Last week Avast installed a major update that required me to reboot. After the reboot I noticed that I couldn’t reach major websites anymore. Both Google and all other sites showed a page not found message. I checked my Internet connection, and both the Windows Network Manager and my router and modem showed that the connection was alive and functioning. Also I knew my ISP wasn’t doing any work to the cable-network in my neighborhood. Still I restarted my modem, router and PC to make sure, and I did this in that order. I checked if my firewall (Online Armor Free) wasn’t the cause by disabling it, it wasn’t. I checked for the possibility that an update to Windows might have switched on Windows Firewall, which I had disabled, possibly causing conflicts due to having two firewalls at the same time. I also do not have any other anti-virus operational for the same reason.
So then I decided to do a full system restore, to get rid of the Avast update. After doing so I noticed that I had regained access to the websites like Google. I had in mind that something might have gone wrong with the provided update for Avast, so I decided to download the file and install manually. After doing so Avast started complaining that my license needed to be renewed. But I still had more then 120 days left on my license ! I must admit it is a free license, but being an active volunteer for open source and freeware projects, felt I should report this problem to the Avast community. The other weird thing is that my Avast installation now seems to think that I am a payed customer, for in the interface I can only find options to extend payed subscriptions.
I run Avast on a Windows 7 x64 PC.
How can I extend my free subscription within the interface of Avast ?
System Restore can have unexpected consequences, the avast! self-defence doesn’t like it, so you need to disable that before using system restore. Even then system restore is not an exact backup so it doesn’t cover everything and is far from perfect.
I’m confused, you say “you are a paid customer,” yet you also say “How can I extend my free subscription within the interface of Avast.” What program did you have and what program do you have after system restore (avast free/pro/ais) ?
Resend avast License http://www.avast.com/resend-license-paid.php, you will need to enter the email that you used when purchasing the license, e.g. the one that the original email with the link was sent.
It sounds like you may have inadvertently clicked the trial of avast Pro or AIS.
Can you do a screenshot of the avastUI > Maintenance > Registration page and attach it using the Attachments and other options, link in the forum topic Reply.
If you scroll down to the bottom of this page is there an Other Options item ?
Thanks for the reply.
I am a user of the freeware edition of Avast.
My registration (of the freeware license) had some 120 days left before needing to renew it.
The rest is clear I think.
I tried to change the language of my Avast UI to English for your convenience, but got an error message “can not connect to the server”.
After that an error code “Fault at setting language 0x20000004”
So no English, sorry, only Dutch in the screenshot.
Btw Avast is now no longer protecting my PC, since the activation is no longer valid.
I will completely un-install Avast and then re-install Avast. My new freeware license is already in my Inbox.
It’s just somewhat annoying that anyone who has a payed subscription (which I don’t have) will face the same problem if they want to move from payed license to a freeware license. I consider it a form of aggressive marketing if you make customers need to do a full reinstall instead of a simple option to revert to freeware license. Also the fact that ALL protection is fully disabled instead of reverting to a freeware license gives me a feeling marketing managers instead of security minded people are running the company. Perhaps it’s just me being involved in open source and freeware projects making me sentimental. The human touch appears missing. But you Avast forum people make up for a lot of it though.
OK from your image you are using avast 7 not avast 8 as I had thought, which makes a difference. I don’t believe that has the same functions to revert to the free version, so if looks like you are going to have to do a clean reinstall of avast. As has been mentioned in the other posts, there are chances to inadvertently click on a trial button or pop-up notice.
It would also be an opportunity to move to avast free version 8 as that is the current version and only one available through the avast site.
Paid users don’t lose their license that can be re-entered or resent to them. I don’t get what you mean by if paid users want to move to free. It has always been the way that they would have to uninstall the paid version and install the free version.