downgrade back to avast Free?

[mirorim]

Hi,

could you please advise how to downgrade from the (full?) version back to Free? I've tried avast's action offer (damn!) to try the full version for free for 30 days, but there is no way (or at least I can not find it anywhere) how to go back to free version (without reinstall the whole SW from scratch)...

Any ideas that can help?

Thank you and cheers (and Happy New Year! ,
Miro

[DavidR]

I haven't used this option, but I thought there was meant to be a button/GUI option to revert.

I would think if it is anywhere it would be in the avastUI, Maintenance section, probably under Registration.

[mirorim]

Hi David,

thanks for reply. I've tried all possible buttons but none was helpful to downgrade - had to download and reinstall the free one again...

Thanks again and cheers,
Miro

PS: NOT FUNNY avast GUYS!  :'(

[DavidR]

You're welcome.

I too would have thought there would be an easy route back from the trial.

[igor]

The button is there, just as David described (just it's not Registration, once you switch to the trial it's Subscription).

[DavidR]

Thanks for the clarification Igor.

[anne.lavin]

The specific path to switch back (after, as near as I can tell, being *forced* to take the trial upgrade; not funny, guys, indeed) is:

Maintenance -> Subscription

click on "purchase"
click on "switch back to free"

...wait while the software downloads, installs, then reboot. 

Editorial comment:  I recognize that companies are in business to make money, after all, but forcing us to jump through hoops like this to get the free version is just icky.  Make it free, or make us pay, don't make it so irritating to use.

[singjai]

Guys, I know this is an old topic. But the problem remains, and Avast has closed off the the solution presented in this thread. The choice of downgrading to the free version is not among the options given. Or has it been hidden even more cleverly?

Does anyone have any new suggestions (short of a clean install)? Thanks.

[Marek358]

Try to deinstall and again install.
But nobody knows it will be effective or not.

[singjai]

Did you know Avast had a program called aswclear.exe?

I didn't either. It's possible to find it on the Avast website, but the site is not a model of directness or clarity. I actually found it through Google. Here is a direct link:
http://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility

First remove Avast with Add or Remove Programs. Restart computer. Then run aswclear.exe

Avast isn't making it easy not to sign up for Pro, I'll give 'em that.

[scs]

This utility is also extensively described in the FAQ:

http://www.avast.com/faq.php?article=AVKB10#idt_02
avast! 8.x: Uninstallation methods

A very detailed HowTo.

SCS

[singjai]

Yes, thank you, that is a very detailed FAQ. But backtracking it showed a path counter intuitive to literal me: click through the installation tab, then click through Uniinstall Avast! free antivirus...

Yes, the information is there. But as earlier posts in this thread indicate it is becoming more of a chore to downgrade than it has been. The "free trial" of Pro seemed very much like foistware. I wonder what next year will bring?

[Berthod]

I an being forced into this mess as well. I needed to perform a System Restore on a Win 7 box, and Avast popped up saying "The trial period could not be activated. In order to start receiving updates, the trial period must be activated." Dandy, except I was happily running Avast Free. There appears to be no way to have Avast keep working *without* activating the trial. Avast was sitting at version 8.0.1483, claiming an upgrade to 8.0.1455 was available. As far as I can ascertain, this upgrade does not exist, nor do any of the other Avast installations report that such an upgrade is available.

I then uninstalled Avast, downloaded the latest version, and reinstalled Avast Free. Well, that worked except that Avast refuses to register for continuing free protection. The only workable option is to register for a "free trial" of the pro version. I did, then set the computer's clock forward to extend past the trial period. Trial expired, can no longer revert back to free version, pay up sucker. I then went through the cleaning, etc. steps listed in earlier threads. Reinstalling Avast Free is not an option - it wants payment.

This whole process would have been more frustrating had it not played out in a virtual machine (we use VMs for instrumentation control; our corporate subscription to Symantec would work fine, but having a lighter-weight virus scanner is desirable). Restoring the entire VM from a backup took a minute or so, leaving Avast Free operational.

Based on this experience, I certainly would not want to rely on the "free" Avast to provide reliable, long-term protection for anything other than a disposable virtual computer.

[HDW38]

Hi!

You can downgrade, but not without a CLEAN install! That means the following:

1. Download 'aswclear' from -----> http://files.avast.com/iavs5x/aswclear.exe  to your desktop.
2. Download 'avast FREE' from --> http://files.avast.com/iavs5x/avast_free_antivirus_setup.exe
3. Deinstall 'avast' (under XP) via --> Settings ... --> Software. Look for 'avast' and de-install.
4. Restart and use 'PF8' for 'Safe Mode'.
5. Start 'aswclear.exe' (see under 1.), it's for version 5 to 8! If you installed 'avast' on another place (search for
    and choose), click 'REMOVE' and restart.
6. Run 'avast FREE'-Setup (see under 2.) and follow the instuctions (attention: untick 'Chrome'-installation).
7. Restart.

HDW38

[mart0091]

This was a bit of a shock, as I do not remember EVER upgrading to the pro offer.  I left it untouched...
NOT happy with this hoop-jumping to reset. (Instructions said there was an easy revert on the PREVIOUS "free trial" which I didn't take.