Help!!!!!!

[kirkcaldy lass]

Hiya,
Until recently i only found out that after a year you have to register again as a friend of mine had installed avast for me.
So anyway i registered and was sent the license number. So i put the number in and it said it was accepted.
But now there is no avast icon on my desktop, theres a picture of a file i think! Just out of curiosity i started up avast and went into registration but theres no registration number in the box its just blank!
I hope I'm making sense but I'm new to computing and to scared to do anything until I'm sure what to do. Could it be a case of uninstalling avast then trying again? I'm really not sure what to do so anyones advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[Chris Thomas]

If you can't figure it out.

Then uninstall avast and install it fresh. After the install is complete and restarted, just run the program.

When the enter License Key box appears, click on register.

Your web browser will open and lead you to a registeration page.

Fill in your details and submit it.

You'll receive a free license key in the inbox of the' email id you've entered in the forum.

You may not receive the license key if you are using some sort of spam filter. In this case, you need to add register@avast.com as one of your trusted ones.

Just copy the license key.

Start the avast program again, click on license, paste this license.

You finished.

Just don't mess with any setting for another one year.

 

I hope this helps you well.

[DavidR]

Reinstalling 'might' work, but if the reason it has gone walk about is unrelated to avast then it serves no purpose, so I would first check out the following first:

Try a repair of avast. Add Remove programs, select 'avast! Anti-Virus,' click the Change/Remove button and scroll down to Repair, click next and follow.

- avast! icon missing - As a temporary measure until this is resolved you can create a desktop shortcut for this file C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashDisp.exe (the avast icon and interface to the providers).  Right click on the file and select Send To, Desktop (create shortcut). You will need to run this after each boot until the problem is resolved.

What other security based software do you have that might block new startup entries, e.g. Spybot S&D (TeaTimer), AdAware (AdWatch), SpySweeper, Spyware Doctor (StartUpGuard or OnGuard), PrevX, WinPatrol, ProcessGuard, etc. ?

Check the option in the Appearance tab of Program Settings. Or Make a link to ashdisp.exe in your startup folder. I wouldn't try this as a first option (but a final one) as you won't be able to find the true cause of the problem.

Check the about avast option again and look at the Update Expiration date, that should reflect the new registration key (the new day should be 14 months in the future) ?

Also see  Insert Registration Key - Video if needs be.

[Chris Thomas]

Perfect !!!!

[kirkcaldy lass]

Thanks guys, i tried the repair and it worked!!! Now im gonna bug your brains about something else lol....i have avast, super antispyware and windows vista basic firewall on my pc...what else do you think i need?

[DavidR]

You're welcome.

I would say the firewall needs some help:
- You could also enable the outbound protection of the Vista firewall (disabled by default), but it isn't very friendly, is rule based and you have to create the rules. - Vista Firewall Control, http://www.sphinx-soft.com/Vista/index.html and this, http://www.sphinx-soft.com/Vista/faq.html. Also check out this topic for some user friendly help for the Vista Firewall, Outbound protection, http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=30234.0.

Otherwise any malware that manages to get past your defences will have free reign to connect to the internet to either download more of the same, pass your personal data (sensitive or otherwise, user names, passwords, keylogger retrieved data, etc.) or open a backdoor to your computer, so outbound protection is essential.

Many forum users are using these firewalls:
- PC Tools Firewall seems to have the least user headaches as it doesn't seem to be constantly asking the user questions about this and that.
- Online Armor for the most parts fine but it has caused some users grief after avast program updates and that is something you have to watch out for.
- Comodo is now a suite and you have to do a custom install so as not to install the antivirus element (or use the add remove programs to remove the AV element if already installed), of all the firewalls listed this seems to be the noisiest in asking questions, depending on settings and elements used (Defense+), so it could be daunting for those not to familiar with firewalls or their systems.
- Outpost Firewall 2009 free, a cut down version of the Outpost Firewall Pro version, which should still provide good protection, http://free.agnitum.com/. Download, http://www.filehippo.com/download_outpost_firewall/

~~~~
MalwareBytes Anti-Malware, is another you could add, it is On-Demand only in free version http://download.bleepingcomputer.com/malwarebytes/mbam-setup.exe, right click on the link and select Save As or Save File (As depending on your browser), save it to a location where you can find it easily later.