Uninstall Avast completely? (virus ware?)

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Today suddenly an app called 'Avast' turned itself on. I did not voluntarily install it - it appears to have made its way onto my system somehow mysteriously last month, from the date I could see of when it was created on my system.

It had an uninstall function but that asked me for my password, and since I do not trust it and it abused me by installing itself without my knowledge, I did not want to give it my password. I also read on the net that the install function on it may not uninstall it completely - someone else apparently had a similar issue. Perhaps it is some illegal malware?

So I used the app 'AppCleaner' to try to uninstall it. However, after doing that, I could still see that it was running things, by using Activity Monitor. This made more distrust it even more. There were various processes running under the name 'Avast'.

So I tried using EasyFind to delete all files with Avast in the name. But, that did not let me! 'Move to trash' does nothing, and even 'Destroy' does nothing! So, since Finder cannot find any files named 'avast', I located them using EasyFind, and made it show one file in Finder - 'Avast', in Library/StagedExtensions/Applications. Then, I dragged that onto AppCleaner, to try to delete it like that. But AppCleaner said shows it with a padlock symbol, and doesn't let me delete it!

Here's a pic of the results from EasyFind, searching 'avant':
Screenshot 2020-01-05 at 00.42.10 copy.jpg

This makes me think someone put a lot of effort into forcing this onto me. Very abusive!

Googling 'how to delete avast mac' returns this as the top hit:
How to uninstall Avast for good?

This is an advert! Which tries to convince you to download CleanMyMac. Is that another malicious app? It seems to me likely that the whole purpose of this Avant app, aside from whatever malicious thing it may be doing to my system, is also aimed at forcing this other app upon us. I am disgusted.

Can someone advise me how to completely remove this app?

Thank you!
 

chscag

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Boot to safe mode (hold down shift key as soon as you hear the chime, keep holding the shift key until you see the Apple appear) and try again. If that doesn't work, come back and we can try something else.

Do not download CleanMyMac!
 
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Boot to safe mode (hold down shift key as soon as you hear the chime, keep holding the shift key until you see the Apple appear) and try again. If that doesn't work, come back and we can try something else.

Do not download CleanMyMac!


Thanks! So I just need to boot in safe mode and then it will give me a desktop and I will be able to use EasyFind and then delete them with no problems? Or if it more complicated than that?
 
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Thanks! So I just need to boot in safe mode and then it will give me a desktop and I will be able to use EasyFind and then delete them with no problems? Or if it more complicated than that?

I'll vouch for chscag's suggestion. Yes, that should do the trick just fine for you. If not, there are other things to try but this should do it.
 
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ferrarr, thanks for sharing.

- - - Updated - - -

It remembers me a situation like I've had an issue with A.akamaihd.net popup virus. Couldn't resolve it for few days.
 
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Boot to safe mode (hold down shift key as soon as you hear the chime, keep holding the shift key until you see the Apple appear) and try again. ...


Depending on which version of the Mac OS the original poster is using, that still may not work.

Very recent versions of the Mac OS will have to have SIP (System Integrity Protection) disabled to delete anything that is deeply embedded in the system.

You do this by entering this in the Terminal and hitting Return:

csrutil disable

"How to turn off System Integrity Protection on your Mac"
How to turn off System Integrity Protection on your Mac | iMore

If the files can't be deleted from within EasyFind, you can manually delete them by dropping them on:

Trash-it! (free)
Download NoName Scriptware's Trash It | NNSW

If you drop either a folder or file(s) onto Trash-It's program icon, it will delete what you dropped on it, no matter where those files or
folders reside. (They don't have to be in the Trash can.) BUT....even still! won't work if you are running a recent version of the Mac OS and you haven't disabled SIP first.
 
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Randy B. Singer , you're right on that one. But there are a lot of popup viruses which you should destroy as quickly as possible without any restarts. When I've got popup virus called akamaihd, there were only few articles on the web where users were giving useful information about the heal process. This one ( https://mаcsecurity.net/view/51-rvzr-aakamaihdnet-popup-virus-removal-for-mac ) was the only one which recommended everything with images and detailed explanation of every step.
 

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