I was wondering why you need a Registration Key after the first year of install?

system · 2008-02-13T08:17:44.000Z

Dear All,

My friend has the free avast home version.

At least that’s what I’ve read on the board.

Please correct if I’m wrong.

Cnon

RejZoR · 2008-02-13T08:31:24.000Z

Registration key is valid for 14 months. When it expires you simply have to request a new one to extend the license for another 14 months.
The same as you have to do for paybale ones, except you don’t have to pay anything

system · 2008-02-13T08:44:21.000Z

RejZoR post:2:

Registration key is valid for 14 months. When it expires you simply have to request a new one to extend the license for another 14 months.
The same as you have to do for payable ones, except you don’t have to pay anything

Thanks.

So, since we installed it last June the first time, it would be valid until this August right?

PS How would we be notified of this since we never installed a key that I remember on the first install?

cnon

system · 2008-02-13T15:36:48.000Z

sorry to jump in but its on the same topic, when you need a new product key can you input which e-mail address you want it sending too its just that I have changed e-mail address since?

DavidR · 2008-02-13T16:39:41.000Z

cnon post:3:

So, since we installed it last June the first time, it would be valid until this August right?
PS How would we be notified of this since we never installed a key that I remember on the first install?

right click the avast ’ a ’ icon and select about avast, now look in the Registration key section (click the plus sign) and you will see the Updates expiration date.
Three weeks before that date you will start to get Red pop-up alerts reminding you of the pending expiration. Then complete the avast! 4 Home Registration form and you will receive an email from register @ avast.com (without the spaces) with your registration key.

sanctuary24 post:4:

sorry to jump in but its on the same topic, when you need a new product key can you input which e-mail address you want it sending too its just that I have changed e-mail address since?

You enter your email address again with the re-registration.

tbird · 2008-02-13T20:31:03.000Z

David, Mine expired 2-1-08. I kept waiting for a popup but never received one. Everything is okay I re-registered on the web and received my new key but was just wondering why I didn’t get the popup.

DavidR · 2008-02-13T21:50:19.000Z

I honestly don’t know, it should have.

I don’t know if it might be permissions, I don’t know what OS you are using, but the main thing is it is resolved now.

system · 2008-02-16T00:52:13.000Z

Would it be cheeky to ask ‘why’ you need a Registration Key?

Since the software is free, does it need to know who is using it and for how long?

system · 2008-02-16T04:17:16.000Z

@ Mr Inquisitive

Registering your copy of avast every year lets avast know how many active users there are, in order to have enough update servers.

RejZoR · 2008-02-16T11:21:43.000Z

You don’t have to enter real personal info if you don’t want to. All you need is a real valid e-mail address (because you get the serial key there).

DavidR · 2008-02-17T13:43:29.000Z

Mr Inquisitive post:8:

Would it be cheeky to ask ‘why’ you need a Registration Key?

Since the software is free, does it need to know who is using it and for how long?

I don’t think it is a hassle to re-register once every 14 months, for what we are getting free, heck I even give my correct details, if you can’t trust your AV company who can you trust ;D

As far as I’m aware, the information given isn’t used for marketing or anything like that, but would give an idea of global distribution, etc. The re-registrations give Alwil a good idea of the active users (not who may have installed at one point), this as mentioned would help them to ensure that there are enough update servers so you don’t have problems.

system · 2008-02-17T18:54:52.000Z

I see what people are saying about the need for re-register. I personally don’t like it and think it is a hassle. But I can live with it since avast is a great product.

I have a suggestion: Instead of re-registering through email and getting a key, the process could be integrated into avast. Just keep a button to update registration. It can ask “Do you want to continue to use avast for next 1 year, click to update key”. When click, it automatically does the job. In this way, users are saved form little annoyance and vast is also getting info about its active users.

Announcements