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Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: User98 on November 27, 2010, 01:19:00 PM

Title: very annoying : Avast 4 wants to upgrade, but fails (Win 98 SE). Advice wanted !
Post by: User98 on November 27, 2010, 01:19:00 PM
 :( I'm very annoyed, can someone please help here ?

I'm a user of Avast (free) for Windows 98 SE. Now Avast started bugging me that it is going to expire and I must download the new version. However I downloaded it thrice (!!!) and every time it failed!

OTOH I just checked and on the site it does not mention Windows 98 SE as being supported, this can't be right can it ? If it were unsupported (God forbid) why does it still bugs me to download and install the new version then ? How unprofessional. If, unfortunately, Avast 5 were incompatible to my system, wil Avast 4 continue to work ? Will it get virus definition updates ? Will it go on bugging me into upgrading to Avast 5, which apparently fails every time ? Please help ASAP, this is very annoying. Despite the program is free, these things should not be allowed to happen. Is my only way out to uninstall the AV ?

Thaks
Title: Re: very annoying : Avast 4 wants to upgrade, but fails (Win 98 SE). Advice wanted !
Post by: YoKenny on November 27, 2010, 01:56:35 PM
Sorry but Windows 98 SE is a very old operating system and there are very few anti virus applications that support it now.

I have read that ClamWin still supports it though:  
http://www.clamwin.com  
Title: Re: very annoying : Avast 4 wants to upgrade, but fails (Win 98 SE). Advice wanted !
Post by: CraigB on November 27, 2010, 01:58:19 PM
Support for the 4.8 version will finish sometime soon in the new year as it is expensive for avast to keep supporting these old versions of the software and outdated operating systems and it is holding back development of the future avast 5/6 development.
Avast will still work on your system but you wont get any update's.
I dont know of hand what other av's support 98se.
Title: Re: very annoying : Avast 4 wants to upgrade, but fails (Win 98 SE). Advice wanted !
Post by: Lisandro on November 27, 2010, 02:16:37 PM
avast 5 does not support Windows 98.
Unfortunately, version 4 will be supported only some more months and it's about to be dropped.
Title: Re: very annoying : Avast 4 wants to upgrade, but fails (Win 98 SE). Advice want
Post by: User98 on November 27, 2010, 04:35:00 PM
First thing, thanks to all responders! You confirmed my fears, that Avast is dropping support for Windows 98. IIUC you also are saying Avast 4 will continue to work, even if unsupported, or is it only for some time ? I would hope virus def updates stay compatible even if the new program has got more functions.

Further question and a very big one, why does the program advertise upgrade and seems to do the download, shouldn't it be aware the update won't succeed on this system! Grrr... how much time I've spent before coming to ask to this forum ! In the future, how can I suppress the splash screen that almost forces me to (try to) upgrade ?

Also, since the program spent a long time downloading that impossible upgrade, and then failed to instal (without even pooping up an explanation or reporting cause in to the log)- I also suspect it might have left useless downloaded files somewhere, if so what is (are) the names of (maybe partial) downloads and where should I look for them in order to remove ? Problem is, I have a dozen partitions on 4 different hard drives here, it is not easy for me to locate unknown junk that I don't have a clue where it might reside and how named !

Thank you anyway. I've loved Avast since I first installed, it's a pity we may have to part.

Title: Re: very annoying : Avast 4 wants to upgrade, but fails (Win 98 SE). Advice wanted !
Post by: CraigB on November 27, 2010, 04:57:46 PM
Your avast 4 will work but you wont get any update's so it's pretty much useless as you wont be covered for any new viruses.
Once you delet avast though add remove program's and then run the uninstall tool you wont have any leftover's but since the new avast didn't install you should only have some bits in temp folder's, dont know if ccleaner will run on 98se but that would generally clean up the left overs.
Title: @USER98
Post by: swarnava on November 27, 2010, 05:06:55 PM
why you dont upgrade your pc to atleast windows xp? is your pc does not meet minimum system requirement or any other reason?

Do you know even Microsoft of support of Windows Xp SP2..Microsoft now give suppot Win XP SP3 & Windows 7..try to upgrade atleast Windows Xp if possible...
Title: Re: very annoying : Avast 4 wants to upgrade, but fails (Win 98 SE). Advice wanted !
Post by: Asyn on November 27, 2010, 05:07:27 PM
...dont know if ccleaner will run on 98se but that would generally clean up the left overs.

No, it doesn't.
asyn
Title: Re: very annoying : Avast 4 wants to upgrade, but fails (Win 98 SE). Advice wanted !
Post by: CraigB on November 27, 2010, 05:15:10 PM
My advice is if nothing is going to work on your old system it might be time for an upgrade, windows 7 is great :)
Title: Re: @USER98
Post by: User98 on November 27, 2010, 05:49:40 PM
why you dont upgrade your pc to atleast windows xp? is your pc does not meet minimum system requirement or any other reason?

Right on the spot doesn't. And even if it did I \\\ oh well evaluation of  Microsoft's products and policies is surely off topic.

Quote from: craigb
if nothing is going to work on your old system it might be time for an upgrade, windows 7 is great

LOL thanks but no, thanks - see above. In addition everything I need or care about is working great on this old system, why should it suddenly stop working - except of course when some AV vendor cease to provide definitions, but that is not the OS fault !

Edit : bugging you again, I didn't seem to get a reply to : how do I suppress the phony upgrade reminder ? Pop-up can't be closed, not even Alt-F4 will, only way so far has been to click so it opens the browser to Avast download page. Again, how annoying and (sorry) unprofessional !
Title: Re: @USER98
Post by: Asyn on November 27, 2010, 06:01:42 PM
...but that is not the OS fault !

It sure isn't. Still, keep in mind that w98 is way outdated and not supported by MS anymore. Means that there are no security updates of any kind and many holes in its security...
asyn
Title: Re: very annoying : Avast 4 wants to upgrade, but fails (Win 98 SE). Advice wanted !
Post by: CraigB on November 27, 2010, 06:30:51 PM
Plus there are next to no new programs that will run on your system, not even av's so you will eventually become stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Dont know if the update msg can be turned off, someone else maybe able to answer that.
Title: Re: @USER98
Post by: swarnava on November 27, 2010, 06:36:13 PM
oh well evaluation of  Microsoft's products

install evaluated OS then lol :P
Title: Re: very annoying : Avast 4 wants to upgrade, but fails (Win 98 SE). Advice wanted !
Post by: Gopher John on November 27, 2010, 09:54:08 PM
...dont know if ccleaner will run on 98se but that would generally clean up the left overs.

No, it doesn't.
asyn


There should be a version available that will run on Win98.  See http://www.oldversion.com/CCleaner.html (http://www.oldversion.com/CCleaner.html).  Version v2.21.940 (25 Jun 2009) mentions Win98 support fixed at http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/version-history (http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/version-history).
Title: Re: very annoying : Avast 4 wants to upgrade, but fails (Win 98 SE). Advice wanted !
Post by: Lisandro on November 27, 2010, 09:59:12 PM
You have 4 disks and 12 partitions on Windows 98 ??? ::)
Really, time to upgrade :)
Title: Re: very annoying : Avast 4 wants to upgrade, but fails (Win 98 SE). Advice wanted !
Post by: Vladimyr on November 28, 2010, 06:39:46 AM
Okay W98 & avast! 4.8 doomsayers.;D Now it's my turn.

Hi User98.
The prompt to upgrade (av4.8_1.jpg) to version 5 is just plain inappropriate if you're running an old OS. But don't be too hard on avast! When the time eventually comes for 4.8 updates to cease, they will have held out longer than any other as far as support for legacy Windows goes.
But that time has not yet come!
 
I have avast! 4.8 on Win95 and I'm re-registered until December 2011.

From "About avast!" click on "License Key" > "Program Registration" (av4.8_3.jpg), should open your browser at this page.

http://www.avast.com/registration-free-antivirus.php?utm_source=prg_home_48&utm_medium=prg_lnk&utm_campaign=Register

So far - all good. 8) (av4.8_4.jpg)
Title: Re: very annoying : Avast 4 wants to upgrade, but fails (Win 98 SE). Advice wanted !
Post by: CraigB on November 28, 2010, 08:44:11 AM
I think that maybe a glitch in the registration process, you might be registered for another year but your not going to get any update's for 4.8 from very soon in the new year.
Title: Re: very annoying : Avast 4 wants to upgrade, but fails (Win 98 SE). Advice wanted !
Post by: Vladimyr on November 28, 2010, 09:57:37 AM
 Hi craigb

It's not a glitch. Updates will stop when avast! stops producing them. When that day comes, avast! 4.8 will continue to function but its effectiveness of course will steadily diminish and each user will have to make their own OS choices. Up until then avast! 4.8 remains no more or less effective on Win9X machines than it was in January.

PS. The glitch is that users are "splashed" with an incompatible upgrade. ;)
Title: Re: very annoying : Avast 4 wants to upgrade, but fails (Win 98 SE). Advice wanted !
Post by: CraigB on November 28, 2010, 12:37:26 PM
Hi craigb

It's not a glitch. Updates will stop when avast! stops producing them. When that day comes, avast! 4.8 will continue to function but its effectiveness of course will steadily diminish and each user will have to make their own OS choices. Up until then avast! 4.8 remains no more or less effective on Win9X machines than it was in January.

PS. The glitch is that users are "splashed" with an incompatible upgrade. ;)
Well that day is coming very soon, couple of month's maybe?.
Not soon enough though in my eye's, the quicker avast stop's supporting the old version the quicker that we get better protection in the new ;)
Title: Re: very annoying : Avast 4 wants to upgrade, but fails (Win 98 SE). Advice wanted !
Post by: spg SCOTT on November 28, 2010, 12:43:23 PM
There was a way to suppress the popup (av4.8_1.jpg) in Vladimyr's post. I just can't remember it and can't seem to find it... ::)

Anyone else remember where it was?

Title: Re: very annoying : Avast 4 wants to upgrade, but fails (Win 98 SE). Advice wanted !
Post by: Asyn on November 28, 2010, 01:07:03 PM
1. Well that day is coming very soon, couple of month's maybe?.
2. Not soon enough though in my eye's, the quicker avast stop's supporting the old version the quicker that we get better protection in the new ;)

1. Couple of weeks...
2. +1
asyn
Title: Re: very annoying : Avast 4 wants to upgrade, but fails (Win 98 SE). Advice wanted !
Post by: NON on November 28, 2010, 01:46:09 PM
There was a way to suppress the popup (av4.8_1.jpg) in Vladimyr's post. I just can't remember it and can't seem to find it... ::)

Anyone else remember where it was?

Maybe this?
For those who would still like to get rid of the annoying "NAG" window for version 5 update, do the following:

Disable the self-defense module.
Locate and rename the file "asw5Not2.exe". It should be located in the Avast4 folder.
Re-enable the self-defense module.
You'll now have the monumental task of remembering, yourself, to update to version 5 before version 4 expires.
This was apparently part of a virus definition update, even though it has nothing to do with virus definitions.



I think re-registration would be a better choice...
Title: Re: very annoying : Avast 4 wants to upgrade, but fails (Win 98 SE). Advice wanted !
Post by: Rednose on November 28, 2010, 01:48:46 PM
Not soon enough though in my eye's, the quicker avast stop's supporting the old version the quicker that we get better protection in the new ;)

Don't forget that the business clients need some time to move from Avast! 4.8 to the upcoming Avast! 5.1 release, BEFORE Avast! can stop the support for Avast ! 4.8 .

Greetz, Red.
Title: Re: very annoying : Avast 4 wants to upgrade, but fails (Win 98 SE). Advice wanted !
Post by: Lisandro on November 28, 2010, 03:40:30 PM
Anyone else remember where it was?
Somewhere in the forum... I think it was posted by Igor (an executable to be deleted...).
Title: Re: very annoying : Avast 4 wants to upgrade, but fails (Win 98 SE). Advice wanted !
Post by: Vladimyr on November 29, 2010, 12:51:29 PM
Not soon enough though in my eye's, the quicker avast stop's supporting the old version the quicker that we get better protection in the new ;)

Don't forget that the business clients need some time to move from Avast! 4.8 to the upcoming Avast! 5.1 release, BEFORE Avast! can stop the support for Avast ! 4.8 .

Greetz, Red.

Not only 4.8 business users but G-Data is also dependent on up-to-date 4.8 definitions.
Title: Re: very annoying : Avast 4 wants to upgrade, but fails (Win 98 SE). Advice wanted !
Post by: Asyn on November 29, 2010, 12:57:30 PM
Not only 4.8 business users but G-Data is also dependent on up-to-date 4.8 definitions.

This could mean different things, but still 4.x updates wouldn't last forever... ;)
asyn
Title: Re: very annoying : Avast 4 wants to upgrade, but fails (Win 98 SE). Advice wanted !
Post by: Vladimyr on December 05, 2010, 11:11:50 AM
@User98
Unless their System Requirements are out of date, it looks like BitDefender 10 Free is 98SE compatible. It is on-demand only though.

http://www.bitdefender.com.au/PRODUCT-14-au--BitDefender-10-Free-Edition.html