Upgraded from free to professional Avast. Unable to register. Help!

[Moriarty2]

I downloaded the professional version of Avast two days ago, paid my 39.95. Was supposed to double click on the download button to be prompted to restart my computer and would then follow the instructions to register the product. I was sent a 'license number' to do this. I was told my money had been received, that the download was complete. At that juncture, a product called Spyware Doctor piggybacked itself onto the screen and, because I'm something of a technomoron, completely confused me. By the time I realized it was NOT part of Avast and exited out, I'd also exited out of Avast, so never got the instructions to restart my computer. I did watch a video on how to register, which someone kindly suggested on another forum, but couldn't get that to work either. I seem to be completely lost at this point. So, my question is, for anyone with the patience to deal with a technomoron: product has been paid for and downloaded. How do I now, two days later, register it???  Thank you so much!

[Lisandro]

Please take a look here: http://www.avast.com/eng/faq-invalid-license-number.html
From which site where you trying to buy avast?

You can contact sales@avast.com and inform your license key. But if it's fake, cracked, I think you won't be able to use avast...

[Moriarty2]

I was using Avast as a free download. It was working fine. I kept getting warning screens to say my subscription was running out and I was about to lose my protection.  It recommended I upgrade to Professional. In fact I got one today saying I had 3 days until I lost my protection. Are you saying this is a scam?   

[YoKenny]

This is normal as the free version needs to be re-registered every 12 months or so if you have been using it for that long and when avast! detects that it is time to renew then of course it will recommend the Professional version.

If you have only just started to use avast! then it must be registered within 60 days of use with a free registration that would be sent to you if you request it.  This way avast knows how many users they have.

Now that you have paid you need to download the Professional version then install it then you need the information that you received in the confirmation email from Cleverbridge to enter into the Professional version.

[DavidR]

We are saying that you need to enter your License key that was emailed to you (from my first reply, see below) into avast Home (which you already have installed) to convert it to the Pro version. So you shouldn't need to download the pro version.

<snip>
Second, the company is Alwil Software, the makers of avast and is based in the Czech Republic (Czechoslovakia having long since become two countries). It is a legit company, have you entered the license number that you were sent.

See Insert Registration Key - Video if you don't know how.
<snip>

So did you enter the new license key ?

The coloured text above is a link to a video showing how to enter the key.

[Moriarty2]

Thank you, DavidR! I followed the video and actually got the thing to register. Now it's asked me to restart the computer. Good sign, huh? thought I'd write to thank you first. Sorry to have been such a pain! 

Did you know Freud said, "The Irish are one race of people for whom psychoanalysis is of no benefit whatsoever!" Explains a lot!

[Moriarty2]

After I restarted my computer, I have two new icons on my desktop: one calls itself Registry Mechanic, the other is the dreaded Spyware Doctor. I'm assuming neither of these programs have anything to do with Avast! but have somehow managed to piggyback themselves onto my computer?? Now that I finally have my Professional Avast! I don't want anything to interfere with it. How do I get rid of these two unwanted products?  Am I allowed to ask that on this forum? If not, I expect Tech will get on me!

Incidentally, I'm a her! 

[DavidR]

You're welcome.

A good sign yes, there is an avast 'a' icon in the system tray (bottom right of the screen), right click on that and select about avast! that will bring up that window you entered the key. That should now show that you have the Pro version.

You are correct Registry Mechanic and Spyware Doctor are nothing to do with Alwil Software.

If you go to the Control Panel, Add Remove Programs, if these two are legit programs then they should have entries in the Add Remove Programs listing, you can click on the Remove button on the entry for them. Be careful that you only click the one for the relevant program you want to uninstall.

[YoKenny]

Moriarty2, I humbly apologise for calling you a he   :'(

I am happy you have avast! sorted out and I have no idea how Registry Mechanic and Spyware Doctor have appeared on your system and I do not use them myself nor any PC Tools products.

[Moriarty2]

Thank you, guys. I did check as you suggested, DavidR, and indeed, I do have Professional Avast! Sigh of relief!

I also found Register Mechanic and Spyware Doctor in my add/remove program list. As you say, YoKenny, they call themselves PC tools. The scary thing is they both did a scan of my system, without me asking for it by the way, and pronounced that I have hundreds of 'low risk' threats, quite a few 'medium risk',  and one 'high risk'. Both offer to remove same. Spyware Doctor wants 29.95 and Register Mechanic offers its services free for 6 days, after which who knows what they'll want. You say you never use PC Tools. Am I correct to assume, then, that there's some other way to remove these so-called 'threats', if they even exist??  Or should I just go ahead and remove both programs??

You're forgiven, YoKenny for the gender oops! So long as you don't do it in real life!!!   

[YoKenny]

Read about Demoware:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demoware

In other words the application finds things then wants you to pay to remove them.

I do not trust any registry tweeking application as they are mostly fluff at least and down right dangerous at worst.
Read user reviews about Registry Mechanic:
http://download.cnet.com/Registry-Mechanic/3000-2094_4-10190447.html#rateit

User reviews of Spyware Doctor:
http://download.cnet.com/Spyware-Doctor/3000-8022_4-10293212.html#rateit

I recommend MalwareBytes' Anti-Malware (MBAM) then install it then update it and run a Quick scan:
http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php

Go to Secunia Online Software Inspector then run it to see what other applications are vulnerable:
http://secunia.com/vulnerability_scanning/online

[Pondus]

remove them, you get better programs for free

CCleaner http://filehippo.com/download_ccleaner/

Malwarebytes Antimalware http://filehippo.com/download_malwarebytes_anti_malware/

SUPERAntiSpyware http://filehippo.com/download_superantispyware/

[DavidR]

Thank you, guys. I did check as you suggested, DavidR, and indeed, I do have Professional Avast! Sigh of relief!

I also found Register Mechanic and Spyware Doctor in my add/remove program list. As you say, YoKenny, they call themselves PC tools.
<snip>
Or should I just go ahead and remove both programs??
<snip>

You're welcome.

Yes remove them as I first suggested (and others also confirm) there are other tools that are just as good and better IMHO.

MalwareBytes AntiMalware (MBAM) and SUPERAntiSpyware (SAS) are more than up to the task. When you run SAS, don't worry about reported tracking cookies they are a minor issue and not one of security, allow SAS to deal with them though. - See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTP_cookie.

[Moriarty2]

You guys are so great! Thank you for the info! I am now about to go remove Register Mechanic and Spyware Doctor. Gulp! Didn't want them anyway since they pushed their way onto my computer without an invite!  The nerve!!!

Will investigate the freebies you mentioned. Thank you so much!   

[DavidR]

No problem, let us know how you get.