Avast 5.0.377 won't install ! Win 2000 Avast 4.8 key invalid

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

I’ve tried installing 5.0.377 over previous working version - now have neither >:(

I’d been running 4.8 fine on a Windows 2000 pro system fine since May 2009.
Would have stuck with that except I started getting large pop-up, on startup, (that wouldn’t clear) - saying registration expired, download new version.

Was prompted to restart, I chose to restart later (after I’d closed Firefox).

I got the message “This beta version of avast internet security has expired
please uninstall … download latest version.”
Zone Alarm tells me that Avast is accessing the trusted zone.
Then get pop-up message: “Installation is successfully completed.”
Then rebooted.
No Avast is there, nothing in Program files, no Avast process running.
Tried new download & reinstall, still the same.
Deleted Avast entries from reg file, though control set ones were locked. 3rd try just the same.

Ideas ???

The log file reads:
25.10.2010 23:34:54 general: Started: 25.10.2010, 23:34:54
25.10.2010 23:34:54 general: Running setup_ais-179 (377)
25.10.2010 23:34:54 system: Operating system: Windows2000 ver 5.0, build 2195, sp 4.0 [Service Pack 4]
25.10.2010 23:34:54 system: Memory: 66% load. Phys:175692/523760K free, Page:673804/1001424K free, Virt:2073572/2097024K free
25.10.2010 23:34:54 system: Computer WinName: PETER
25.10.2010 23:34:54 system: Windows Net User: PETER\peter
25.10.2010 23:34:54 general: Cmdline: /sfx /sfxstorage “R:\Temp_av_sfx.tm~a01648” /srcpath “U:\INSTAL~2\Internet\Security\AVASTF~1” /sfxname “setup_av_free_eng”
25.10.2010 23:34:54 general: DldSrc set to sfx
25.10.2010 23:34:54 general: Old version: 179 (377)
25.10.2010 23:34:54 registry: Deleted registry: Software\Alwil Software\Avast\5.0\UpdateReady
25.10.2010 23:34:54 general: Install check: ‘C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast5\AvastUI.exe’ does NOT exist
25.10.2010 23:34:54 general: SGW32AIS::CheckIfInstalled set m_bAlreadyInstalled to 0
25.10.2010 23:34:54 registry: Get registry: Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Version=6.0.2800.1106
25.10.2010 23:34:54 general: Operation set to INST_OP_INSTALL
25.10.2010 23:34:54 general: GUID: e01e0a6a-362a-4b5f-830a-eb795c30464e
25.10.2010 23:34:54 general: SelectCurrent: selected server ‘tmp sfx storage’ from ‘sfx’
25.10.2010 23:34:54 internet: SYNCER: Type: use IE settings
25.10.2010 23:34:54 internet: SYNCER: Auth: another authentication, use WinInet
25.10.2010 23:34:54 general: Changed Edition=1

2

update:

Found mention of Avast uninstall utility aswclear.exe so tried that.

After rebooting there was still 36 Avast entries in the registry ( I just left them this time).

5.0.377 install still just producing the error message:
“This beta version of avast internet security has expired
please uninstall … download latest version.”

Tried going back to Avast 4.8, install worked fine but wouldn’t accept original key (9 months old). wouldn’t run demo mode and wouldn’t accept a new free key I just registered for - also says invalid key. I applied from the 4.8 registration panel and the key e-mail mentions avast! 4 Home Edition.

nb the 5.0.377 install file has worked fine on another machine running W7 X64.

3

Hi Petertr, I’ve had the same ‘invalid license key’ issue.

I believe the problem resides with Alwil linking the WRONG registration page on their website. If you click the link provided in Avast 4.8 OR the License link on their website, it takes you to a registration page for ‘Avast Free’, not ‘Avast 4.8 Home’. This could be the culprit.

I registered on 2 different occasions after complete uninstalls, reboots etc. I replicated the exact same problem on my Windows xp sp3 computer. Avast 4.8 Home changes to Avast 4.8 Professional after inserting License key and rebooting. After reboot, when I try to run a virus scan, it asks for License key again, but this time the License key is invalid.

I have no solution thus far, other than submitting a ticket to Alwil and asking for a functional License key.

4

Worked this time. :o

A few days later, no new ideas so tried 5.0.377 install again. This time it worked!
Same win2k system, same source .exe file. Perhaps the extra reboots since then have helped.

Registered by inserting the Avast 4.8 key I’d been emailed. I applied from the 4.8 registration panel and the key e-mail mentions avast! 4 Home Edition.
This was the free key, I’d received a few days ago, which previously gave invalid key.