Avast for Mac won't work after firewire transfer

[MacFan]

So I got a new macbook and transferred everything from my old one via firewire. I'd never had problems with Avast before. Now, when Avast pops up it tells me to change my license. I've got my license no. and the app.doc I was sent when I purchased it in January. How do I get it to start working again? I've tried everything I can think of. It won't let me in to the Avast program at all--my options are quit or change license and when I try to change license there's no place to enter the info. I know Macs don't have a license # but this is driving me crazy--now every email I get comes up as suspected virus. (BTW--the program isn't running on the old computer the whole hard drive was erased.)

[.: Mac :.]

I would re-run the setup package to make sure everything is still there after the transfer and then try to enter your license file. Sometimes the Migration assistant doesnt copy some system files (like kernel extensions), especially if you are going from PowerPC -> Intel.

[MacFan]

I'm not going from a PowerPC to a Mac, just a MAc to Mac transfer. I downloaded the program (after I paid for it, of course) so I'm not sure--do you mean that I should download it again? Only problem there is I've tried that and I've got to have a license but now it says my original license has expired. Please advise.

[zilog]

So I got a new macbook and transferred everything from my old one via firewire. I'd never had problems with Avast before. Now, when Avast pops up it tells me to change my license. I've got my license no. and the app.doc I was sent when I purchased it in January. How do I get it to start working again? I've tried everything I can think of. It won't let me in to the Avast program at all--my options are quit or change license and when I try to change license there's no place to enter the info. I know Macs don't have a license # but this is driving me crazy--now every email I get comes up as suspected virus. (BTW--the program isn't running on the old computer the whole hard drive was erased.)

Hallo, the option "change license" will pop a requester, and you can select the license file. that's all. it's not about "entering info", it's about selecting a license file.

regards,
pc

[MacFan]

I tried to follow your suggestion. No luck. This is the message box that appeared

Cannot Copy Licence File
The new licence file at "/Applications/avast!.app" cannot be copied to "/Users/MYNAME/Library/Application Support/com.avast.MacAvast/licence.dat". You may want to check access rights.

Again, I didn't keep Avast on my old computer--just wanted to transfer it over to my new one. Any other ideas?

kjg

[.: Mac :.]

I tried to follow your suggestion. No luck. This is the message box that appeared

Cannot Copy Licence File
The new licence file at "/Applications/avast!.app" cannot be copied to "/Users/MYNAME/Library/Application Support/com.avast.MacAvast/licence.dat". You may want to check access rights.

Again, I didn't keep Avast on my old computer--just wanted to transfer it over to my new one. Any other ideas?

kjg

When using the migration assistant the permissions sometimes are set incorrectly. Navigate to the com.avast.MacAvast folder and check the permissions (Command-I or right click and choose get info). Also it may help to run the repair permissions function in Disk Utility.

I'm not going from a PowerPC to a Mac, just a MAc to Mac transfer. I downloaded the program (after I paid for it, of course) so I'm not sure--do you mean that I should download it again? Only problem there is I've tried that and I've got to have a license but now it says my original license has expired. Please advise.

PowerPC is referring to the processor used in your Mac. Macs prior to 2007 used PowerPC processors and newer Macs use Intel Processors.

[MacFan]

Okay, I got to the Avast! Info box and went into Sharing & Permissions. It said that I have custom access but when I tried to click on the other options--system, admin, everyone, none of them were highlighted so I couldn't do anything. Any suggestions?

Also, I did run the utilities scan. Didn't seem to help.

thanks

[zilog]

I tried to follow your suggestion. No luck. This is the message box that appeared

Cannot Copy Licence File
The new licence file at "/Applications/avast!.app" cannot be copied to "/Users/MYNAME/Library/Application Support/com.avast.MacAvast/licence.dat". You may want to check access rights.

Again, I didn't keep Avast on my old computer--just wanted to transfer it over to my new one. Any other ideas?

kjg

Hallo,
sigh, this message repeats again and again, and I really don't understand, why. What do all the people do in the license dialog? It's purpose is to pick a license file, and then to press "select". Easy peasy.

The subsequent message looks like people confuse, again and again, the license file (= textual, bare file, human readable, ~1kB long) with the APPLICATION ITSELF. The message says that it was not possible to copy avast (= app meta-dir itself) to the rightful place of license file - and for me it looks like you just clicked on avast!.app, instead on license file. You and many others. Can you confirm this?

Otherwise it might be some suspicious non-deterministic bug, but never seen/reproduced on our machines.

regards,
pc