While we definitely recommend staying with Avast Antivirus, some of you may want to uninstall Avast and go with another security. Or you just want to remove Avast and install it again (re-install).
Jan 17, 2011 Mac Support Specialist: Mike, Mac Medic replied 7 years ago Right the other way for future reference would be to open Activity Monitor and quit Avast from the list then trash it. Just trashing the app won’t do it.
Anyway here is a step-by-step guide how to completely remove Avast antivirus from your machine running on Windows 10, 8, 7, XP or even Mac OS X. As you can see below, it’s not that easy and it includes lot of steps – five actually.
This guide works for all Avast antivirus solutions: Free Antivirus, Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier, or Free Mac Security.
1. Locate Avast Antivirus in the Windows/Mac Programs and Features
How To Uninstall Norton On Windows 10
Then you should see a list of all programs installed on your machine, simply find Avast antivirus, left-click on it, and select ‘Uninstall‘.
Locating Avast Antivirus within the Windows/Mac Installed Programs
2. Start the Avast Uninstall Process
On the Avast Setup window click on ‘Uninstall‘ (orange button at the bottom).
Starting the Avast Antivirus Uninstallation Process
3. Confirm the Uninstall Process
When prompted confirm the uninstall process is legitimate action by clicking on ‘Yes‘.
Confirming the Avast Antivirus Uninstallation Process
4. Confirm the Uninstall Process (Again)
Now Avast offers a really last chance to keep it. If you go with the ‘Renew your Avast Free Antivirus’ option, it will register you for one year.
But you probably want to go with the uninstall, so just click on the ‘Uninstall Avast’ button.
Confirming the Avast Antivirus Uninstallation Process (Again)
5. Wait Until the Uninstallation Process Finish and Restart Your Computer
Finally the uninstall process should begin now. You can just wait now. It should take only a few minutes. After it finishes click on the orange button ‘Restart computer‘ or the link below ‘Restart later‘ if you plan to restart manually.
Avast is Now Completely Removed and Only Windows Restart is Needed
Uninstallation Using the Avast Uninstall Utility
If you are not able to remove Avast using this standard procedure, you can try to use the Avast Uninstall Utility which is fully automatic and removes all the leftover files from your system.
Additional Notes
Although we have used Avast Free Antivirus 2019 screenshots in this article, these steps are also applicable for all Avast Antivirus solutions (i.e. also for Avast Pro Antivirus, Avast Internet Security, or Avast Premier) running the latest version available.
Steps are relevant for all Windows versions – Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 (including Anniversary Update).
Uninstallation comes to every app, sooner or later. But like certain horror movie stalwarts, some software just doesn't want to say goodbye. Antivirus tools are among the most reluctant to be removed, and Avast! is no exception. While we've installed and uninstalled Avast! many times through the built-in Add/Remove Programs utility on the Control Panel with no problems, we sympathize with those who do experience issues. Avast! developer Alwil has provided a solution in the form of a free uninstaller, the Alwil Software Uninstall Utility, aka AswClear, which works in Safe Mode. Some folks will stop reading right there, but not to worry--it's not called Safe Mode for nothing. If you're not sure about Safe Mode, the Windows Help file explains it all, and Alwil's simple instructions make this tool easy enough for even novices to run without fear.
The Alwil Software Uninstall Utility is a standalone executable that runs when clicked, but only in Safe Mode. We think this is a wise precaution against accidentally uninstalling your antivirus protection. We downloaded the AswClear executable file to our desktop, per Alwil's advice; this makes it easy to click and run in Safe Mode. We shut down our PC, booted back up in Safe Mode, and clicked the AswClear executable. The only thing to note is that if you've installed Avast! in a directory other than the default location. In that case, you'll need to browse to the correct folder. Since ours was a standard installation, we simply clicked Remove and let the tool do its thing. When we rebooted, our system was free of any lingering traces of Avast! and ready for a fresh reinstallation or the installation of a totally different antivirus program.
Avast For Mac 10.7.5
We like Avast! and plan to keep using it. However, we've uninstalled and reinstalled it for various reasons, and though we've never had any problems with the process, we're sure that the Alwil Software Uninstall Utility can do the job, if and when we need it.