Avira; it removes malware. “For all those experiencing the damaging effects of a virus infection, Avira’s researchers have prepared a removal tool, which can be used to eliminate major distinct threats.”

 

Sorry about giving the wrong Avira removal tool.

Look in this link: http://www.askvg.com/ultimate-colle...al-tools-for-all-popular-anti-virus-software/

Scroll down to Avira Removal Tool, download and run the tool. Reboot.

Then run CCleaner and reinstall Avira.

Hope the above will fix the problem with Avira. Good luck!!

 

Well, it was billed as an uninstaller for Avira, but unfortunately it was another malware removal scanner. I ran it anyway and nothing was found. I’d already run SAS, MBAM and Spybot earlier and they were all negative too.

Thanks for trying.

 

That's not so good eh to imply that the tool will remove Avira software program?

Here's a link from Avira that may help you. http://www.avira.com/en/support/kbdetails.php?id=135

Let's hope that the above will fix the problem.

 

Yes, I have been to that page already. That is where I found Avira RegistryCleaner, which I ran in Safe Mode per the directions and found 467 entries! I do not have any Avira folders in C:\Program Files\ or in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\, so I had nothing to delete there. This is the point where I hesitate to delete all 467 entries in one fell swoop at risk of deleting something that should not be deleted. Guess I could be obsessive compulsive and go through item by item deleting manually (using the items that showed up on the Registry Search report) or see if I can figure out how to limit the report to just “AVIRA” so I get fewer items to delete.

I’d even thought about using Tools in CCleaner, but Avira does not show up there, so that won’t work.

I'm going to think about the options for awhile. Maybe even just retry installing Avira without touching the registry.

 

Yes, my Windows Security Center was still listing a Red X for no AV on my PC.

I believe I had run the Norton Removal Tool during the time of the original post in the Malware Forum, but I knew it would not hurt to run it again. I ran the Norton Removal Tool, rebooted, ran it a second time, and rebooted again. Then I ran the CCleaner Cleaner and Registry and rebooted. No Avira items, and no Norton or Kaspersky either.

I set a System Restore Point. Still somewhat leery of running the Avira registry cleaner that found 467 items, I did some more searching in MG website and came up with a German version of Avira registry cleaner at http://www.pchell.com/virus/uninstallantivir.shtml from thread http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=198930. I followed the directions for it, first in normal mode because it did not specify using safe mode. Just three entries came up:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\software\avira
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\software\classes\mccisys.mccisyssecuritycenterantivirus
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\software\classes\mccisys.mccisyssecuritycenterantivirus.1

I then went into safe mode and ran German version again and nothing more was found!

Back in normal mode I followed the steps for WMI service and the repository folder and they went just as you said.

I rebooted the computer and tried installing Avira again. This time after the registration Setup continued and everything installed without a hitch. Icon appeared in systray, program updated and did its initial scan. The Red X disappeared.

Re the mcci entries, I think they are related to AT&T, so there may have been a security suite (Norton?) provided by AT&T at one time? I had been getting occasional alerts from PC Tools FW such as:
Mcci+McciBrowser is attempting to control another network-enabled application Windows Explorer using Windows Automation (OLE). Only allow this if you know the application is safe.
and
Mcci+McciBrowser is attempting to monitor and/or intercept SQL Server Windows NT events. This hook monitors mouse messages. The hook procedure is associated with all existing threads running in the same desktop as the calling thread. Only allow this if you know the application is safe.

I kept blocking because I was using Firefox (or occasionally IE) and I saw no reason why the AT&T browser should be doing anything. After several blocks I would get an AT&T alert that Updates are available to the AT&T Self Support Tool. Click Download Now below to begin the update process. I chose Ignore instead and noticed no problems.

I’ll see if these alerts all disappear now that Avira is installed.

Looks like I’m good to go! Thanks so much for your help.