I have been a long time user of Avast (going on a decade now), but I am starting to seriously consider switching to something else like MSE due to all the blasted nag screens that are appearing. First it was a nag box about upgrading to the paid version but only showed up every few days. I got that to go away by unchecking all the community options. Now with every update of the definitions, there is a window “You’ve got basic protection, do you need more?” NO. I DO NOT NEED MORE. I WILL -NEVER- UPGRADE TO THE PAID VERSION. STOP BUGGING ME ABOUT IT. As far as I can tell there is no way to get rid of this.
To the developers at Avast: You will begin losing FAR more users of your free version than you will ever get back in paid subscriptions doing this. If this does not stop, I will be switching and recommending all my friends and family switch as well. A message when you open the main window was fine. A message when you register every year asking if you want to upgrade is fine. But this is BS of the highest order to get a popup with every virus definition update. It’s ridiculous, and I think many agree with me. I understand you need people to sign up for the paid version to make money off this program. I would think business users would bring in enough revenue…maybe you should focus on going after those that don’t qualify for the free version but are using it anyways. Irritating your users of the free version to upgrade will do nothing but push people to other options in the long run.
I agree with you. I love AVAST, but I don’t want to see an ad every time I turn on my computer, which is what this amounts to. I don’t sacrifice to pay for Internet (and I didn’t sacrifice to buy a computer in the first place) so I can be bombarded with ads for things I don’t want and would have trouble being able to afford even if I did want them. I didn’t sign up for the free AVAST software all those years ago as trial to see if I wanted to subscribe the paid software, I signed up because Norton was up for renewal and I needed to save some money and wanted FREE anti-virus software.
Microsoft Security Essentials offers basically the same thing as AVAST for free. As far as I know, it doesn’t have ads. Why shouldn’t I switch if AVAST is going to go down the AVG route of shoving ads down our collective throats constantly?
That comment in the context of this thread makes you look like a bit of a jerk. Not saying you are one, just saying that’s the way your comment makes you come off. Someone expresses that they don’t like a decision that’s been made to bombard them with ads, and your response is essentially to kiss up to the developers and try to make him look bad without addressing any of his concerns. What you said isn’t really even on-topic for this thread. You want to renew in August, great, but people have the right to be upset about these changes.
I think the original poster and I are doing the AVAST team a favor, in a way. We’ve been loyal users of their product. We like their product. But we’re pretty close to switching to another product because of changes they’ve made. My guess is that a lot of people feel exactly like us, but aren’t bothering to seek out a forum to talk about it, they’re just uninstalling AVAST, and installing MSE or some other product, leaving the folks behind AVAST with no clue why. Well, we’re telling them why.
Sorry guys, it’s been a blast, but constant pop-up advertisements give me a headache.
I was willing to overlook it when they were only occasional, and remember a lengthy thread here where the AVAST team promised that the ads would be no more than occasional (A few times a year) when they first started doing them a while back (Maybe a year or so ago), but I can’t overlook ads during every single definitions update (Several times a day).
I think AVAST is making a mistake here. They are on the road to failing. A lot of people switched from AVG to AVAST because AVG was like one big advertisement, and that was before MSE existed. Now, AVAST is following in AVG’s footstep, and there is a completely ad-free alternative in MSE available now that wasn’t available then.
You folks must be awful busy people,that you can’t stand one little pop up once in awhile and only last seconds.
You all seem to think the update pop up is ok but ad one little add to to it (panic).I cant see why you would want to give up a great AV because of one little popup.
I have a low income and have to carefully manage my money. I resent having advertisements thrust at me constantly telling me I need things I don’t want and can’t afford. If you like, I suppose you can look at it like this- AVAST is constantly telling me that their free product isn’t good enough, so I took their message to heart and switched to someone else’s free product.
There’s also the simple question of intrusion and over commercialization. I’m sitting in my home. I didn’t invite these advertisements into my life. I’d rather be having positive non-commercial things subliminally influencing me than be marketed to constantly. I don’t look at myself as primarily a potential consumer, I’m a human being. The less advertisements and marketing I have in my life to try to distract me from what’s important and good for me, the better.
In this day and age the only way you will not get advertisement,is to get rid of all electronic devise newspapers magazines,and move to Nanavut and live in an igloo.
Does an inability to avoid all advertisements mean we shouldn’t try to avoid any? The funny thing is, using a browser that has an ad-blocking extension installed, the only ads I remember seeing today on my computer were the pop-up ads from AVAST.
I’m not saying advertisements are evil, I’m just saying on a device I’ve paid for using a connection I’ve paid for, I’d like a little break. So, when you’ve got two anti-virus software packages, and one is going to shove advertisements at me several times a day, popping up over anything else I might be doing, and another won’t, I’m going with the one that won’t.
You can also avoid most ads on devices if you get the right ones. The ipod classic doesn’t have ads (Though some of the other variants do). You can get a Kindle that has no ads built in and only features whatever is in the back of the book (Costs a little extra).
A lot of people have DVRs that let them skip ads (I can’t afford a DVR, but others can).
But, you’re right, ads are shoved down our throats a lot of the time. We have a choice in anti-virus software, though, so I’ve decided to go with the one without the ads and take a little commercialization out of my day.
It’s sad to see AVAST reduced to this level of crassness. When I started using it, the only ad was in the program itself and relatively unobtrusive. Now it has several pop-up ads a day. And what are they are all telling people? That the free version isn’t the right anti-virus program for their needs. So, in addition to shoving ads down my throat, AVAST is telling me their free product is no good. Made it easier to look elsewhere.
I will miss some of their features like the boot-time scan, though.
Not sure where were you getting upgrade ads with every definitions update. I don’t remember getting any ads this year and i’m using free version as well. Only one that i get during first time installs is the Android notification which you can dismiss forever by checking the box.
I haven’t seen anything like the frequency reported above.
I just wonder if this is close to the free version renewal time anyway, as no one has mentioned anything about that. If so just renew the free versions and that should be it.
EVERY single definition update has now been made larger to include a button to compare the upgraded version.
Avira had popups, but had better detection than Avast and everyone chose Avast because the advertising of Avira is out of control, but it could be blocked by some system tweaks.
Now Avast has the same crazy advertising… I actually can’t believe this.
The senior helpers will continue defending this product no matter how bad it gets…
The only solution I see is turning on gaming mode and leaving it like that (Which is not even close to ideal) or switch to another product.
Wrong, I don’t defend anything blindly, I haven’t seen what is being talked about, that is why I ask.
I don’t know about this compare button you are on about, but you also don’t have to click it, there is also nothing stopping you seeking another free anti-virus.
I don't know about this compare button you are on about, but you also don't have to click it, there is also nothing stopping you seeking another free anti-virus.
How is this a solution? Do you now any other companies that tell customers to go to their competitors?
It may not be a solution and since David doesn’t work for Avast, he’s giving you an alternative.
If you prefer not to see any requests to upgrade, find something else that will make you happy.
I personally concentrate on protecting my computer and don’t mind an occasional nudge to upgrade to the paid version.
(Something I haven’t acted on in 9 years.)
I don’t know that is why I asked for more information. If it were region specific, then I would have expected it to be in regions where avast has a higher number of avast free users; so I would have thought the UK and USA would be right up there.
My question about the button may well have been to subtle, could you post a screenshot ?
If you are only getting a button that is hardly a nag to upgrade (the subject of this topic) and as I said you don’t have to click it.
You yourself suggested you were considering it as an option “or switch to another product.” My comment confirms that you are free to do what you like. I’m not trying to defend anything, the user is free to choose I’m not going to try and persuade him otherwise.
One would think by the way some people yammer and complain about a friggin popup for a FREE product is life threatening. Jeez. It’s a popup which lasts a few seconds. Get over yourself. Adios and have fun using MSE.
