Avast Home Advert

[TerryWood]

On boot up of my PC I have staretd to get a pop up advert asking me if I wish to upgrade/buy Avast. It appears to be an official Avast advert which leads to the Avast web site.

Is this a new policy for Avast, are we going to have to endure this every time we log on even if we choose to stay with the free version?

Grateful for any helpful commentary, even how to stop this pop up

Thank you


Terry

[igor]

How did the "pop up"  look like? Can you post a screenshot?

[TerryWood]

My that was quick thank you.

There is however a bit more to this problem I have just discovered. After I wrote the thread to which you replied I discovered that the Avast rotating ball was not showing in the system tray. No signs of life in Windows task manager. Went hunting in program files inadvertently clicked on AshSimple.exe and up pops a box saying wrong or incorrect license key.

This is strange because I renewed it earlier this week.

I should add that I have just installed ShadowUser 2.5 as a trial (Its a virtualisation type product). I came out of protected mode (ShadowMode) which involves a reboot, and low and behold my rotating Avast ball is their in all its glory. It appears (The resident protection) to be working OK. The advert did not reappear on this reboot.

I am puzzled by what happened. I cannot say that the problem has gone away yet because I have had only one reboot.

Any comments appreciated. In any event I will keep you posted

ps I cannot send a snapshot until or unless it reappears

Thanks

Terry

[Lisandro]

Is this a new policy for Avast, are we going to have to endure this every time we log on even if we choose to stay with the free version?

Haven't no changes on avast policy...
Which is your avast version? 4.7.942?

I discovered that the Avast rotating ball was not showing in the system tray.

If you start ashdisp.exe from avast folder, will the ball reappear?

[TerryWood]

Yes it is v 4.7.942.

cannot say yet if AshDisp will start the ball rolling again. Reason is that since I last filed a response I have had the same problem again. What I then did was to put the serial number in Avast in ShadowMode (Remember I am using ShadowUser and Shadow mode is the protected virtualised mode) Avast appears to work OK without ShadowMode being enabled, it is when ShadowMode  is enabled that this problem arises. At this stage I do not know if it related to Avast or ShadowUser.

Since I put the serial number in Avast in ShadowMode I have had one successfull reboot in which Avast shows up correctly in the System Tray and is fully operational (in shadowmode)

I cannot believe the solution is that simple! We will see I will report back also on ASHDISP

Thanks for you help

Terry

 

[Lisandro]

TerryWood, what is ShadowMode?
If Shadow mode is a virtualised mode, well, where are you adding the avast registry key? In normal Windows 98 or in a virtual environment?

[TerryWood]

To Tech

ShadowMode is protected mode its a bit like running in a sandbox (I think)

Where am I adding a registry key. I am not adding one anywhere. I just installed ShadowUser which operates ShadowMode. Avast initial shows up in ShadowMode but then disappears the license key is said to be incorrect. When I put the license key in (In shadowmode) it appears to work OK. Then I start getting BSODs (Blue Screen with Stop messages) telling me to disable recently installed software or hardware. Shadowuser is the only software I have installed recently so I conclude that this and Avast are not working together.

There are a number of similar products to Shadow User, Deep Freeze to name one

So I cannot see why there should be a problem. In any event I have contacted ShadowUser to see if they have any info.

Thanks

Terry

[DavidR]

If shadowMode is anything like SandBoxie then you aren't working with the real registry or system so when you exit shadowmode everything reverts to its previous state, so that may be the problem.

I suggest not starting shadowmode and enter the avast key outside this environment, reboot and check that it has taken and if so use shadowmode.

[Lisandro]

Where am I adding a registry key.

Sorry. I've wrote wrongly: I want to say license and not registry key.

Shadowuser is the only software I have installed recently so I conclude that this and Avast are not working together.

I'll try to find more info about this piece of software...

[Lisandro]

Ok, I've being learning about ShadowMode and I'll suggest you that you uninstall it temporarily, install and register avast use.
Then install ShadowMode (although I'm not sure this piece of software will work good in Windows 98). It seems more suitable for Windows XP.

[TerryWood]

When You say uninstall ShadowUser and then install & REGISTER Avast. Do you mean uninstall Avast AFTER uninstalling ShadowUser?

 I ask this because Avast is currently installed. It works fine and in harmony with ShadowUser for some time, then I get this advert inviting me to buy Avast and a note telling me my license has expired (Which it has not)

If I then put in the license details in Shadowmode it works OK. (until the next time)

If I do not do the latter step, but instead, come out of ShadowMode (Back to normal WinXP operation) Avast home is working properly licence key is installed etc. no problem

In a sense the problem is intermittent. Is your advice still the same?

Thank you to forum members for their help

Terry

[Lisandro]

When You say uninstall ShadowUser and then install & REGISTER Avast. Do you mean uninstall Avast AFTER uninstalling ShadowUser?

You can uninstall both, in any order.
Then install avast first, register, then install ShadowUser. I'm just guessing that something is blocking avast from save the info to windows registry and it could be ShadowUser.

I ask this because Avast is currently installed. It works fine and in harmony with ShadowUser for some time, then I get this advert inviting me to buy Avast and a note telling me my license has expired (Which it has not)
If I then put in the license details in Shadowmode it works OK. (until the next time)

That's the point... avast license should be added 'outside' of Shadowmode... maybe...

If I do not do the latter step, but instead, come out of ShadowMode (Back to normal WinXP operation) Avast home is working properly licence key is installed etc. no problem

If so, the problem only occurs 'into' ShadowUser... The support of the application should address a way to solve this... avast 'registry modification' should be save or you'll have to add the key each time...