Avast WEBforum

Other => General Topics => Topic started by: JohnnyBob on July 20, 2011, 07:47:26 AM

Title: bugs on avast website
Post by: JohnnyBob on July 20, 2011, 07:47:26 AM
FYI: You have a website bug at
http://www.avast.com/en-us/support#tab1

Please choose your product to continue
    * Free Antivirus
    * Internet Security
    * Pro Antivirus
    * Business Products

When I leftclick on the other tabs nothing happens. For example the links to http://www.avast.com/en-us/support#tab2 http://www.avast.com/en-us/support#tab3 and http://www.avast.com/en-us/support#tab4 are failing to connect. Only if I rightclick and open the link in a new browser tab or window, then it works correctly.

I've tried it with Firefox, Chrome, and Opera browsers with the same problem. I'm running XP SP3 with all the latest updates, as you can see in my signature.

I've noticed this bug elsewhere on your website too, wherever you have links involving tabs with a # character near the end. They are not connecting properly.
Title: Re: bugs on avast website
Post by: Gargamel360 on July 20, 2011, 08:07:20 AM
Thats working fine here with Opera at the moment.
Title: Re: bugs on avast website
Post by: Pondus on July 20, 2011, 08:14:50 AM
works fine her also...... Opera and IE9
Title: Re: bugs on avast website
Post by: JohnnyBob on July 20, 2011, 08:44:23 AM
Thanks for the feedback. I tried it with a different computer running XP Pro and it works OK. So it's either a bug specific to XP Home SP3, or my XP Home SP3 computer has problems. I don't know which, at this point, but suspect the latter. That installation is almost 4 years old and may have accumulated too many quirks. Might be time for a reformat and clean install of op system. Sorry to bother you with my local problem. Cheers.
Title: Re: bugs on avast website
Post by: DavidR on July 20, 2011, 03:07:36 PM
No problem here with FF 5.0 and XP Pro SP3
Title: Re: bugs on avast website
Post by: DarkMasters on July 22, 2011, 12:59:29 AM
Click whichever tab you want and if nothing happens then simply Ctrl+R (refresh) the page. It happens to me too (only in Avast website) using either Opera or Firefox (no problem in IE9, though).
Title: Re: bugs on avast website
Post by: JohnnyBob on July 22, 2011, 01:26:18 PM
After making my initial post to this thread, I reinstalled my XP Home SP3 op system and those tabs were working correctly afterwards (yesterday) with Firefox 3.6.18. So thought I had fixed it, but strangely the same problem has returned today. :'( I'm baffled by that observation, except that I've subsequently reinstalled various other application software so something might be incompatible. It doesn't work correctly with Internet Explorer 6 either on that computer.

DarkMaster's suggestion to press the Ctrl-R keyboard keys after left-clicking the tab works with both Firefox and IE6, as does my former suggestion to rightclick and open in a new tab or window. FWIW, that XP Home SP3 computer uses free avast antivirus as shown in my signature, and disabling the avast antivirus software temporarily has no affect. I want to try again (when I can find the time) after uninstalling the scripts shield, and disabling the sandbox, which have caused me various other problems in the past. Contrary to my signature below, I currently have those modules/features installed and active.

I also tried again with another computer which uses Windows XP Pro with Firefox 3.6.10, Chrome 12.0.742.122, Safari 5.0.2, and Internet Explorer 8.0.6001.187002IC. They all work OK. This computer runs the free avira antivirus software rather than avast, and is very different in the other installed software applications. It's a borrowed computer, not mine.

So in my limited testing, this bug appears *not* to be browser related. It is specific to a particular computer, and believe it could either be hardware or software related. I also wonder if there's any chance that the server software used to render the avast website has some prejudices built-in, so that it likes certain hardware or software better than others.
Title: Re: bugs on avast website
Post by: Mr.Agent on July 22, 2011, 04:55:40 PM
Me i did find one on the french canadian page at business products on support. Its got J" > its should be translated or corrected this...
Title: Re: bugs on avast website
Post by: gdiloren on July 22, 2011, 05:01:50 PM
http://www.avast.com/en-ca/free-antivirus-download (http://www.avast.com/en-ca/free-antivirus-download) This site where I first tried to download my copy of Avast free is buggy. Your only option is to buy AIS. I had to resort to CNET download. I went to the site through a Google Search. :'(
Title: Re: bugs on avast website
Post by: CraigB on July 22, 2011, 06:21:58 PM
http://www.avast.com/en-ca/free-antivirus-download (http://www.avast.com/en-ca/free-antivirus-download) This site where I first tried to download my copy of Avast free is buggy. Your only option is to buy AIS. I had to resort to CNET download. I went to the site through a Google Search. :'(
The download for the free version via the link you supplied works fine.
Title: Re: bugs on avast website
Post by: JohnnyBob on July 22, 2011, 06:47:19 PM
http://www.avast.com/en-ca/free-antivirus-download (http://www.avast.com/en-ca/free-antivirus-download) This site where I first tried to download my copy of Avast free is buggy. Your only option is to buy AIS. I had to resort to CNET download. I went to the site through a Google Search. :'(
The download for the free version via the link you supplied works fine.
It works for you, but it doesn't work for me or gdiloren. It pops up a box where the "No thanks, I want free protection" button is inoperative.
Title: Re: bugs on avast website
Post by: CraigB on July 22, 2011, 07:25:35 PM
http://www.avast.com/en-ca/free-antivirus-download (http://www.avast.com/en-ca/free-antivirus-download) This site where I first tried to download my copy of Avast free is buggy. Your only option is to buy AIS. I had to resort to CNET download. I went to the site through a Google Search. :'(
The download for the free version via the link you supplied works fine.
It works for you, but it doesn't work for me or gdiloren. It pops up a box where the "No thanks, I want free protection" button is inoperative.
If you click on it and wait a little while it will work, the button doesn't seem to do anything but it eventually sent me to the next page.
Title: Re: bugs on avast website
Post by: gdiloren on July 22, 2011, 07:35:42 PM
http://www.avast.com/en-ca/free-antivirus-download (http://www.avast.com/en-ca/free-antivirus-download) This site where I first tried to download my copy of Avast free is buggy. Your only option is to buy AIS. I had to resort to CNET download. I went to the site through a Google Search. :'(
The download for the free version via the link you supplied works fine.
It works for you, but it doesn't work for me or gdiloren. It pops up a box where the "No thanks, I want free protection" button is inoperative.
If you click on it and wait a little while it will work, the button doesn't seem to do anything but it eventually sent me to the next page.
The pop-up "Check out our feature-rich antivirus – with great savings!" has no link when you mouse over the grayed "no, thanks" button. I'm ashamed Avast is using such low modes of marketing! It's fishing technics and we are the fishes!
Title: Re: bugs on avast website
Post by: CraigB on July 22, 2011, 07:45:39 PM
Did you click on it and wait, iv tried it on three systems here XP AND TWO WIN 7'S and it does work.                                                                                           Avast is not implementing fishing techniques so dont be ridiculous.
Title: Re: bugs on avast website
Post by: Para-Noid on July 22, 2011, 08:07:33 PM
Thanks for the feedback. I tried it with a different computer running XP Pro and it works OK. So it's either a bug specific to XP Home SP3, or my XP Home SP3 computer has problems. I don't know which, at this point, but suspect the latter. That installation is almost 4 years old and may have accumulated too many quirks. Might be time for a reformat and clean install of op system. Sorry to bother you with my local problem. Cheers.
Have you tried to clean your HDD? You might want to try CCleaner.
http://filehippo.com/download_ccleaner/ 
Or WinUtilities Free http://download.cnet.com/WinUtilities-Free-Edition/3000-18512_4-75021441.html  :)
Title: Re: bugs on avast website
Post by: JohnnyBob on July 22, 2011, 09:10:19 PM
You guys apparently don't understand. That "No, thanks..." button is inoperative for us, so it does no good to click on it. We could wait til hell freezes over and nothing would happen. Cleaning with CCleaner is a good idea, and I use it frequently, but that would not likely cause such a malfunction. Like gdiloren says, mousing over it shows that there is no associated link nor active javascript which would appear in the browser status bar.

You say that it works for you, and I believe you. Why don't you believe us when we say it doesn't work for us? There's really nothing to argue about in that regard. It's obviously a buggy website which only works for some people, not others, cause unknown.

P.S. To prove my point, I clicked on that button then went to the bathroom for 18 minutes. When I came back, nothing had happened. Satisfied?
Title: Re: bugs on avast website
Post by: YoKenny on July 22, 2011, 09:40:40 PM
http://www.avast.com/en-ca/free-antivirus-download (http://www.avast.com/en-ca/free-antivirus-download) This site where I first tried to download my copy of Avast free is buggy. Your only option is to buy AIS. I had to resort to CNET download. I went to the site through a Google Search. :'(
The download for the free version via the link you supplied works fine.
Works fine for me as well.  :)
Title: Re: bugs on avast website
Post by: DarkMasters on July 22, 2011, 10:28:58 PM
You guys apparently don't understand. That "No, thanks..." button is inoperative for us, so it does no good to click on it. We could wait til hell freezes over and nothing would happen. Cleaning with CCleaner is a good idea, and I use it frequently, but that would not likely cause such a malfunction. Like gdiloren says, mousing over it shows that there is no associated link nor active javascript which would appear in the browser status bar.

You say that it works for you, and I believe you. Why don't you believe us when we say it doesn't work for us? There's really nothing to argue about in that regard. It's obviously a buggy website which only works for some people, not others, cause unknown.

P.S. To prove my point, I clicked on that button then went to the bathroom for 18 minutes. When I came back, nothing had happened. Satisfied?

You're right. The same thing happens to me too when I tried to download the 6.0.1203 from Avast websites about 3 weeks ago. Click the 'No, thanks...' button to download the free version but nothing happen.

I use Opera back then (always using Opera for downloading), so I thought it was another website design quirk with Opera then I simply downloading by entering Avast direct link to address bar.

There's some bad coding in Avast website indeed...
Title: Re: bugs on avast website
Post by: Antiver on July 23, 2011, 03:56:23 PM
This webpage is all right with maxthon 3 and windows XP SP3!
Title: Re: bugs on avast website
Post by: JohnnyBob on July 23, 2011, 06:11:07 PM
Cause found (maybe)...

I use the MVP HOSTS file to block adware, malware, tracking cookies, etc:
http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts.htm

As soon as I turned off the HOSTS file (renamed it, temporarily) all my problems with the avast website vanished!

I'm optimistic that this may be the common denominator. So I suggest that the other members here who reported a problem with the avast website try turning off their HOSTS file temporarily (if they're using it) then report back...

[Note: I don't know what is being blocked by HOSTS file. That would require checking a lot of code on the avast website and even then it might be difficult to find, or invisible. It could be a link with avast, google, facebook or anything else as part of a sub.domain name. That would require a research project: First step would be to get a list of all the links used on the avast website. Second step would be to compare them with the MVP HOSTS file.]
Title: Re: bugs on avast website
Post by: YoKenny on July 23, 2011, 06:49:30 PM
I'm optimistic that this may be the common denominator. So I suggest that the other members here who reported a problem with the avast website try turning off their HOSTS file temporarily (if they're using it) then report back...
I use the MVP HOSTS file on my systems and they do not have the problem you describe.

I use HostsMan's HostsServer that is a Local HTTP server that shows me what sites the HOSTS file blocks:
http://www.abelhadigital.com/hostsman

Title: Re: bugs on avast website
Post by: JohnnyBob on July 23, 2011, 07:34:11 PM
I'm optimistic that this may be the common denominator. So I suggest that the other members here who reported a problem with the avast website try turning off their HOSTS file temporarily (if they're using it) then report back...
I use the MVP HOSTS file on my systems and they do not have the problem you describe.

I use HostsMan's HostsServer that is a Local HTTP server that shows me what sites the HOSTS file blocks:
http://www.abelhadigital.com/hostsman
Thanks. I'll take a look at that Hostsman's utility. So far I've done everything manually with a text editor.

I went through the process already. Using linkleecher.com I got a list of the links on the relevant avast.com webpages and compared them to my HOSTS file. Nothing matched, so it must be an invisible link. I know that links can be hidden by various methods. Either that, or there's some kind of more basic malfunction of the HOSTS file on certain systems.
Title: Re: bugs on avast website
Post by: JohnnyBob on July 23, 2011, 09:35:58 PM
When entering an avast.com address into browser, I noticed on status bar that it was first trying to connect to www.google-analytics.com. This zips by very quickly so it helps to have a slow connection (or fast eyes)!  ;)

My MVPS HOSTS file has these relevant entries...
# 127.0.0.1  ssl.google-analytics.com #[disabled = Firefox issues]
127.0.0.1  www.google-analytics.com #[Google Analytics]

So I unblocked www.google-analytics.com in my HOSTS file, and it appears that is the culprit! The avast website works correctly for me now (pending further tests) using either Firefox 3.6.18 or Internet Explorer 6.

Note: ssl.google-analytics.com block was disabled by MVPS HOSTS file developers, because they found a related problem with Firefox. I'm not privey to those details.

At this point, I have no further details about www.google-analytics.com nor its purpose but will try to find out something. Does anybody know what it does, or why the avast website is using it?
Title: Re: bugs on avast website
Post by: Asyn on July 23, 2011, 09:42:31 PM
At this point, I have no further details about www.google-analytics.com nor its purpose but will try to find out something. Does anybody know what it does, or why the avast website is using it?

It does, what the name suggests. ;)
Btw, it's also blocked here and I have no problems with the avast site.
Difference is that I block it with NoScript.
Title: Re: bugs on avast website
Post by: Gargamel360 on July 23, 2011, 09:45:50 PM
It is Google's bread and butter, data farming.  It is hard to find a popular website without it, it is everywhere.
Title: Re: bugs on avast website
Post by: gdiloren on July 24, 2011, 12:31:15 AM
I suppose i shouldn't be alarmed by last wednesday MBAM alert about avast setup:
IP-BLOCK   174.37.222.41 (Type: outgoing, Port: 51398, Process: avast.setup)
Title: Re: bugs on avast website
Post by: YoKenny on July 24, 2011, 02:15:56 PM
My MVPS HOSTS file has these relevant entries...
# 127.0.0.1  ssl.google-analytics.com #[disabled = Firefox issues]
127.0.0.1  www.google-analytics.com #[Google Analytics]

So I unblocked www.google-analytics.com in my HOSTS file, and it appears that is the culprit! The avast website works correctly for me now (pending further tests) using either Firefox 3.6.18 or Internet Explorer 6.

Note: ssl.google-analytics.com block was disabled by MVPS HOSTS file developers, because they found a related problem with Firefox. I'm not privey to those details.

At this point, I have no further details about www.google-analytics.com nor its purpose but will try to find out something. Does anybody know what it does, or why the avast website is using it?
I have google-analytics.com and www.google-analytics.com entered into HostsMan's Exclusion Lists...
I do not have ssl.google-analytics.com disabled though.

You should upgrade to Internet Explorer 8 as IE6 is quite old.

By the way Internet Explorer is the basic display system for Windows.
Title: Re: bugs on avast website
Post by: JohnnyBob on July 24, 2011, 04:31:55 PM
My MVPS HOSTS file has these relevant entries...
# 127.0.0.1  ssl.google-analytics.com #[disabled = Firefox issues]
127.0.0.1  www.google-analytics.com #[Google Analytics]
So I unblocked www.google-analytics.com in my HOSTS file, and it appears that is the culprit! The avast website works correctly for me now (pending further tests) using either Firefox 3.6.18 or Internet Explorer 6.

Note: ssl.google-analytics.com block was disabled by MVPS HOSTS file developers, because they found a related problem with Firefox. I'm not privey to those details.

At this point, I have no further details about www.google-analytics.com nor its purpose but will try to find out something. Does anybody know what it does, or why the avast website is using it?
I have google-analytics.com and www.google-analytics.com entered into HostsMan's Exclusion Lists...
I do not have ssl.google-analytics.com disabled though.

You should upgrade to Internet Explorer 8 as IE6 is quite old.


Please pardon my shaggy dog tale below...  :)

I still haven't tried Hostman's utility. I use a text editor which works fine. What matters is that an entry exists in HOSTS file, or it doesn't. If your computer works differently than mine at the avast website, both having the following line in HOSTS file, then it's another mystery to be solved:
 127.0.0.1  www.google-analytics.com
I don't have a google-analytics.com line (the non-www format) in my HOSTS file. It does not appear in the most recent MVPS HOSTS file version (July 23).

I've tried IE8 but it's incompatible with Outlook Express on this XP Home SP3 computer, and I'm not going to change my email client. I don't care how old IE is, because I don't use it on this computer. I use Firefox 3.6.18 as my default browser. I strongly doubt that's the cause of my problems at the avast website. So to prove (or disprove) my point in that regard, I've gone another mile down the road, as follows...

I have another computer available here that runs XP Pro SP3 and IE8, which doesn't have the MVPS HOSTS file, only the rudimentary example HOSTS file that comes as default. It has no problems with the avast website. As an experiment I added a single "127.0.0.1 www.google-analytics.com" line to its HOSTS file and here is what happened...

If I goto http://www.avast.com/en-us/index and click the FOR HOME tab at top, IE8 puts a yellow warning triangle on status bar to show that there are problems. If I click the yellow warning triangle, it says: Errors on this page might cause it to work incorrectly. Webpage error details. User Agent: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 8.0; Windows NT 5.1)...

Message: '_gat' is undefined
free anti-virus download
Line: 54  Char: 3  Code: 0
URI: http://www.avast.com/en-us/free-antivirus-download

Message: 'pageTracker' is null or not an object
free anti-virus download
Line: 62  Char: 3  Code: 0
URI: http://www.avast.com/en-us/free-antivirus-download

Message: 'pageTracker' is null or not an object
tabs.js
Line: 31  Char: 4  Code: 0
URI: http://static.avast.com/j/tabs.js?t=201107221222

Message: 'pageTracker' is null or not an object
lightbox_free-antivirus-download.js
Line: 48  Char: 9  Code: 0
URI: http://static.avast.com/j/lightbox_free-antivirus-download.js?t=201107221222

Message: 'pageTracker' is null or not an object
free anti-virus download
Line: 31  Char: 1  Code: 0
URI: http://www.avast.com/en-us/free-antivirus-download

The tabs near the middle of that page are inactive (go nowhere): Why AVAST, System Requirements, Technology, More Options. I've already posted the relevant graphic in this thread somewhere above.

If I click on the Free Antivirus DOWNLOAD for home use only* button, it pops up a page where the "No thanks, I want free protection" button is inactive (goes nowhere), and it is still showing the same page errors as listed in detail above. I also posted this relevant graphic somewhere in this thread above, IIRC.

Firefox 3.6.10, Chrome 12.0.742.122, and Safari 5.0.2 give exactly the same results as IE8 on this XP Pro SP3 computer, once again confirming that these bugs are *NOT* browser related!

I believe this shows conclusively that the avast website bugs (subject of this thread) are caused by incorporation of www.google-analytics.com into the avast website coding. I should say that I somehow suspected that google might be involved before I began this investigation due to the fairly recently bundling of the Chrome browser offer with the free avast antivirus installer. In effect the free avast antivirus is only available for download now if user consents to being tracked and traced by google. Of course I don't know if this is by design or accidental, but suspect the former.

P.S. As the final nail in the coffin of other theories, I then removed the 127.0.0.1 www.google-analytics.com line from HOSTS file on the XP Pro SP3 computer. Result: no errors or problems at the avast website. This leaves absolutely no doubt about the cause.
Title: Re: bugs on avast website
Post by: YoKenny on July 24, 2011, 04:53:43 PM
I've tried IE8 but it's incompatible with Outlook Express on this XP Home SP3 computer, and I'm not going to change my email client. I don't care how old IE is, because I don't use it on this computer. I use Firefox 3.6.18 as my default browser. I strongly doubt that's the cause of my problems at the avast website. So to prove (or disprove) my point in that regard, I've gone another mile down the road, as follows...

I have another computer available here that runs XP Pro SP3 and IE8, which doesn't have the MVPS HOSTS file, only the rudimentary example HOSTS file that comes as default. It has no problems with the avast website. As an experiment I added a single "127.0.0.1 www.google-analytics.com" line to its HOSTS file and here is what happened...

If I goto http://www.avast.com/en-us/index and click the FOR HOME tab at top, IE8 puts a yellow warning triangle on status bar to show that there are problems. If I click the yellow warning triangle, it says: Errors on this page might cause it to work incorrectly. Webpage error details. User Agent: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 8.0; Windows NT 5.1)...

Message: '_gat' is undefined
free anti-virus download
Line: 54  Char: 3  Code: 0
URI: http://www.avast.com/en-us/free-antivirus-download

Message: 'pageTracker' is null or not an object
free anti-virus download
Line: 62  Char: 3  Code: 0
URI: http://www.avast.com/en-us/free-antivirus-download

Message: 'pageTracker' is null or not an object
tabs.js
Line: 31  Char: 4  Code: 0
URI: http://static.avast.com/j/tabs.js?t=201107221222

Message: 'pageTracker' is null or not an object
lightbox_free-antivirus-download.js
Line: 48  Char: 9  Code: 0
URI: http://static.avast.com/j/lightbox_free-antivirus-download.js?t=201107221222

Message: 'pageTracker' is null or not an object
free anti-virus download
Line: 31  Char: 1  Code: 0
URI: http://www.avast.com/en-us/free-antivirus-download

The tabs near the middle of that page are inactive (go nowhere): Why AVAST, System Requirements, Technology, More Options. I've already posted the relevant graphic in this thread somewhere above.

If I click on the Free Antivirus DOWNLOAD for home use only* button, it pops up a page where the "No thanks, I want free protection" button is inactive (goes nowhere), and it is still showing the same page errors as listed in detail above. I also posted this relevant graphic somewhere in this thread above, IIRC.

Firefox 3.6.10, Chrome 12.0.742.122, and Safari 5.0.2 give exactly the same results as IE8 on this XP Pro SP3 computer, once again confirming that these bugs are *NOT* browser related!

I believe this shows conclusively that the avast website bugs (subject of this thread) are caused by incorporation of www.google-analytics.com into the avast website coding. I should say that I somehow suspected that google might be involved before I began this investigation due to the fairly recently bundling of the Chrome browser offer with the free avast antivirus installer. In effect the free avast antivirus is only available for download now if user consents to being tracked and traced by google. Of course I don't know if this is by design or accidental, but suspect the former.
I have no problem with Outlook Express on my XP Pro system nor my friends XP Home system.

You may want to read this
Quote
Windows Explorer is a file manager application that is included with releases of the Microsoft Windows operating system from Windows 95 onwards. It provides a graphical user interface for accessing the file systems. It is also the component of the operating system that presents many user interface items on the monitor such as the taskbar and desktop. Controlling the computer is possible without Windows Explorer running (for example, the File | Run command in Task Manager on NT-derived versions of Windows will function without it, as will commands typed in a command prompt window). Located in the C:\Windows directory, it is sometimes referred to as the Windows Shell, explorer.exe, or simply “Explorer”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Explorer

Especially this item
Quote
It is also the component of the operating system that presents many user interface items on the monitor such as the taskbar and desktop.
Title: Re: bugs on avast website
Post by: JohnnyBob on July 24, 2011, 05:31:29 PM
I don't want to get into a sidetrack discussion about Windows Explorer or IE versions. Suffice to say here that I believe I can prove IE8 and/or the avast Scripts shield are incompatible with Outlook Express, and will leave it at that...
Title: Re: bugs on avast website
Post by: JohnnyBob on July 25, 2011, 08:39:44 PM
All of my tests and observations above were without the Noscripts add-on installed in Firefox, only a MVPS HOSTS file with www.google-analytics.com blocked. Some folks commented that they have Noscript installed as well as a MVPS HOSTS file, and didn't experience the same problems with the avast website as I did.

I can now confirm the Noscript can change that behavior, depending on the settings. I'm definitely not a Noscript expert (only a newbie there), but I've found one setting which enables the avast website to work correctly. Maybe there are others:
Set Noscript to enable all scripts globally.
Disable the google-analytics.com script in Noscript at the avast website.
Then the avast website works fine.

That's counter intuitive. The reason is apparently that Noscript inserts some harmless surrogate scripts whenever a script is disabled, so the website is fooled into thinking the script has executed nevertheless. At least that's my theory.
Title: Re: bugs on avast website
Post by: Dch48 on July 27, 2011, 12:07:30 AM
http://www.avast.com/en-ca/free-antivirus-download (http://www.avast.com/en-ca/free-antivirus-download) This site where I first tried to download my copy of Avast free is buggy. Your only option is to buy AIS. I had to resort to CNET download. I went to the site through a Google Search. :'(
The download for the free version via the link you supplied works fine.
It works for you, but it doesn't work for me or gdiloren. It pops up a box where the "No thanks, I want free protection" button is inoperative.
Are you saying it's inoperative because it's gray? That doesn't mean anything. Click on it and it works.