Avast takes new key but doesn't register it???

system · 2007-03-23T18:33:30.000Z

Hi all,
I have been using Avast Home free version for about a year on my PC and laptop, and I got the “license is about to expire” red box on both machines. I went to the Alwil site and updated my subscription, they sent me a new registration key. I cut and paste the key into the Enter key dialog, it says the operation completed successfully, but the program still shows my old key and the red box keeps popping up.

I reinstalled, no soap.

So I uninstalled Avast using add-remove programs, and I used the Avast remove tool, shut down after each operation - that ought to do it, right?
I reinstall Avast and after I reboot Avast shows up with the original (old) Registration code already installed, and “takes” the new key (“Operation completed successfully”), but it STILL doesn’t install it and quit telling me my subscription is about to expire. I repeated the above, went through the registry by hand and deleted all references to Alwil and Avast. Same deal. The old license number is hiding somewhere and the program won’t accept the new one for some reason. Avast updated the registration fine on the laptop, but NOT the PC for some reason. I did a search and I can’t find any evidence anyone else is having this problem. I’ve run a virus and spyware scan - no nothing nada.

Any ideas what’s wrong? And especially how to fix it? :

BTW - I’m running Windows XP Pro and it’s up to date.

TIA

Lisandro · 2007-03-24T01:33:36.000Z

It seems the ‘anti-piracy’ feature is going to far on blocking avast…
By the way, avast is the only application that, when I recover my partition image to the same partition to the same HDD, avast is the only application that complains the key. Why? I do not lost even Windows Activation… I don’t see a reason to block as the same partition, on the same HDD…

DavidR · 2007-03-24T13:16:07.000Z

There has been something in the topics relating to a bad jollyroger.vpu which contains the banned registration keys, whilst this is related to updates failing because of an invalid key, it may possibly be involved in the validation.

However, I would have thought it would have reported the key as invalid on input if this were correct, check out this topic and try what is suggested about downloading a new jollyroger.vpu, http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=27185.msg222148#msg222148.

@ mrcoffee
Have you checked your system date particularly month and year ?

system · 2007-03-26T20:13:39.000Z

Hi Tech and DavidR,
Thanks for replies. MY system date is correct. I completeely uninstalled and reinstalled Avast (again), so I figure the jollyroger should be ok. I got a (another) new key from Alwil\Avast, and same deal - I paste in a new registration key, it says the operation completed successfully, but the original key remains the one on the “about” screen as if I never entered a new one. And where it is hiding on my system I can’t figure - I cleared every Alwil and Avast entry I could find in the registry, deleted the Alwil folder, even used the remove tool (which apparently DOESN’T remove completely), or it wouldn’t keep coming back with my old registration key already installed when I do a “clean” install.

Grrr - why software protect free software in the first place - makes no sense.

So do I take it that I am the only person in the universe this is happening to??? NO one else???

Lisandro · 2007-03-26T20:43:50.000Z

mrcoffee post:4:

But the original key remains the one on the “about” screen as if I never entered a new one.

Look, only a part of the key is shown on the about dialog.
Are you receiving any other error after pasting the new key? If not, why don’t you stay with it? When does avast updates expires with this new key?

mrcoffee post:4:

And where it is hiding on my system I can’t figure - I cleared every Alwil and Avast entry I could find in the registry, deleted the Alwil folder, even used the remove tool (which apparently DOESN’T remove completely), or it wouldn’t keep coming back with my old registration key already installed when I do a “clean” install.

The key is on the Windows Registry and not in the files under avast folder.

mrcoffee post:4:

Grrr - why software protect free software in the first place - makes no sense.

The protection is against piracy of the Pro version or ‘renewing’ the trial period. The Home version shouldn’t be affected at all.

mrcoffee post:4:

So do I take it that I am the only person in the universe this is happening to??? NO one else???

There were some problems - in the past and nowadays, with registration - if you uninstall and install the new jollyroger file, it shouldn’t be a problem… but seems that we’re wrong…

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