I have used and recommended Avast! since 2002. Literally hundreds of my client’s, friend’s, and family’s systems run Avast AV at my urging.
I have always pointed to 3 things when referring Avast! - the quality of the protection, the free basic service, and the fact that Avast!, unlike many others, was polite.
Sadly that has changed in recent versions.
Suddenly, the pre-selected opt-in package for Chrome (which was bad enough!) moved to a post reboot ‘Confirm’ pop-up that confuses the hell out of people… not only moving them to the Paid side, but installing Chrome as well.
Suddenly, pop-up ads happen no matter what - you can lo longer disable them.
These pop-ups and unsolicited software changes frighten my elderly and clueless clients. They think they did something wrong.
Dear Avast! people, you are breaking my heart. unless the pop-ups come back under control I will start finding a replacement AV service.
You do know that 2015.10.2.2215 is the latest version ?
Why not educated the people and tell them to do a custom installation so they can choose what to install or not ?
You sure can disable the pop-ups, but it requires a paid version.
As they say “You get what you have paid for”.
I can tell you for sure that there is no free other av application that is showing pop-ups/advertisements.
Keep in mind that the companies are commercial ones and have to make money to keep existing.
With all due respect, doesn’t avast have the right to make a profit. After all avast is a business.
Free top-of the line protection with two maybe three pop-ups a day. Just click the “x” in the pop-up.
As far as Chrome goes, avast has had the opt-out for the last three releases. For what it’s worth I’m
not a big fan of opt-out(s) they should all be “opt-in”. That said you may want to check out Unchecky.
Unchecky is free and does an excellent job of dealing with opt-outs. You will find that more and more “free” software
comes bundled with opt-outs. The most important thing a user can do is slow down and read each screen during an install.
Here are some AV options you could consider. Qihoo 360 IS, or TS, does not have any popups, nor is registration required. It is Chinese developed/made, that is enough to cause some people to shy away from it. Panda 2015 free is also a very good solution. It does present popups, but the user can suppress that in Settings by unchecking ‘receive Panda News.’ Comodo Internet Security allows users to opt-out of popups as well when I used version 7. I think 8 will do the same too. These are all free av solution
No, luckily they haven't. In fact they are now the largest av software vendor in the world.
You don't have to support old folks do you...
Age has nothing to do with support.
Your response is basically "Well screw you buddy, it's your problem not mine!"
No, it is not. I only gave you suggestion(s) and information. Nothing more, nothing less.
I am well aware of the dismal state of the software world. It is run by sharks.
No you are not aware on how it is at all. I and many others are spending a lot of our free time trying to help others without a cost. I and many others are programming applications and distribute them for free.
Join the club, there is a thread topic on this which you might consider a copy/paste this thread of your comments here: Offer pop-ups that is probably now on page 4 of this board by now. You seem like a well-intended Avast user who has through the many years been highly supportive of avast and in those ensuing years aggressively recommend Avast to many people just as I have and many others as well. If you’re interested you might consider reading my post on why I personally think Avast has changed direction in this regard, that is if you don’t mind wading through my verbose post at the bottom of page 2 in that thread where I explain my thoughts on this point. I’m with you, that it is unfortunate that Avast has taken this approach with the intent to raise revenue of which I personally feel there are better ways to do this mentioned as well in that topic. I’m not confident that Avast will be changing direction any time soon or even at all for that matter however in as much as I feel there are goals now set in place by Avast management that has precipitated this approach their currently using and I’m convinced they firmly believe this is the approach that will get them there. Maybe so, but I have to also believe that in the event Avast does continue to grow as an AV provider to the community of users I continue to believe that in my view whatever growth that would likely inevitably anyway regardless of this issue, I contend that growth would be that much greater by taking some measures to in a sense reward their longer time loyal users that in many respects would be understandably already fully aware of their options with Avast by offering additional options regarding POPUP ads as well. I can certainly understand why some of these marketing approaches used i.e. “warning” popup methods of pushing products can confuse the unsophisticated user and result in apprehension on the part of these kind of users. There are a myriad of threads posted on this topic and I have gotten complaints from those I have recommended to Avast through the years as well including many friends and family not to mention entire college classrooms in computer science in the earlier years of Avast some of whom I still keep in contact. And while I’m confident Avast has and will continue to grow regardless of this issue of which I am hopeful will of course be the case as I have absolutely no ill-will toward Avast and I would add as a long time user actually do have a personal vested interest in the success of Avast as do we all as loyal Avast users. But I am on the other hand aware of many who have unfortunately looked elsewhere for their AV protection as well in recent months of which did not have to occur in my view if again as I’ve said Avast were to have taken a less aggressive marketing approach than they have recently.
My point exactly! They have done extremely well with the option to disable pop-ups so why the change?
A clear sign you don’t work with old folks. As I said, these pop-ups scare them… they don’t understand and think something bad is happening. It distresses them. They also often live on small pensions.
Look, I have been a computer professional since 1982. My first web site was text only because the only browser was Lynx. I have developed software, been Director of a software company, owned and ran an ISP service, and have done much for the community including pro bono work. You, OTOH, write like a youngster who never knew the Internet before the marketeers pwned it.
Just sayin’.
Just because there is an expectation of bad behaviour, doesn’t mean it has to happen.
Avast! largely bucked the trend for years and, as you helpfully pointed out, it has done very well while doing so.
Thank you Para-Noid, there is no need for personal and/or derogatory remarks of any kind expressed toward posters. This is not what the “help” board is about at all.
My oldest customer is 96 years ! Perhaps you don't consider that to be old, but I sure do.
they don't understand and think something bad is happening.
As I said, teach them so they will learn and know what they are and what to do.
My first web site was text only because the only browser was Lynx
You are wrong. Lynx was released in 1992. In 1990 there already was a browser called WorldWideWeb (later renamed to Nexus). And close before Lynx was released there was Erwise.
You, OTOH, write like a youngster who never knew the Internet before the marketeers pwned it.
In 1982 I was building my own computers with electronic parts from scratch and programmed them myself.
I would like to see your first “website” just for nostalgic reasons.
Was it on the www or on another network ?
Look, I have been a computer professional since 1982
There are many people who call themselfs that, but only a very few are.
I agree with the sentiments expressed in this thread and the original thread by lakrsrool which I was reading last night. I had not experienced these popups until I installed .2214 this week. I can see that Avast needs to make money but these popups are of the most intrusive kind and even though easy to close with a single click get in the way of whatever one is doing at the time on the computer. Although they can apparently be disabled in the pro versions (although there is some evidence that even that is not 100%) for many people there is no benefit in doing this - in my case having looked at what Pro offers and as an experienced user I simply do not need ANY of those extra ‘features’.
It is true that free softwares can create a mess or annoy you to the extant that you think of changing the product. But then others are more or less same. In case of Avast, I’d say it can be tamed.
During installation: Just pay a little attention to what you are clicking through the first 1 or 2 screens. Deselect anything you don’t want.
After the installation pay attention to what you click when something comes up. Configure your avast inline. These are one time actions you will perform and won’t regret later.
As for pop-ups (if you mean the ads they show on the screen), you cannot disable them on free version. You have to have the paid version. BUT this is not entirely true. You can disable them in the free version as well. Just know the underlying route they use to show those ad. E.g ask yourself- How they get those and from where. How do you block them? If you know it, you can do it. And I believe you do know that.
And I think one should be responsible for themselves. If you don’t want others to face the annoyance, instruct them on how to deal with these tactics of companies. Most companies won’t listen to you so you might as well treat them as such. After all they don’t belong to free software foundation.