No free registration? Avast trying to force me to pay

[Rekrul]

I'm using the free edition of Avast. For a couple days now it's been nagging me to renew/extend my registration. However, even though I click on the free button, there's no option to register the free version. I get this;



I click on the button for Avast Free Antivirus and I get this. Notice that there's no option other than upgrade. If I click on it, I get this;



And if I click Continue with upgrade, I get this;



Where's the free option???

And no, just selecting the Free button on the first screen doesn't count. Avast still says I need to activate it.

[DavidR]

Well your 2nd image indicates you have Activated Avast Free, what happens if you just close that window using the X top right of the window ?

As by clicking the Continue With Upgrade, is going to take you down the paid route.
Is there not an Activate button on the bottom left of the main Avast UI window ?

If not try right clicking on the avast tray icon and select Registration information, that should show if it is active or presumably give an option to activate.

Personally I feel this whole Activation, Renewal for Avast Free is a minefield in the hope that many will take the paid route.

[Rekrul]

Well your 2nd image indicates you have Activated Avast Free, what happens if you just close that window using the X top right of the window ?

Nothing and this what the Avast UI shows;

As by clicking the Continue With Upgrade, is going to take you down the paid route.
Is there not an Activate button on the bottom left of the main Avast UI window ?

Yes there is, and clicking either that or the "Extend" button, gives me this;

If not try right clicking on the avast tray icon and select Registration information, that should show if it is active or presumably give an option to activate.

That gives me this;



I'll give you three guesses what I get when I click the "Renew now" link...

If I click the little down arrow after it, it shows me an activation code (which can't be copied with the mouse), but when I type it into the activation box, it says "Cannot insert license".

Personally I feel this whole Activation, Renewal for Avast Free is a minefield in the hope that many will take the paid route.

It's a frigging pain in the ass and the fact that the Avast employees seem to MIA doesn't inspire confidence. And of course there's no option to contact them by email, at least not that I can see.

Will I even be able to register the last XP version for free if I install it from scratch?

[Asyn]

-> https://support.avast.com/article/Activate-Free-Antivirus

[Rekrul]

-> https://support.avast.com/article/Activate-Free-Antivirus

A. The window that comes up for me doesn't have any of the things shown on that page.

B. I've tried clicking the Free button and then closing the window. Avast still says it needs to be activated or it will expire in 9 days. I've done that several times now and it hasn't done squat.

[Asyn]

Be sure Avast isn't blocked by a firewall and try again.

[Rekrul]

Be sure Avast isn't blocked by a firewall and try again.

Thank you, completely deactivating my firewall did the trick. I didn't think of trying this because Avast already has permission to make and receive connections. It should have been able to do whatever it needed to do with the firewall active.

[Asyn]

You're welcome.

[razzlefrazzle]

I've been having this same problem for the past week.  I only have Windows Defender as my firewall, no exceptions made for Avast and turning the firewall off completely hasn't helped.  I go through all the same steps as the previous user with the exact same windows and it still says my license is expiring.

[Rekrul]

You're welcome.

And of course, since I made the mistake of initially clicking on the "Upgrade" button, just to see if that would complete the free version registration, Avast now keeps popping up a message telling me that I haven't completed my order and telling me to click to start a free trial. Of course there's no option to just can't the whole thing, all I can do is dismiss the message. Unless there's some other way to tell it to stop bothering me.