Avast free antivirus.

[Northerner]

I have been using Avast for the last 11 months and today I received an email saying it expires this month.

I understand this message is probably sent to encourage me to move to the paid version, but I am quite happy with the free one.

Does anyone know if I have to delete my present version of Avast, using add/remove programmes, and then download Avast free antivirus again, or can I use the same method, as with CCleaner, which is to update without removing the other, or older, version?

[Andavari]

You just leave it installed and re-register either through the program itself, or on their webpage here:

http://www.avast.com/registration-free-antivirus.php

[Northerner]

You just leave it installed and re-register either through the program itself, or on their webpage here:

http://www.avast.com...e-antivirus.php

Thanks for the information!

[Warlock]

My Good Friends on the Forum, I hope this is the proper place to post since Avast is being discussed. I have the industrial strength Avast, Windows XP Professional, 32-bit, SP3, Firefox V. 15, 75GB hard drive only using about 15%, shoe size 11w. When running a scan it starts out rear wheels smoking, front end up like a AAA dragster. Then it slows down to lower k's in speed then raises and lowers to painfully slow speed. Is there some particular reason for it acting this way? Rather annoying as I have to keep an eye on CPU temps constantly. Thanks so much for any help with this and a good day to all. Warlock

[Super Fast]

I have been using Avast for the last 11 months and today I received an email saying it expires this month.

I understand this message is probably sent to encourage me to move to the paid version, but I am quite happy with the free one.

 

What Andavari said, or just uninstall it & use AVG free, since it does not have to be registered.

[Super Fast]

My Good Friends on the Forum, I hope this is the proper place to post since Avast is being discussed. I have the industrial strength Avast, Windows XP Professional, 32-bit, SP3, Firefox V. 15, 75GB hard drive only using about 15%, shoe size 11w. When running a scan it starts out rear wheels smoking, front end up like a AAA dragster. Then it slows down to lower k's in speed then raises and lowers to painfully slow speed. Is there some particular reason for it acting this way? Rather annoying as I have to keep an eye on CPU temps constantly. Thanks so much for any help with this and a good day to all. Warlock

 

Here are the things you need to check to see which is causing it:

 

- Dust > With the PC off, blow the dust from around the CPU/GPU/PS/Case while locking the blades with a Q-tip to prevent over-RPM

- Free Space > If low, free up space. This can cause it.

- Files > Thousands of files can cause problems. Offload to an external drive, if possible.

- Fragmentation > Defrag your drive.

- RAM > Low RAM can cause overheating, as the HDD is being used as V-RAM. Upgrade to more, if needed.

- Hardware Err > Sometimes, if chkdsk or other utilities cannot fix the problem, a re-install really IS the only way to fix this.

- Malware/Rootkits > Rootkits are especially prevalent these days. These are really hard on a computer & can cause overheating & bluescreens.

- Programs > Too many startup items can bog a system down. Especially SLOW or single-core CPU/No or slow GPU/Not enough RAM.

- Antivirus > Some people install 2 or 3, then forget they conflict with each other & cause slowdowns/problems. Also, if your not using Norton + Mcaffee + Avast, etc.... (are you sure you only got ONE of them installed?) then try uninstalling Avast & using AVG free. Sometimes a different A/V can make all the difference on a machine.

- Internet Explorer > As 8 is all you can use on XP, unless you have the older 9 preview they came out with for XP years ago as a test release (since pulled, and claiming it is impossible) then 8 is all that you can get. Firefox is perhaps the fastest browser you can get on XP, especially if you enable hardware acceleration by updating to the latest video driver.

- PIO > Subsequent consecutive errors can cause Windows to drop drive speed until it operates in PIO mode, which is MUCH slower than DMA. Uninstall that drive's controller & reboot to let Windows re-install it & re-enable it.

- Updates > Some Windows updates can cause a computer to crawl. Perhaps you let Windows auto-update & put whatever it wants? What good is a brick you can't use?

- Drivers > Update your drivers.

- BIOS > If you are knowledgeable to do this, turn off all A/V on your computer after downloading the correct model from the Manufacturer website of your computer, flash the BIOS, and it may help. I have seen a BIOS flash on older computers be the difference in blue-screening when trying to install XP, & being rock solid with XP.

 

Let me know if any of these fix your problems, or if you need additional causes.

[Andavari]

or just uninstall it & use AVG free, since it does not have to be registered.

 

AVG 2013 with the Metro UI which can't be switched off is beyond butt ugly, if it's even a snippet of what Windows 8 will be like I'll avoid both. While I enjoyed AVG 2012 for about a month (minus the constant barrage of useless logs it insistently makes) in the 2013 version it won't let you install it without that AVG Identity Protection module which makes the system slow down too much.

 

 

When running a scan it starts out rear wheels smoking, front end up like a AAA dragster. Then it slows down to lower k's in speed then raises and lowers to painfully slow speed. Is there some particular reason for it acting this way?

 

Scanning of many archive files such as 7z, CAB, ZIP, RAR, etc., can cause it to go at a snails pace. But it depends upon how many archives there are, how big they are, and how many files are in them.

 

Personally what I do is put all my archive files in one single folder, virus scan them once, and then exclude all of the archives in that folder from any future virus scans. That can only save a little bit of time with Avast as I've noticed excluding items really won't make it that much faster when compared to other antivirus scanners where it works well such as Panda Cloud Antivirus and Microsoft Security Essentials.

 

Personally from what you've explained I'd download a new Avast setup file, then uninstall the Avast copy you have followed by a reboot, and then install Avast again from the new setup file - but I don't know if that would make any difference however it's perhaps worth a try when you have some free time available.

Edited September 11, 2012 by Andavari
Fixed typos

[hazelnut]

And in case you have any problem removing it Warlock here is the Avast cleanup tool

 

http://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility

[Super Fast]

While I enjoyed AVG 2012 for about a month (minus the constant barrage of useless logs it insistently makes) in the 2013 version it won't let you install it without that AVG Identity Protection module which makes the system slow down too much.

 

Scanning of many archive files such as 7z, CAB, ZIP, RAR, etc., can cause it to go at a snails pace.

 

Personally what I do is put all my archive files in one single folder, virus scan them once, and then exclude all of the archives in that folder from any future virus scans.

 

1) Even though this may not turn off the logs, double click AVG in the tray/Tools/Advanced Settings/Untick: Display Tray Notifications, & hit ok.

2) True. But I move mine either to an external drive, or a partition on the same drive.

 

Some may wonder what a partition is good for, & it is mainly 2 things:

 

1) Dual/triple/quad boot

2) Data Separation

 

There are other uses, but those are the main ones. Works great at data separation, so that you don't have to scan them over & over, or defrag them over & over.

I also disable System Restore for that partition, so that it doesn't slow Windows down.

[Warlock]

To my dear friends Super Fast, Andavari and Hazel, I hope you don't mind me capsulizing on your responses to my post on 09-10-2012. I'm smacking myself for not catching the obvious. Super, everything you recommended checks out When I saw the excess file item I checked and I've got godzillions because I'm a packrat. I'm going to embark on a spring cleaning and get rid of what I'm certain are old, un-needed ones going way back. I'm ashamed of not thinking of that beforehand. Thanks again to all of you. Super, your avatar kitty's eyes look like mine when the treats are brought out. Take care all.

 

Warlock

[Super Fast]

Don't be a stranger here! Good to see you back. Just glad we could help!