Hi,
could you please advise how to downgrade from the (full?) version back to Free? I’ve tried avast’s [i]action offer /i 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
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.
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! 
You’re welcome.
I too would have thought there would be an easy route back from the trial.
The button is there, just as David described (just it’s not Registration, once you switch to the trial it’s Subscription).
Thanks for the clarification Igor.
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.
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.
Try to deinstall and again install.
But nobody knows it will be effective or not.
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.
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
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?
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.
Hi!
You can downgrade, but not without a CLEAN install! That means the following:
HDW38
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.
The instructions only cater for those who intentionally took up the trial, they have a reversion route.
Did you happen to d a system restore at around the time this happened, as we are seeing this happen after a system restore ?
The problem must be related to system restore. I have two xp/SP3s, both recently running avast free V8 (been running avast since V5 and this is my first-ever issue). On April 22 one of the computers would go online, however browsers and email programs would not connect. I used system restore to roll back two days (April 20) and regained browser/email function. Unfortunately avast somehow morphed from the free version (1483) to a trial version (1455) that would not update and with a notice that ten days remain in the trial period. The other xp did not require going back to a restore point and is running normally with free V8. Unfortunately the xp with the dysfunctional avast is in a remote cabin with a very slow dial-up connection that results in a 7 hour download of V8, while the ISP terminates connection at 4 hours. I hope it’s possible to download V8 to CD or thumb drive elsewhere and install it at the remote location.
I am also having a similar issue with avast that may be related to System Restore. (I have Windows Vista)
Just today noticed the red popup that my “subscription for avast! Internet Security has expired. As a result, the program will not download any further updates”. And when i open the main ui, it shows avast! Pro Antivirus. BUT, I’ve only ever had the free version!!! Never clicked to upgrade or start a trial or anything.
I’ve been trying to fix an unrelated issue and have needed to use System Restore in Vista lately. So maybe those things are somehow related.
I don’t suppose there is another (easier/quicker) option to revert back to the free version than to uninstall/reinstall?
There isn’t an easier option as the reversion infrastructure is only put in place when the used upgrades to the trial version from within the the avast free interface.
So I’m afraid it is a reinstall of the free version.
If you have to use system restore, disable the avast self-defence module first.
Since, at dial-up speed, avast 8 is a 6-7 hour download, and as my ISP kills connections at 4 hours, will either of these metheds work for reinstallation: (1) download to CD via a machine with a faster connection and use the CD to install on the machine with the slow connection; or (2) reinstall version 5 and attempt to update? My alternatives are to purchase satellite internet or move the remote computer to a faster connection; or find an AV program that will download in 4 hours.