avast 17.1.2286 Cannot Register

[Chim]

Anyone else encounter the problem of not being able to register?  I encountered it and was just never able to fix it.  So, I wound up having to go back down to avast 12.

This was actually the sequence of events:
Last Sunday I uninstalled avast 12 with avastclear.  I then cleaned everything thoroughly with my various cleaning apps.  I then even performed Windows searches for everything avast-related and deleted what was found.  So yeah, it was a thorough CLEAN uninstall.  I then performed a custom install of avast 17.1.2286 with just the 4 basic shields, nothing else.  I updated it with the bulk definitions file.

The next day I simply attempted to bring up my LBreakout2 game app from PortableApss.com.  avast did its "Hold on.  There might be something bad here" bit.  The LBreakout2 app suddenly disappeared and I could never bring it back up even after a reboot.  I called it a night as it was late.

The next morning, I decided I was going to register my avast.  Well, I was informed that although my computer was protected, the avast GUI could not display because it was " having a bad day."    I performed an avast Repair.  That got the GUI working again.  However I could still not register.  I again performed a thorough CLEAN reinstall, having again first removed every avast molecule I could find.

Again, I could STILL NOT register.  So, it was obvious that an avast Repair and an avast reinstall was not going to fix my problem of not being able to register avast 17.  I am concerned that it is VERY reminiscent of my problem of having a very difficult time logging into the avast forums.  That problem was never fixed.  My problem of difficulties logging into the avast forums popped up after the changeover to the new style / revamped (higher security) forums format after the hacking incident.

Now it's making me wonder if this not being able to register with avast 17 will also similarly be a mysterious nagging problem for me.

Oh well.  For now I'm back down to avast 12.3.2280.  I was able to easily register ... well, with the Registration Key acquired via e-mail of course.    I'll check out the next avast 17 version update whenever it comes out.  Hopefully by then something will have been changed that will allow me to register.

[Eddy]

Perhaps the most important information is missing...
What happens if you try to register avast (with the license file) ?

[bob3160]

Your signature states Avast free if that's the case, there isn't any key or registration file

[Eddy]

Well, that depends on what version of avast is installed and if it the user upgraded avast from previous versions or if it is a clean install of the latest version.

[bob3160]

Well, that depends on what version of avast is installed and if it the user upgraded avast from previous versions or if it is a clean install of the latest version.

Re: avast 17.1.2286 Cannot Register

[Eddy]

Only if it is a clean installation.
If it was a updated version it will still say a expiration date for the free version.

[bob3160]

Only if it is a clean installation.
If it was a updated version it will still say a expiration date for the free version.

Eddy, enough bantering. The topic is about registering not displaying an expiration date.

[Eddy]

Get the clue you wannabee helper.

There was the option/need to register the free version.
If someone have installed a old(er) version, it show the expiration date en tells the user that the registration will expire.
If someone had a old(er) version installed and update it each time, the same is still happening.

Yes, there is no registration required anymore in the latest version.
But a user is not asked for it only if the user performed a clean/new installation of the latest (17.x) version.

[Chim]

Let's see ... the 1st question:
Since I no longer have avast 17 installed, I'll have to sort of go by memory.

If I recall correctly, Eddy, when I had avast 17 in there, I didn't see any link in there for installing a Registration Key as in the previous avast versions.  The only route I saw was to click on the Orange Register now button.

2nd question:
Bob, yes I had the Free version of avast 17.  However, in the registration area it for sure said that I wasn't registered yet.  AND it also actually gave some specific March date when the temp registration would expire.  Whether those 2 things are odd and that I shouldn't have encountered them, I don't know.  But, there they were.

3rd question:
Eddy, as I alluded to in my original comment, it was a very thorough uninstall of avast 12.3.2280 via avastclear, cleaning apps and Windows searches for remnants ... followed by a custom install of avast 17.1.2286 with only the 4 main shields selected and nothing else.  So it was a CLEAN install, not an upgrade from the GUI or anything of that nature.

So, to some it up in a nutshell:
(1)  There WAS an indication of not registered yet.
(2)  There WAS a March expiration date.
(3)  The Orange Register now button registration process would fizzle in about 5 seconds every time without changing the not registered status whatsoever.

[Eddy]

If it really was a clean installation of version 17.x registration wasn't needed at all and there would not be a expiration date.
As I can't see what happened, my guess is that there was something left from version 12.x

[Chim]

Hmmm ... odd.  My cleaning out of avast 12.3.2280 was about as thorough as it can get.  It was borderline an impossibility that anything avast-related could have been left behind ... at least anything significant.  Here is how thorough my cleaning was:

[1]  I ran avastclear in safe mode.

Checking for and deleting anything avast-related:
[2]  I ran CCleaner's registry cleaning function.
[3]  I ran Glary Track Eraser.
[4]  I ran JetClean's Registry Clean.
[5]  I ran Wise Registry Cleaner.

[6]  I ran a Windows search for "avast" in All Files & Folders in safe mode and deleted everything it found.
[7]  I ran a Windows search for "asw" in All Files & Folders in safe mode and deleted everything it found.
[8]  Rebooted the computer.

Those steps have always been sufficient in the past.  I don't know if after all those steps it's still possible that something could have been left behind that was significant enough to cause that not registered yet conundrum in avast 17.

Out of curiosity, can you post up a screen capture of what it's supposed to look like when you Right Click on the avast icon in the System Tray and then click on Registration information in avast 17?

[bob3160]

I have personally never seen a conflict after avastclear has been used.
I have never needed to go beyond what it cleaned in order to successfully do a clean install.
It has worked for hundreds of installs that I've personally done.
I also have never had someone complain that it didn't work when they followed the instructions
I pass along for a clean install.
This might not make Eddy happy but I haven't been able to do that for some time. 
 

[DavidR]

I have personally never seen a conflict after avastclear has been used.
I have never needed to go beyond what it cleaned in order to successfully do a clean install.
It has worked for hundreds of installs that I've personally done.
I also have never had someone complain that it didn't work when they followed the instructions
I pass along for a clean install.
This might not make Eddy happy but I haven't been able to do that for some time. 
 

I would agree, I feel that the Uninstall Utility is fine. There may be some Legacy registry keys left behind, but those were created by Windows and will in due course be removed or modified when another AV or Avast is installed.

I have never gone hunting anything after running it, just rebooted and installed avast.

[Chim]

I guess I'll give it another try once the next version comes out.  Hopefully by then somehow the problem has been fixed.  If not, I can always stay at avast 12 ... or try AVG.  ZOITS!  I really don't want to go to that extreme.  I didn't like AVG when it was briefly in my sister's laptop.

Anyway, thanks Eddy, Bob, David.

Oh, to reiterate my previous request:
Can someone post up a screen capture of what I'm supposed to see in the "Registration information" area IF and when everything goes well with an avast 17 install and I'm supposed to NOT see anything along the lines of "Not registered yet?"

[bob3160]