Annoying Christmas Ad and popups on Avast Internet Security

DavidR · 2013-12-15T00:38:04.000Z

The little toaster popup is the continuing (and intermittent) screwed up virus definitions auto update notification (about which there are lots of topics) and the community settings have no effect in that regard.

If you browse the forums you will see several topics relating to a known bug about updates.

no auto update notification popup (commonly displays an avast! tip - Ad, instead).
no audio voice over for the auto update.
the popup delay timings don’t appear to work either.
These tips popups have in the past been piggybacked with the auto update update notification, so the only way to get rid of them would be to disable the auto update notification, which if you want the update notification (when it works correctly) would remove everything.

Unchecking the “show social networking features” as suggested won’t work as they are piggybacked to the auto update notifications. The only way to get rid of them would be to uncheck the auto update notifications, reducing the duration of the popups won’t work either as it doesn’t appear to work as it used to (so another bug).

I can’t comment on the one in the main avastUI, as I don 't know why that would be there in the paid version. I also haven’t seen it in either toaster popup (auto update notification) or in the avastUI and I can’t read German in the attachments. So I can’t say if it is an add or a renewal offer or what.

system · 2013-12-15T00:40:24.000Z

what I have here is Avast Internet Security

Program
Current Version: 2014.9.0.2008

system · 2013-12-15T00:45:33.000Z

The German Christmas ad looks like it’s offering an upgrade to “our ultimate protection plan” (Avast Premier?) at reduced price. This is called upselling: Got small, medium, large. Customer asks for medium → offer large with discount (still more expensive than medium).

system · 2013-12-15T02:02:09.000Z

To the Original Poster (and anyone else)

I had a similar (but even bigger) popup advertising Google Chrome that was caused by my not paying attention during installation and missing a pre-checked box.

I suspect that somewhere sometime you checked (or didn’t un-check) a box that said you wanted to see advertisements of upgrades and special features.

You can see the thread that I started, the offending file (Offers.ini) and my solution and commentary at: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=140849.msg1027907#msg1027907

system · 2013-12-15T03:48:52.000Z

flieg post:27:

To the Original Poster (and anyone else)

I had a similar (but even bigger) popup advertising Google Chrome that was caused by my not paying attention during installation and missing a pre-checked box.

I suspect that somewhere sometime you checked (or didn’t un-check) a box that said you wanted to see advertisements of upgrades and special features.

You can see the thread that I started, the offending file (Offers.ini) and my solution and commentary at: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=140849.msg1027907#msg1027907

Hi,

I took a look at the Offers.ini file, but i dont think it can help me.

I believe that if you dont accept whatever they offer you during setup, avast writes “-1” to the IntallReturn variable in the Offers.ini file.
The lines below were copied from my Offer.ini.

[GoogleChrome]
InstallReturn=-1

[GoogleToolbar]
InstallReturn=-1

[GoogleDrive]
InstallReturn=-1

[RemoteOffer]
InstallReturn=-1

However, your post encouraged me to browse through avast folders and I found some of the image (png) files used on the ads.

I also found a folder named “black_friday_campaign”.

They are inside a Zip file in C:\ProgramData\AVAST Software\Avast\RemoteCache\

And I´m positive that I didnt miss any boxes i should´ve unchecked in the setup.

Thanks, anyway.

system · 2013-12-16T22:08:41.000Z

DavidR post:24:

The little toaster popup is the continuing (and intermittent) screwed up virus definitions auto update notification (about which there are lots of topics) and the community settings have no effect in that regard.

If you browse the forums you will see several topics relating to a known bug about updates.

no auto update notification popup (commonly displays an avast! tip - Ad, instead).

no audio voice over for the auto update.

the popup delay timings don’t appear to work either.
These tips popups have in the past been piggybacked with the auto update update notification, so the only way to get rid of them would be to disable the auto update notification, which if you want the update notification (when it works correctly) would remove everything.

Unchecking the “show social networking features” as suggested won’t work as they are piggybacked to the auto update notifications. The only way to get rid of them would be to uncheck the auto update notifications, reducing the duration of the popups won’t work either as it doesn’t appear to work as it used to (so another bug).

I can’t comment on the one in the main avastUI, as I don 't know why that would be there in the paid version. I also haven’t seen it in either toaster popup (auto update notification) or in the avastUI and I can’t read German in the attachments. So I can’t say if it is an add or a renewal offer or what.

The ad on the home screen and the popup say almost the exact same thing.

the home screen says:
Christmas offer.
Get our maximum security package for a ridiculously low price!
valid until December 18th, 2013.
know more.

the popup says:
Christmas offer.
Get our maximum security package for a ridiculously low price!
know more.

It´s obvious that whatever makes the popup, makes the big ad as well.

This is just frustrating and disrespectable

I dont think i will renew my license.

Thank you all for the help.

PS: I´ve attached the popup to this post. The other ad is on the original post.

essexboy · 2013-12-16T22:14:26.000Z

Intriguing as since the last beta I have had a normal update, voice and popup… No advert type stuff

I do have the community features disabled …

DavidR · 2013-12-17T00:14:44.000Z

@ flimawpi2014

What appears in the avast free version Home page is entirely different, there are periodic ads in there and that has been the same from avast 8 versions and possibly avast 7.

The tiny toaster style popups similar to that you attached is all to do with the screwed update notification.

DavidR · 2013-12-17T00:17:00.000Z

essexboy post:30:

Intriguing as since the last beta I have had a normal update, voice and popup… No advert type stuff

I do have the community features disabled …

More luck than anything else as the community settings are totally unrelated. I have had them off from when they were first introduced.

I have been getting the regular auto update notification on occasion, but when I think it has been resolved it got down the pan again incorrect popup, no voice over and popup duration doesn’t work.

system · 2013-12-19T17:00:34.000Z

reisender post:5:

flimawpi2014 post:1:

Hi,

There is a big Christmas ad on the main Avast window and a smaller one that keeps popping up.

Can anyone help me gid rid of those? I´ve tried everything i can imagine, but nothing works.

As I´ve paid for a license, Avast should´ve asked me if I wanted to see them, and not simply force me to do so.

I need to be able to stop all ads and not lose the other alerts and popups related to threats,

thanks.

Hello,

+1

here is a screenshot.

On a paid Version this is unacceptable.

Greetings
Christian

Same GUI as I have (but then in Dutch). I agree, it’s not acceptable in a paid version of avast! (!).

essexboy · 2013-12-19T18:12:04.000Z

This looks like another glitch as I have not received any ads at all. Neither in popups or the main screen

system · 2013-12-19T18:41:35.000Z

essexboy post:34:

This looks like another glitch as I have not received any ads at all. Neither in popups or the main screen

Lucky you
http://www.atforumz.com/images/smilies/animal26.gif
I suppose bugs like these are communicated with avast! ?
http://www.mysmilie.de/smilies/verwirrt/1.gif

essexboy · 2013-12-19T18:43:42.000Z

Yes they are aware. However, how far into the fix they are I do not know…

system · 2013-12-19T18:58:20.000Z

essexboy post:36:

Yes they are aware. However, how far into the fix they are I do not know…

Ok. I am very glad with this lively and helpful forum
http://www.fancysplace.com/smileys/wahooo.gif

Sure beats that dreadful helpdesk in India (or where ever they are)
http://www.getsmile.com/emoticons/smileys-91853/d/spy.gif

system · 2013-12-20T23:03:11.000Z

I’m also getting the same ads. I’ve paid for this product and i should be not be seeing any ads, or else i want my money back.

system · 2013-12-21T05:48:01.000Z

I am also getting the same ads in the Pro version. I have unchecked the community / social features. This is extremely unprofessional of avast. It has been happening exactly as the OP said and is ongoing since last few days.
I paid so I don’t get ads or popups.

system · 2013-12-21T10:02:37.000Z

I am curious as to how the fix is coming along. Now I get serveral times a day that annoying and ridiculous offer. And as explained before, unchecking the “show social networking features” as suggested won’t work as they are piggybacked to the auto update notifications. The only way to get rid of them would be to uncheck the auto update notifications, reducing the duration of the popups won’t work either as it doesn’t appear to work as it used to (so another bug).

system · 2013-12-21T16:22:06.000Z

...The only way to get rid of them would be to uncheck the auto update notifications...

Which also seems to work with the [b]free version[/b], once one gets the setting change to stick (which I had to work all day yesterday to accomplish).

Perhaps it’s a bit early to say the ads are eliminated, though… I haven’t seen an ad pop up since yesterday afternoon. Perhaps a bit more fishing is required before proclaiming the lake is free from fish…

-Noel

system · 2013-12-21T18:21:16.000Z

NoelC post:41:

...The only way to get rid of them would be to uncheck the auto update notifications...
Which also seems to work with the [b]free version[/b], once one gets the setting change to stick (which I had to work all day yesterday to accomplish).
Perhaps it’s a bit early to say the ads are eliminated, though… I haven’t seen an ad pop up since yesterday afternoon. Perhaps a bit more fishing is required before proclaiming the lake is free from fish…

-Noel

In the paid version, the popus seem to have stopped with the auto update notifications unchecked, but the big ad in the home screen is still there.

It says almost the exact same thing the popup says.

Every time I have to use Avast (paid version), this is what I see, even with the auto update notifications unchecked.

http://i1365.photobucket.com/albums/r744/flimabr/avasthomescreen2_zps919a66dc.jpg

Para-Noid · 2013-12-21T18:33:55.000Z

DannyG post:38:

I’m also getting the same ads. I’ve paid for this product and i should be not be seeing any ads, or else i want my money back.

If you had read the entire thread you would know it’s an ongoing glitch.
A glitch I hope avast fixes. As stated before they should be about vps updates.

Announcements