Intensely annoying re-registration procedure of free version

[hake]

Has Avast deliberately designed this to tease the users of its otherwise excellent free software?  I am trying to re-register and meet with options that when clicked do nothing.  There is no information to explain why this is so so that I can at least understand what I might be doing wrong.  I realise that this is free software and so I shouldn't complain but it's not much use when there is a possibility that I cannot continue to use it.  I am 15 days off the expiry date.
 

[DavidR]

The reason there is no information as to why this is so, is that it isn't normal.

What avast version are you using 4.8 or 5.0 ?

So there is some conflict somewhere that is stopping this action.
What other security software do you have installed, firewall, anti-spyware, previous AV, etc. ?

It could also be that your installation isn't correct, so was this an update from 4.8 to 5.0 and if so did you do a clean install or install over 4.8 ?

[hake]

Thanks for those suggestions David.  It's Avast 5 Free.  The issue happens on several different systems.  Some have clean installs of Avast 5 Free and a few are updates from Avast 4.8 Free.  Is there a cutoff time after which this thing actually works, i.e. within so many days of the expiry date?

Otherwise, Avast 5 Free works impressively well.  This is the only difficulty and the only software with which I have such difficulties.  I'm not the only person to have these difficulties.  Obviously I am very stupid and so do not deserve the privilege of being an Avast user and this is Avast's way of preventing very stupid people like me from using their lovely software.  Well, that's how it seems.  It's very frustrating.

[DavidR]

It would probably be best to do a clean reinstall:
- Download the latest version of avast, 5.0.594 http://files.avast.com/iavs5x/setup_av_free.exe and save it to your HDD, somewhere you can find it again (if you didn't save your last download). Use that when you reinstall.

- Download the avast! Uninstall Utility, aswClear5.exe find it here and save it to your HDD (it has uninstall tools for both 4.8 and 5.0).

• 1. Now uninstall (using add remove programs, if you can't do that start from the next step), reboot.
• 2. run the avast! Uninstall Utility from safe mode, first for 4.8 if previously installed and then for 5.0, once complete reboot into normal mode.
• 3. install the latest version, reboot.

[Dch48]

If you can't get reregistering of the free version to work you can always uninstall it completely using the removal tool, then reinstall the latest version and you will get to register it for a year. I realize it's not supposed to be necessary to do that but it's only once a year so not that bad.

Oops, sorry DavidR, you beat me to it.

[hake]

I think I have it.  Avast 5 Free was last registered by inserting a registration code obtained by email and this is where the problem may lie.

I am doing exactly as you suggest in uninstalling Avast 5, then reinstalling.  The online registration now seems to work but the alternative of entering a code still seems unavailable.

You would have thought that the designers of this would have realised that some users might have done what I did a year ago and catered for the case where a user has inserted a registration code string.

[hake]

Thank you to DavidR and Dch48 for your help.

Uninstall/reinstall is a doddle.  The settings are retained in the All Users application folder files so the disruption is minimal.  I guess that the program will now behave the same way in 12 months time.

It is a relief because Avast 5 is such good software.  Nothing matches it.

I have now recovered my composure.  

[DavidR]

I think I have it.  Avast 5 Free was last registered by inserting a registration code obtained by email and this is where the problem may lie.

I am doing exactly as you suggest in uninstalling Avast 5, then reinstalling.  The online registration now seems to work but the alternative of entering a code still seems unavailable.

You would have thought that the designers of this would have realised that some users might have done what I did a year ago and catered for the case where a user has inserted a registration code string.

Well you are trying to jump the jun a little as in the old version 4.8, etc. the only option was email and that is why the program started telling you about 21 days before so you would have plenty of time to get on with that.

With avast5 this is reduced to 14 days I think and at that point the User Interface, Maintenance, Registration section changes to allow for either on-line registration or insertion of the registration code. So it just looks like that didn't hit the time frame where that changed, so no way to manually enter the code and there is no facility to enter a new key early.

Thank you to DavidR and Dch48 for your help.

Uninstall/reinstall is a doddle.  The settings are retained in the All Users application folder files so the disruption is minimal.  I guess that the program will now behave the same way in 12 months time.

It is a relief because Avast 5 is such good software.  Nothing matches it.

I have now recovered my composure.   

You're welcome.