Renewal of Avast 5

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Hi!

I’ve just reach renewal of Avast 5 for the first time (I continued with 4.8 for a while after 5 became available)

When I got the first ‘renew due’ pop reminder I clicked the renew link but nothing happened and a few seconds later it had slipped back behind the notification tray. The next time it popped up (a day or two later) I was ready for it and clicked the renew link 3 or 4 times before it slipped away again but again nothing happened.

So I went direct to the Avast site and found the renew option there, where I completed the short on line application and submitted it. A message thanked me and stated that a new licence key would be sent to my email address within, I think it said, 48 hours.

Four days later it had not arrived. So I went back to the Avast site this time I didn’t see a ‘request new licence option’ but then I didn’t look too hard as I was presented with a resend licence option which I took. Within a couple of minutes a licence key arrived in my email inbox. I entered this in the licence key box that now appeared when I opened the Avast 5 UI. The key was accepted and I got a message thanking me for re-registering.

But! when I look at the registration details they are unchanged and the licence is still due to expire shortly.

Now the licence key box has retreated from whence it came and I have no way of entering and trying the key again, although that most likely would be a waste of time as it failed to update the licence when I had somewhere to enter it anyway. ::slight_smile:

Catch 22 it seems where do I go from here any/all advice very welcome.

Thanks in advance
Jack

2

Hello jack157 and welcome to the forum.

What product of Avast do you have (Free, Pro, AIS)?

If you have a paid product, then contact Avast http://www.avast.com/contact-form.php?loadStyles and use the drop down menu for Sales Inquiries, then enter your information.

If you have the Free Avast, then you have 2 options: either wait until the expiration date (you get a 14-day advance notice from Avast to renew), or you can uninstall Avast and do a clean install and register with a new email address like you are starting fresh and register online. I would suggest uninstalling Avast via the Avast uninstaller tool http://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility, reboot, and doing a clean install. Please let me know if you need the download install files.

What version of Avast do you currently have on your machine? Was this an upgrade from 4.8 or a clean install?

The license key box has disappeared because you are now registered (it should tell you this on the main GUI page). You will get a 14-day reminder pop-up notice from Avast when it is time to renew again, but let’s try to fix this problem before then, otherwise, you can just do it at that time if you have the Free version.

I will await your reply to assist you further. Thank you.

3

Hi! and thank you for trying to help.

It is the free home user version of Avast 5.

[Quote] What version of Avast do you currently have on your machine? Was this an upgrade from 4.8 or a clean install?
[/quote]
Sorry but thereby hangs a tale or two! :-\ … And an amount of water has now passed under the bridge but I will try to relate it as best as I recall.

When I first tried to upgrade from 4.8 to 5 the upgrade as such went OK but 5 would not update the definitions, either automatically or even manually, or even downloaded direct from the Avast site. I Can’t fully remember the wording but the error messages indicated a connection problem which I didn’t have.

During this period I am pretty sure that I uninstalled and tried a completely new install and I think I tried this more than once.

I remember downloading the Avast removal tool and using it at some point but can not remember if I used the Avast removal tool or carried out a full (3 x stage) ‘Revo-uninstaller’ un-install prior to the final install of 5 which has worked fine this last 12 months. I most likely would have done the latter in safe mode just to make sure I got everything that was gettable.

Anyway none of that did any good because it turned out to be just my firewall (which had worked OK with 4.8 but 5 didn’t like it) I ditched the firewall and got a replacement and everything on the Avast 5 front has been absolutely fine ever since.

[Quote]The license key box has disappeared because you are now registered (it should tell you this on the main GUI page). You will get a 14-day reminder pop-up notice from Avast when it is time to renew again, but let’s try to fix this problem before then, otherwise, you can just do it at that time if you have the Free version.
[/quote]
It is as you say showing as ‘registered’ but then it was before I entered the licence key because it was registered of course having still just over a month and two weeks left before expiry.

I realise that the licence key box has retreated because I have entered the key but of course this is my catch 22. The licence is still showing ‘a due to expire date’ but I can’t enter the key again because I have already entered it.

Just pondering your last statement, re ‘I will get another reminder 14 days before expiry’ with your experience/knowledge is it conceivable that I may have entered the key too soon and the renewal date will change at 14 days or at some point between now and then.

Anyway if no other solution is available I will of course try a full re-install as you suggest, but I would prefer to get this install right than run the risk leaving something behind and giving myself a greater headache.

What I plan to do after this post is run the repair module then at least when the next reminder comes along I know that there is nothing wrong with the current install.

Unless you have some additional advise after reading this post, I will wait for the 14 day reminder and take it from there.

Thanks for your help it is appreciated.

Jack

4

Hi Jack,

You may have already read this on the forum, but using third-party tools like Revo is not advisable for antivirus software like Avast. Revo is a great software, but for AV’s, it is recommended to use the vendor’s uninstaller tool instead…in this case Avast Uninstaller tool.

If the Repair does not work for you, and you wish to do an uninstall/clean install, please follow these guidelines:

  1. Save a copy of Avast 5.1.889 for the product you need and save it to your HDD:
    Free: http://files.avast.com/iavs5x/setup_av_free.exe
  2. Download the Avast Uninstall Utility http://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility and save it to your HDD.
  3. Disconnect from the Internet at this time.
  4. Go to Control Panel and uninstall Avast through Add/Remove Programs if possible and reboot.
  5. If Step 4 fails, boot into Safe Mode (hit F8 repeatedly) and run the Avast Uninstall Tool. Uninstall v.4.0 and 5.0 in your case.
  6. Reboot.
  7. Install the newest version of Avast and reboot.
  8. Get Internet access and register your copy for Free:
    Free – http://www.avast.com/registration-free-antivirus.php
  9. Update the Avast definitions.

Knowledge based article:
https://support.avast.com/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=504#idt_0003

Once you register with a different email, you should get a full year subscription. Let me know if you have any questions. Thank you.

5

Understood!

Thanks for your help.

Jack

6

Hi SafeSurf!

Sorry but after reading again I do have one last question.

You say register with a different email.

Meaning different to the email address I used for registration of Avast5 when I first installed it.

Is that correct and if so is that important for some reason. ??

Thanks Jack

7

If you register with the same email, you will only get your license good until the original date I believe. However if you register with a new email, the system should see you as a new user and give you a full year.

It’s not a major deal since the new release of 6.0. Actually what I would do is if your current version of 5.1 is due to expire very shortly, I’d use it until the expiry date. Then I’d do an uninstall/clean install since the files are copied in a different location on your machine, and register at that time under the same email address. When this thread first started, we had no idea v.6.0 was being released this soon.

Here is the new Avast uninstaller for ALL versions (including 4.0 - 6.0): http://files.avast.com/files/eng/aswclear6.exe

Here is the download file for 6.0.1000 Free: http://files.avast.com/files/avast6final/setup_av_free.exe

Let me know if you have any questions. Thank you.

8

Avast Free http://files.avast.com/files/avast6final/setup_av_free.exe

9

Thanks Both!

Glad I asked the question now :smiley:

I’ve downloaded and saved before the server gets overloaded.

Jack :wink:

10

You are very welcome Jack. :slight_smile: If you decide to install 5.1.889 from scratch, use the link I provided; if you want to install 6.0 then use the other link provided. I would suggest rather than go from 5.1 and upgrade to 6.0.1000 that you do a clean install. Let us know if you have any additional questions. Thank you.