I installed Avast a month ago because I thought it was free. Now I'm getting a message saying my updating licence is about to expire.

What am I missing here?

You have to register it and enter a key, otherwise you're in "trial mode". It's free to register, but it then supposedly expires in one year (and you register again for free). I say supposedly, because I've seen the keys expire long before a year is up in some cases.

Now... I find the real time scanner in Avast to be not so great, so beware. It doesn't do so well at preventing trojans.

P.S. Register it here:

http://www.avast.com/i_kat_207.php?lang=ENG

( link from http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html )

Grogan

Thanks - all under control

Based on Grogan's findings lately with Avast I believe I am going to go with Anti Vir Per for free on computers I do that want free antivirus. Even thou many say it's a bitch to update it I think it's better to have something that is going to stop these trojan's and viruses before they get on your machine. I still believe Kaspersky is the best for paid.

I used avast for 5 years before buying NOD32 (and still use it on my second machine) and never got a virus or trojan. Don't be so quick to dismiss it.

I have found Avast to be a very good product. I have placed it on computers I was very sure had a virus/trojan that another product didn't find; and, it found them!

Here is the, I no longer recommend Avast thread, (& hey, I can't update Antivir thread), for review:

http://www.pcqanda.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=2&topic_id=397371

McAfee Security Center
Anyone here use this? Been trying it since that article on the 10 best
Anti-Virus programs where McAfee came in second. I'ts free with a Comcast broadband connection. It contains a Virus scan,Personal Firewall Plus,and a Privacy Service. Hmmmm........anyone else can't reach
www.comcast.net ??

Another satisfied PC Q&A customer

Avast has hurt my reputation and I've lost good, regular customers over it (who now take their computer to the shop).

Why does the real time scanner not find stuff, or find stuff after its hooked and can't remove it? Why does the manual scanner not even find things that Antivir finds before you even finish the installation? It's arguable that some of this stuff is outside the scope of antivirus software, but that's an argument I can't afford to entertain. It really depends on what you run in to. I could probably get along without resident antivirus software if I was running Windows, so I could let Avast go round and round and think it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. Especially if I get the odd email worm in the junk pile and it's detected. Most people here would probably be fine with Avast.

Grogan

It came with my Dell notebook. It works fine so far but then I'm a relatively safe surfer who has a variety of other anti-malware programs installed. Scans are fast and updates are automatic. At times it will ask for permission to be granted, ala ZoneAlarm, and so far it has remembered these correctly.

Jim.

I understand that McAfee has been greatly improved from the disastrous mess it used to be, Bu I have had no personal contact with their new versions. In the past it took over your system to the point that it was considered by many of us to be a hard to get rid of virus itself.

Shelly