Fix: Keep Getting Avast Setup is Already Running Error

If you are going to uninstall or reinstall Avast on your Windows 10 PC, you may encounter “Avast Setup is already running. Please try to start the setup later”. This error message will also offer you a “view log” button but honestly, it’s not going to help you in any way.

So if you want to get rid of the “Setup is already running” error in 2021 because you are going to uninstall Avast or need to install an additional antivirus tool on your PC. Then you came to the right place.

In this article, we are focused on solving the “cannot uninstall Avast setup is already running problem”. We have provided the best solution to fix this issue.

What causes this error to appear?

The most common reason is “instup.exe”. It’s an Avast antivirus installer process that you can easily see running in your Windows 10 task manager.

It’s a very important Avast process that constantly updates virus definitions in the background and downloads them to secure your PC from new malware threats.

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This Avast process (insetup.exe) runs from the location C:\Program Files\AVAST Software\Avast\Setup. It’s normal for this process to run and consumes considerably more band with.

But if you try to kill this process you will get a “The Operation could not be completed. Access is denied” message. At the same time without closing this process you can’t uninstall Avast from your PC. Else you will get avast setup is already running error.

How to Solve “Avast Setup Is Already Running” Error

While uninstalling Avast from Windows 10 if the setup is already running error message appears. Then try the following methods that will work 100%.

Methods 1 – Turn off Avast Self Defense module

Disabling this module may help you solve the problem. Here is the guide:

1. Open Avast antivirus user interface.
2. Click on the “Menu” and then “Settings“.
3. Click on the “Troubleshooting” button and remove the tick mark for “Enable Avast Self Defence Module”.
4. Now click on the “OK” button.
5. Now open the Task Manager, and kill the “instup.exe process” if running, if it’s not running, go to step 7.
6. If the process is running then immediately you disable this process a pop-up will appear informing you to update virus definitions as the last attempt was unsuccessful, ignore it
7. Lastly, uninstall Avast, you won’t see this error again.
8. To make sure you should also restart your PC

Method 2 – Download Avast Uninstall Utility

You can quickly uninstall Avast or any software using the Avast uninstall utility. Follow these steps;

• Open your browser and go to this website:
• Find the “avastclear.exe” file and download it on your Windows 10 PC.
• Open the setup file and click on the “Avastclear“
• Click on the “Yes” button and then the system will restart and go into “Safe Mode“.
• Choose the suitable version of the antivirus and then choose the Uninstall
• Now “Restart” your PC.

By this time you should have uninstalled the Avast antivirus program from your computer.

You may find some additional methods to fix this problem like you should run the CHKDSK command or uninstall using the control panel. But believe us non of them worked for us.

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