Thanks, Asyn.
All I have ever used is the standard Windows firewall at the default settings. I would imagine that if the current version of AFAV has developed a problem with this, given the number of Windows users who rely solely on the built-in firewall just doing its’ thing, you would be seeing a tsunami of complaints by now.
Weirdly enough, the last new installation that I put Avast Free on was Windows 8.1 a few months ago and it has exactly the same licensing issues. The only things that installation has in common with the Windows 7 installation which I have been writing about here, is the AFAV version and the 56k dial-up internet connection. But, unless someone can argue cogently as to why, suddenly, the dial-up connection should prevent, selectively, the information exchange between the Avast servers and the installed application pertaining to licensing – when everything else seems to work okay (slow, but okay) – I am hesitant to lay the blame there.
These are both desktop computers. Otherwise I could try the initial AFAV installation on a faster connection at a location with free wifi and see if there was any difference with license retrieval.
I have two other Win7 desktops using this same dial-up connection that have current AFAV versions and valid licenses. The difference here may be (I don’t remember specifically) that I renewed their licenses manually before they expired, so that all that had to be done was to reset the calendar on installed licenses rather than receive and install brand new licenses where none existed (empty Subscriptions folders).
I’m a bit(!) disappointed that all that Avast support has been able to come up with has been to recommend changing DNS settings. To me, that’s like going to the doctor for a broken arm but the only thing red-flagged in your diagnostic work is an electrolyte imbalance, so the doctor concludes that the electrolyte imbalance caused the broken arm and recommends drinking Gatorade to fix it.
For me, this has all devolved into voodoo, and although I hate losing, I also hate beating my head against a wall.
Grant