Author Topic: Unable to register Avast free edition (Read 57035 times)

bob3160 · « **Reply #105 on:** May 20, 2018, 01:56:34 PM »

Complaining about it doesn't change facts.

Asyn · « **Reply #106 on:** May 20, 2018, 02:02:27 PM »

Dev-Info: Hi guys, let me please answer some questions here. Outdated software is quite hard to maintain - in Avast, we still support Avast Antivirus product for XP despite the fact that only 5% of our costumers still use XP. Web servers (for updates, communication, ...) must still support old methods which were used in this product many many years ago. We have still some users on Avast v8 and we cannot 100% guarantee they are safe for the latest threats, because Avast v8 doesn't contain some new shields or technologies available on newer OSes.

Cluster-Lizard2014 · « **Reply #107 on:** May 20, 2018, 05:35:52 PM »

I'm sorry but isn't that still missing the point? The problem is not the program version itself it is the Byzantine re-registration process which you're being prompted to use on every boot during the 30 day expiry countdown. When you try to use it that process does not actually work.

As others have also described when you click to re-register it puts up a message box saying: ""Retrieving information, please wait." and then nothing happens. No information is retrieved, no form to re-register appears, it just stops.

If you try to get an offline registration key you're sent to this page:-

https://www.avast.com/registration-free-antivirus

This clearly states that older AVAST versions will work after they've 'expired'. That is the only unequivocal AVAST statement I've found about this matter.

The problem is being reported that this does not happen and your system is left apparently unprotected for, in one case, 11 days before it started working again. I hope it is understood now why the people in this thread and I suspect many others are concerned.

Why, rather than a pop-up prompt to re-register, are we're not getting one telling us that we now do not need to re-register the free versions? Seems like common sense to me.

BTW this is not an exclusive XP matter either, there are plenty of others using later Windows OS who want to continue using a particular older AVAST version for a variety of reasons too.

Cluster-Lizard2014 · « **Reply #108 on:** May 25, 2018, 06:07:25 PM »

So 4 days remaining left on the countdown to wait to see what happens after my current registration expires.

Thanks AVAST for making this such an uncertain time and risk losing a long term user who has promoted your product in numerous forums and via personal recommendations for almost 8 years. It good to know how much that work on your behalf has been appreciated.

Yet nobody from AVAST has bothered to assuage my concerns and those of other users who've contributed to this thread. All you had to do was confirm that on expiry the older AVAST versions will still work as before and has been promised (see my last post).

Was that too much to expect?

bob3160 · « **Reply #109 on:** May 25, 2018, 08:49:34 PM »

Quote from: Cluster-Lizard2014 on May 25, 2018, 06:07:25 PM

So 4 days remaining left on the countdown to wait to see what happens after my current registration expires.

Thanks AVAST for making this such an uncertain time and risk losing a long term user who has promoted your product in numerous forums and via personal recommendations for almost 8 years. It good to know how much that work on your behalf has been appreciated.

Yet nobody from AVAST has bothered to assuage my concerns and those of other users who've contributed to this thread. All you had to do was confirm that on expiry the older AVAST versions will still work as before and has been promised (see my last post).

Was that too much to expect?

What more do you need than to know that your protection isn't going to end

REDACTED · « **Reply #110 on:** May 25, 2018, 09:18:15 PM »

I got an assurance from martinz in this thread that version 7 would auto reregister after 10 days of previous expiration. This did n't happen and protection (shields) were disabled and updates unavailable.

I agree with cluster, information from Avast has been, well sketchy and unreliable, reflecting poorly on its products. The whole registration issue has been badly handled and prompted many long time users to walk away.

bob3160 · « **Reply #111 on:** May 25, 2018, 10:16:55 PM »

Quote from: Bobblink on May 25, 2018, 09:18:15 PM

I got an assurance from martinz in this thread that version 7 would auto reregister after 10 days of previous expiration. This did n't happen and protection (shields) were disabled and updates unavailable.

I agree with cluster, information from Avast has been, well sketchy and unreliable, reflecting poorly on its products. The whole registration issue has been badly handled and prompted many long time users to walk away.

I've only used this product since 2003. It's always been registered and has always protected my many systems.
I still think Avast should simply eliminate any sort of registration of any form in the free version.

=Snake= · « **Reply #112 on:** May 25, 2018, 10:38:49 PM »

Quote from: Cluster-Lizard2014 on May 20, 2018, 01:48:27 PM

BTW plenty of people are still using Windows XP because certain programs and hardware only work with it, particularly the latter where there are simply no working drivers available for current Windows OS. There are also many using it not as their primary OS but on VMs too for the same reasons.

I agree for I'm still using XP with the same reasons (See my sig).

=Snake= via Twin-OS (XP).

Cluster-Lizard2014 · « **Reply #113 on:** May 26, 2018, 02:17:57 PM »

One of the main motivations for this thread is that, for users of some older AVAST versions, the removal of the necessity and facilities to re-register every year has resulted in their system being left unprotected after the 'expiry' date. In other words the automatic re-registration or however the continuing activation actually works is reportedly broken for some people.

Its not as though free version users were told any of this officially. It sorted of seeped out via this forum.

You have to try to get an offline manual key first and then you get to that page which promises all will be well after the current expiry. If you just click to re-register, as you are being prompted to do at every boot for the last 30 days, you'd be none the wiser.

How difficult would it have been when you click to re-register to have it put up a message box explaining that even though you will be prompted, presumably because that is an embedded AVAST feature, re-registration of 'free' versions was now no longer required?

Talking to the people using your product, telling them what is happening, keeping them well informed is considered pretty much essential business practice in most industries isn't it?

Of course, that wouldn't solve the problems being discussed here when AVAST apparently stops working on expiry. It is inexplicable AVAST not responding to those reports in any helpful way or even seeming to understand the problem ie. it is the automatic re-activation system that may be broken, not the older AVAST versions.

MartinZ · « **Reply #114 on:** May 28, 2018, 02:10:11 PM »

Please try this key: W11332244H99A0420-RAP184X7

Cluster-Lizard2014 · « **Reply #115 on:** May 29, 2018, 12:46:44 PM »

Thanks but unfortunately it did not work.

I also tried with a space between the W and the rest of the code as, for some reason, when I copied and pasted it the space, if there is meant to be one, was not included. Still the same negative result

Literally just 10 minutes to go now before the current licence expires. What's going to happen then?

So far.......................................nothing.

I suspect the proof of the pudding will be on PC reboot but at least it appears I'm still protected during this session.

Of course, if everything goes OK and there's no problem AVAST will be my favourite people again.

If my experience here helps alleviate others concerned about this matter then I'll be even happier. But really this is the job AVAST should have been doing themselves - talking to their users, keeping them informed about what was going to happen on expiry, answering their, quite reasonable, questions and, of course, dealing with any problems.

bob3160 · « **Reply #116 on:** May 29, 2018, 03:02:57 PM »

What happens if you click on Register Now

When all else fails, you can always do a clean install.

MartinZ · « **Reply #117 on:** May 29, 2018, 03:45:55 PM »

Sorry my fault.

Here is the correct key: W11332244H9900A0420-8MRTR8W5

And please in future if any user wants to register some prehistoric version, feel free to use this key.

REDACTED · « **Reply #118 on:** May 29, 2018, 08:32:05 PM »

Quote from: MartinZ on May 29, 2018, 03:45:55 PM

Sorry my fault.

Here is the correct key: W11332244H9900A0420-8MRTR8W5

And please in future if any user wants to register some prehistoric version, feel free to use this key.

MartinZ

What an absolute star you are!

V7 registered now, Hoorah! Thank you so much for your time. effort and solution.

Cluster-Lizard2014 · « **Reply #119 on:** May 30, 2018, 01:02:12 PM »

As I suspected but had some hope I'd be wrong on restart today I'm now shown as unsecured by AVAST with a red X over the AVAST tray icon.

That has made the point of my contributions to this thread expressing the concerns of many users faced with an expiry countdown more than justified.

However I am very grateful to MartinZ for providing that new registration key. Fingers crossed.

EDIT

THANK YOU! Really appreciated - AVAST are now back in my good books.