Author Topic: REALLY IRRITATED With forced update and can't register!!  (Read 5662 times)

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Offline calidicusdio

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REALLY IRRITATED With forced update and can't register!!
« on: February 05, 2015, 04:59:13 AM »
Finally get home and try to relax and on the computer a message appears about not being registered and about a forced update which I dread as every time it means someone at Avast feels like they need to reinvent the wheel and redo the interface, add 3-4 more bloated programs running in the background which I don't want and they don't allow turning off even if you aren't using them and have other programs that cover whatever they cover.

Anyways, I update, reboot the computer, everything Avast related is either lagging, not responding, register is not working, etc. WHY?? It tells me I need to register, so I click register. It brings up the screen to choose between "free" or the $19.99. I choose "free". It loads an avast box for around 10 seconds then closes, and NO update. It just stays on the avast "free" or "19.99" screen saying I need to register. I then try and click the green register button which does absolutely nothing. Try and close the box but it doesn't react to the mouse cursor, and won't even let me grab the damn the box. I click my account and it brings up a retarded online link. What the hell? I just want a god damn antivirus that quietly works in the background with minimal footprint on an already bloated OS. Not some gui that looks like an xbox live account!! I've had avast for around 5 years now and miss how simple it used to be and am ready to dump it. This is utter BS. I can't register, I do NOT want some god damn Virtual Box Service running when I can use my firewall's for that, no idea what the NG service is but again, I do NOT want the extra crap running and shame on you avast for backdooring me with this crap w/o saying it's there as I believe it's clashing with my firewall service as Google is now lagging all of a sudden as are other things I'm trying to open. It worked FINE before this forced update BS.  I also don't like asynchronous callback service running either which was added during the last FORCED update and terminating it within task manager in the past showed no ill effect. As it stands now, I can't register. Now I have to somehow read that garbage verification box below.



Assuming I'll ever get registered, I'd also like to know how to disable everything in NG-> Virtual Box folder. I have 2 Avast antivirus running (AvastUI.exe), NG service running (ngservice.exe), "Service" running (AvastSvc.exe), and the Virtualbox service running(AvastVBox.exe). 5 services running is ridiculous. Actually, it's 6 services with asynchronous callback constantly running. This is just as bad as the last nvidia driver update that spammed something like 6 extra FORCED services between updates that I don't even use. But unlike those that were easy to delete, all this avast crap is sneakily blocked and even with administrator privileges can't be shutdown. Your BS bloatware is as bad as the malware that won't let you shut it down. I shouldn't have to dust off my Winternals ERD Commander 2005 disc just to delete junk I'm not going to use!!!!!
« Last Edit: February 05, 2015, 05:05:14 AM by calidicusdio »

Offline schmidthouse

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Re: REALLY IRRITATED With forced update and can't register!!
« Reply #1 on: February 05, 2015, 05:10:51 AM »
Hi, I don't know about the other stuff,
but go to Control Panel/Programs/Avast and select CHANGE.
UNtick the NG component in the "tools" (middle) column
Reboot. :)
See screenshot

Offline calidicusdio

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Re: REALLY IRRITATED With forced update and can't register!!
« Reply #2 on: February 05, 2015, 05:11:31 AM »
I also tried going to the actual "Registration" tab. It states "Registration Expired". Clicking "Register now" brings up the mini loading box for around 10 seconds like in the other areas, then it closes w/o doing anything. If I go to updates, the virus definitions is "up to date". The 2nd area just below that to update the program is grayed out and shows 2015.10.0.2208. So I have no idea WHY it's not letting me register if that's supposed to be a current version.As it stands, I'm greeted with a giant red banner saying "YOU ARE UNPROTECTED!". This is an utter joke.

Offline calidicusdio

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Re: REALLY IRRITATED With forced update and can't register!!
« Reply #3 on: February 05, 2015, 05:17:20 AM »
Hi, I don't know about the other stuff,
but go to Control Panel/Programs/Avast and select CHANGE.
UNtick the NG component in the "tools" (middle) column
Reboot. :)
See screenshot

Far as I can tell, I don't have access to that. I can't find "Programs". I can only find "Tools" and "Active Protection". Or rather those are the only things with tick boxes to select/deselect stuff. Nothing pertaining to "NG" or VBox is there. I have Win7 Ultimate.

Offline schmidthouse

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Re: REALLY IRRITATED With forced update and can't register!!
« Reply #4 on: February 05, 2015, 05:44:49 AM »
In your Computer (not avast) go to Control Panel/Programs and Features/Avast and select CHANGE  ;)

Offline calidicusdio

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Re: REALLY IRRITATED With forced update and can't register!!
« Reply #5 on: February 05, 2015, 06:06:35 AM »
In your Computer (not avast) go to Control Panel/Programs and Features/Avast and select CHANGE  ;)

NVM. I'm changing it now. Thank you schmidthouse. In all the years I've messed with PC stuff, I've NEVER had to go to the delete program list to unselect something and never would have thought to go there either.... WTG avast! for that. I could not see someone like my mom or an older female friend that's in her mid 60's that I installed avast! onto her computer ever figuring that out. Why it's NOT with the actual program is mystifying to say the least. About as bad as those obnoxious toolbars that get bundled in with seemingly normal stuff like JAVA updates that you have to actually watch out for, but someone that knows little about PC stuff would click "OK" thinking it's part of the actual update, then they are stuck with 20 instances of the toolbar that they'd never figure out how to remove.
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Was finally able to at least register the program. Had to manually request a new license key for some reason. The last several times it renewed after clicking "register". Pretty lazy programming to have it do literally absolutely NOTHING after clicking 3 different "Register" buttons. Even tried rebooting just to see if there was a possible conflict. Didn't help. Gave no warning, no advice box, nothing. If this kind of oversight is from devs that make a program that's supposed to "protect" my computer, it's not reassuring when they have something as simple as a broken registration button x3. And the fact this NG service and Vbox service has literally NO option within the avast! interface to select, deselect, or any other indication it's even there other than task manager showing it's running, which someone not savvy with PC's would be entirely clueless, is extremely disconcerting. It almost appears like a backdoor program avast! devs don't want you to be aware of, which I find a little unsettling in and of itself as all their other "add-ons" are found within the actual avast! gui.  *sighs*
« Last Edit: February 05, 2015, 06:26:30 AM by calidicusdio »

Offline schmidthouse

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Re: REALLY IRRITATED With forced update and can't register!!
« Reply #6 on: February 05, 2015, 05:42:35 PM »
You're welcome. :)

Offline calidicusdio

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Re: REALLY IRRITATED With forced update and can't register!!
« Reply #7 on: February 10, 2015, 11:04:15 PM »
*sighs* Got another problem with this NG junk. Had to do a system restore today and when it booted back up, noticed those programs were back. Went to the programs list to change again and discovered the box wasn't even checked.... I tried repairing, selecting the box then unselecting, nothing will force them to shut down. Thinking it might be a registry error. Anyone have any idea HOW to get these programs GONE?

Online DavidR

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Re: REALLY IRRITATED With forced update and can't register!!
« Reply #8 on: February 10, 2015, 11:58:18 PM »
System restore can have unexpected results as it isn't an exact set everything back as it was. It only includes certain things.

System Restore can also mess up avast - you should disable the avast self-defence module before using system restore. So it is possible something is corrupted in avast, a clean reinstall of avast would be advised.
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Offline calidicusdio

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Re: REALLY IRRITATED With forced update and can't register!!
« Reply #9 on: February 11, 2015, 12:04:34 AM »
Ended up booting Win7 in safe mode and just deleted the entire NG folder. Meant to do it before but completely forgot.

Hadn't realized there would be an issue with system restore if avast isn't running? The handful of times it's been used in the past saw no issues.

So glad only seeing those two avast instances now!

Also wanna point out it seems a little a shady on the registration page where you get "free" or $19.99 version as the "free" button on the bottom was grayed out- as if it can't be selected making people think the $19.99 variant is your only option as it's colored. Are people really that gullible??
« Last Edit: February 11, 2015, 12:09:30 AM by calidicusdio »

Online DavidR

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Re: REALLY IRRITATED With forced update and can't register!!
« Reply #10 on: February 11, 2015, 01:19:39 AM »
Yes some inadvertently click the big shiny coloured button instead of reading the text. But as far as I can remember there is another stage if the big shiny coloured button is pressed.
Windows 10 Home 64bit/ Acer Aspire F15/ Intel Core i5 7200U 2.5GHz, 8GB DDR4 memory, 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD/ avast! free 24.2.6105 (build 24.2.8918.824) UI 1.0.799/ Firefox, uBlock Origin, uMatrix/ MailWasher Pro/ Avast! Mobile Security

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Re: REALLY IRRITATED With forced update and can't register!!
« Reply #11 on: February 11, 2015, 02:57:17 AM »
It is only "forced' if you have Program Updates set to manual and Avast does it anyway......which they DO and don't get me started on that again.

Anyway, reading the thread with everything you are going thru I HIGHLY suggest a clean UN & RE-install.
Take a look at my signature for the HOW-TO...during installation phase choose CUSTOM and un-select NG in the Tools section and another other items you don't want.