Can’t Update Avira Antivir (No Valid License File / Key Expired)
When you can’t update your Free Avira Antivir Personal Edition Antivirus due to “No Valid License File” or Expired License, here is how to solve it.
I have the free antivirus Avira Antivir Personal Edition installed in my laptop but rarely update it as it doesn’t always have an Internet connection. When I do have an Internet connection, I even forget to update the Avira Antivir.
When I did remember one time, I tried to update the Avira Antivir when I was connected to the Internet. However the update failed and it gave me the error message “No Valid License File Found”. When I viewed the error logs, it indicated that the License Key has expired.
The first thing that I did was reinstall Avira Antivir Personal Edition using the installation file I downloaded a few months ago which I kept in my hard drive. After successful reinstallation I still couldn’t update Avira Antivir!
What the Problem was – Why It Didn’t Update
I found from Avira Antivir Support that every Avira Antivir installation has a time expiring license which renews and extends your license everytime you update. So if for some reason you don’t update your Avira Antivir for a long period of time, your license key wouldn’t be extended and your antivirus license would expire – you won’t be able to update.
How to Solve It
There are two ways on how to solve this:
1. Download and Replace hbedv.key
Just download hbedv.key. You may also visit the Download Server Page of Avira, where that download link is also located.
Once you’ve downloaded hbedv.key, just copy it to the installation folder of Avira Antivir usually at C:Program FilesAviraAntiVir PersonalEdition Classic. Replace your old file with your newly downloaded file. Make sure you’ve overwritten your old hbedv.key file with the new one.
You should now be able to update.
2. Download a New Installer for Avira Antivir Personal Edition.
I don’t really recommend this one as the first solution is very easy. You would need to download a new installer of Avira Antivir. Your old installer wouldn’t work as it would also have an expired license.
IMPORTANT: If the first solution does not work, check your computer’s system date and time. If it’s wrong, your Avira Antivir would surely not work. Set your computer’s system date and time correctly.
There you have it! You should now be able to easily update your Avira Antivir Personal Edition. If you have any questions or comments, you can write them at the comments section below.
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Great. Thanks for providing solution. =) Will this work with other free anti virus programs? And anyway, which AV program would you suggest for computers that rarely connect online?
This solution is specifically for Avira Antivir. There is no good antivirus program when you don’t update it so I really can’t recommend one. You can go with either Avira Antivir, Avast, or AVG (in that order). You still need to update them though, as new viruses, trojans, and worms are created everyday.
Ok I downloaded the hbedv.key and put it on the correct location but I still get message that license has expired.
I will try with reinstallation now.
Bojan, Slovenia
Did you copy over your old hbedv.key in your Avira installation folder? Your computer should prompt you that you are overwriting hbedv.key.
Anyways, if your already installing a new Avira Antivir it should work.
It’s important that you check your computer’s time and date. Your computer’s date and time should be correct. (I’ve now updated the article)
Thanks. Worked like a charm.
ice site bro .keep it up
thx
Thank you so much…., now it’s working.
Great Article buddy. reaaly helped…:-)
ya’i will try your first solution at home.thank you v much
Thanks!!!! that was really easy and it worked!
Thank you very much ! It realy works !!!!
thanks a lot,it,s working
i tried the first solution, and it worked instantly! thank you!
You’re welcome! Glad I helped!
thanks for help. I have been struggled for a few months to solve this anti virus problem
Thanks again.
best regards
lai
You’re welcome.
Very helpful, thanks!
hey, i installed a new antivirus avira, but still i was not able to find it working.
Is there any method to get it work without connecting to the internet…
i usually dont connect it..
If you don’t usually connect to the internet, try using AVG Free.
i m quite no sure that which anti virus to be trusted.. i have never tried using avg..
can you recomend any other easy antivirus..
is avg free reliable??
what if not avg??
Try Avast which is free like Avira and AVG. I like Avast ore than AVG in detecting viruses and trojans but most people don’t like their interface.
thanks a million it really worked easily!!!!
Glad I helped!
thanx man..
Hi guys.
I can’t paste the new hbedv file to the folder. the folder can’t be modified. I have changed the folder properties from Read-Only to normal, but still can’t allow any changes made to the file in that folder. so, how?
As mentioned by Lyon, you must uncheck the 2 options in the avira configuration at general menu that says to protect avira files and processes from manipulation and deletion. Only then would you be able to overwrite the key file. Hope that helps!
You forgot one thing, and that is really important, and by the way, i do not know how everyone updated their avira premium keys in the avira desktop root installation directory without this simple operation.
You must uncheck the 2 options, in avira configuration at general menu, the 2 options that says to protect avira files and processes from manipulation and deletion, but only when you uncheck both options, then click ok, now you can overwritte the avira premium key or even delete it first to then paste the new avira premium key.
I hope i helped, i came to this topic in order to get help, but it did not work as supposed to, so i checked all avira configuration settings because i could not replace nor delete the avira key, so that is when i found those 2 options.
One thing i must say too, i can not remember if those options are part of the default configuration or if it was i who enabled them, nonetheless they should be part of default settings.
Thanks for the update Lyon!
I’ll try to update the article to include what you told me. Must be new from Avira as when I encountered that problem I didn’t have to go to the configuration options of Avira.
Again, thanks for the great contribution!
I purchased Avira Premium. I rec’d email saying they got the money. But my update is still showing the current experation date. Do I have to download the License # again? I am so lost.