avast! 5 wont start

Save avast! 5 download to desktop.

Run avast! 5 uninstall tool in safe mode, reboot twice.

Boot into safe mode with networking & install avast! 5, reboot.

Worked for me & others.

I'm very happy to be back with avast! 5 Free on XP sp3, 32bit.

I never had a problem with avast! 5 free on 7 64bit.

 

Yeah, the safe mode w/ networking install worked on every box that refused to work w/ Avast so far... Mentioned it a couple of times on their forums; the mods seem to dislike the trick, someone even claimed that install doesn't work in safe mode, go figure. Shrug. Anyway, enjoy.

 

Well, install doesn't fully work in safe mode... because of Microsoft
An important part of avast! installation is the VC redistributable package. This package, being a MSI, doesn't install in safe mode because it needs the Windows Installer service running - which it's not.

If you already have the corresponding redistributables installed on your system... then it might work I guess.

 

Well, the VC redistributable stuff has been long installed on my box in various versions. (Reminds me I should clean up in that department as well )