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Troubleshooting when AVG AntiVirus components no longer work properly

Follow the instructions in this article if one or more components in AVG Internet Security or AVG AntiVirus FREE display the stopped status and cannot be started manually via the user interface.

This problem is usually caused by limited or inconsistent permissions to write to disk, system folders, or Windows registry, which prevents AVG Setup from installing, updating, deleting, or overwriting some of its application files and/or registry entries. If any of these files/entries are corrupted or missing, it may result in some of your AVG components malfunctioning.

Although some steps in this article require advanced technical knowledge, they are necessary to fully resolve problems with AVG components and prevent similar issues in the future.

Instructions

Before following the troubleshooting steps below, ensure you are logged in to Windows as a user with administrator permissions and that all other applications in Windows are closed.
  1. Uninstall AVG Internet Security or AVG AntiVirus FREE by following the instructions in the following article:
  2. Manually delete any remaining AVG folders in the following default locations:
    • 64 bit type/version:
      • C:\Program Files (x86)\AVG Software
      • C:\ProgramData\AVG Software
    • 32 bit type/version:
      • C:\Program Files\AVG Software
      • C:\ProgramData\AVG Software

    NOTE: Depending on your system preferences, the folders referenced above could be hidden. To display hidden files and folders in Windows 10, follow the instructions below from the Microsoft website:
  3. Manually uninstall AVG Firewall Driver (or AVG Firewall NDIS Filter Driver) if it exists in the Properties of your Network connections by following the steps below:
    1. In File Explorer, right-click Network in the left panel, then select Properties from the context menu to open Network and Sharing Center.
    2. Click Change adapter settings in the left panel to open Network connections.
    3. Right-click one of your connection icons (for example, Local Area Connection) and select Properties from the context menu.
    4. Select AVG Firewall Driver (or AVG Firewall NDIS Filter Driver) if it exists and click Uninstall.
    5. Repeat these steps for each of your Network connections.
  4. Reboot your computer and start Windows in Safe Mode by following the instructions in the following article:
  5. In Windows Safe Mode, open C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore. Delete any files starting with aswNdis*.* in this folder or its subfolders.
  6. If Windows (started in Safe Mode) refuses to delete any of these files, take ownership of the files by following the steps below:
    1. In File Explorer, right-click the file that you want to take ownership of, then select Properties from the context menu.
    2. Click the Security tab, then click Advanced.
    3. Next to Owner at the top, click Change (if prompted by the User Account Control dialog for permission, click Yes).
    4. Type Administrator or Administrators into the field entitled Enter the object name to select, click Check Names to verify, then click OK repeatedly until all opened dialogs are closed.
  7. Clear all offline content and cookies from your web browser by following the instructions available on your web browser's website:
  8. Temporarily turn off any firewall software. If you are using Windows Firewall, refer to the following instructions from the Microsoft website:
  9. Download and install the latest version of AVG Internet Security or AVG AntiVirus FREE. For detailed installation instructions, refer to the relevant article below:
  10. If you use AVG Internet Security, activate your subscription. For detailed activation instructions, refer to the following article:
  11. If you don't use AVG Internet Security, which includes a built-in firewall, turn on your firewall software. For detailed instructions, refer to the relevant vendor documentation. If you are using Windows Firewall, follow the instructions below from the Microsoft website:
  1. Uninstall AVG Internet Security or AVG AntiVirus FREE by following instructions in the following article:
  2. Manually delete any remaining AVG folders in the following default locations:
    • 64 bit type/version:
      • C:\Program Files (x86)\AVG Software
      • C:\ProgramData\AVG Software
    • 32 bit type/version:
      • C:\Program Files\AVG Software
      • C:\ProgramData\AVG Software

    NOTE: Depending on your system preferences, the folders referenced above could be hidden. To display hidden files and folders in Windows 10, follow the instructions below from the Microsoft website:
  3. Manually uninstall AVG Firewall Driver (or AVG Firewall NDIS Filter Driver) if it exists in the Properties of your Network connections by following the steps below:
    1. In File Explorer, right-click Network in the left panel, then select Properties from the context menu to open Network and Sharing Center.
    2. Click Change adapter settings in the left panel to open Network connections.
    3. Right-click one of your connection icons (for example, Local Area Connection) and select Properties from the context menu.
    4. Select AVG Firewall Driver (or AVG Firewall NDIS Filter Driver) if it exists and click Uninstall.
  4. Reboot your computer and start Windows in Safe Mode by following instructions in the following article:
  5. In Windows Safe Mode, open C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore. Delete any files starting with aswNdis*.* in this folder or its subfolders.
  6. If Windows (started in Safe Mode) refuses to delete any of these files, take ownership of the files by following the steps below:
    1. In File Explorer, right-click the file that you want to take ownership of, then select Properties from the context menu.
    2. Click the Security tab, then click Advanced.
    3. Next to Owner at the top, click Change (if prompted by the User Account Control dialog for permission, click Yes).
    4. Type Administrator or Administrators into the field entitled Enter the object name to select, click Check Names to verify, then click OK repeatedly until all opened dialogs are closed.
  7. Clear all offline content and cookies from your web browser by following the instructions available on your web browser's website:
  8. Temporarily turn off any firewall software. If you are using Windows Firewall, refer to the following instructions from the Microsoft website:
  9. Download and install the latest version of AVG Internet Security or AVG AntiVirus FREE. For detailed installation instructions, refer to the relevant article below:
  10. If you use AVG Internet Security, activate your subscription. For detailed activation instructions, refer to the following article:
  11. If you don't have AVG Internet Security, which includes a built-in firewall, turn on your firewall software. For detailed instructions, refer to the relevant vendor documentation. If you are using Windows Firewall, follow the instructions below from the Microsoft website:
  1. Uninstall AVG Internet Security or AVG AntiVirus FREE by following instructions in the following article:
  2. Manually delete any remaining AVG folders in the following default locations:
    • 64 bit type/version:
      • C:\Program Files (x86)\AVG Software
      • C:\ProgramData\AVG Software
    • 32 bit type/version:
      • C:\Program Files\AVG Software
      • C:\ProgramData\AVG Software

    NOTE: Depending on your system preferences, the folders referenced above could be hidden. To display hidden files and folders in Windows 10, refer to the following instructions from the Microsoft website:
  3. Manually uninstall AVG Firewall Driver (or AVG Firewall NDIS Filter Driver) if it exists in the Properties of your Network connections by following the steps below:
    1. In File Explorer, right-click Network in the left panel, then select Properties from the context menu to open Network and Sharing Center.
    2. Click Change adapter settings in the left panel to open Network connections.
    3. Right-click one of your connection icons (for example, Local Area Connection) and select Properties from the context menu.
    4. Select AVG Firewall Driver (or AVG Firewall NDIS Filter Driver) if it exists and click Uninstall.
  4. Reboot your computer and start Windows in Safe Mode by following the instructions in the following article:
  5. In Windows Safe Mode, open C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore. Delete any files starting with aswNdis*.* in this folder or its subfolders and rename the file INFCACHE.1 to INFCACHE.1.BAK if it exists in the following default folders:
    • C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore
    • C:\Windows\Inf
  6. If Windows (started in Safe Mode) refuses to delete any of these files, take ownership of the files by following the steps below:
    1. In File Explorer, right-click the file that you want to take ownership of, then select Properties from the context menu.
    2. Click the Security tab, then click Advanced.
    3. Next to Owner at the top, click Change (if prompted by the User Account Control dialog for permission, click Yes).
    4. Type Administrator or Administrators into the field entitled Enter the object name to select, click Check Names to verify, then click OK repeatedly until all opened dialogs are closed.
  7. Clear all offline content and cookies from your web browser by following the instructions available on your web browser's website:
  8. Temporarily turn off any firewall software. If you are using Windows Firewall, refer to the following instructions from the Microsoft website:
  9. Download and install the latest version of AVG Internet Security or AVG AntiVirus FREE. For detailed installation instructions, refer to the relevant article below:
  10. If you use AVG Internet Security, activate your subscription. For detailed activation instructions, refer to the article below:
  11. If you don't have AVG Internet Security, which includes a built-in firewall, turn on your firewall software. For detailed instructions, refer to the relevant vendor documentation. If you are using Windows Firewall, follow the instructions below from the Microsoft website:
  • AVG Internet Security 22.x
  • AVG AntiVirus FREE 22.x
  • Microsoft Windows 11 Home / Pro / Enterprise / Education
  • Microsoft Windows 10 Home / Pro / Enterprise / Education - 32 / 64-bit
  • Microsoft Windows 8.1 / Pro / Enterprise - 32 / 64-bit
  • Microsoft Windows 8 / Pro / Enterprise - 32 / 64-bit
  • Microsoft Windows 7 Home Basic / Home Premium / Professional / Enterprise / Ultimate - Service Pack 1 with Convenient Rollup Update, 32 / 64-bit
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