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Meaning of “Avast Restart Next Century” (2 Ways to Remove It!)

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Avast antivirus is one of the world’s most famous antivirus software. As a result, it is no surprise that many people have experience using it and the multiple challenges this may present. One such challenge is the prompts and menus that appear after you complete an update or finish neutralizing an antivirus.

When this happens, Avast will often tell you that you need to restart your laptop or computer and give you two options: to “restart now” and to “restart later,” with “next century” being one of the options under the latter. This is needed to allow the update to take effect or altogether remove the malware.

Logically, restarting in the next century is impossible as the user and the laptop will not be around in a hundred years, so it can be a confusing message for a user to receive. However, the truth is this message is just an example of tongue-in-cheek humor that is used to tell the antivirus that you would like to postpone restarting your laptop or computer while simultaneously guilt-tripping you by making you admit that you’re not particularly eager to keep your laptop or computer at maximum security.

Nevertheless, this article will explain this message and how to get rid of it.


What Does Avast’s Restart Next Century Message mean?

The “next century” message that appears under Avast’s “restart later” prompt is a joke that appears when Avast has just finished installing an update or removing malware. It means two things:

  • You want to be reminded later: If you tell Avast to restart in the next century, it will not wait long. If you have not restarted in 24 hours, it will generate another prompt asking you if you want to restart. Also, if you change your clock settings to a period greater than 24 hours, e.g., 47 hours and 57 minutes, the antivirus will send you another prompt in 3 minutes, so it’s not an option to be taken literally.
  • You should take your laptop’s or computer’s security seriously: By choosing the “next century” option, you admit that you are not particularly eager to restart at that instant and fully secure your laptop. For some, that serves as a form of reverse psychology that will make them more inclined to select an instant restart the next time.


Nevertheless, if you are tired of seeing this message, read on to find out how to get rid of it.


How Do I Remove ‘Avast Restart Next Century’ Prompt? (2 Easy Solutions!)

You can rid yourself of the “restart next century” prompt by choosing to restart your laptop or computer or by deactivating automatic updates

Here are 2 methods to get rid of the Avast Restart Next Century


1) Method #1: Restart your laptop or computer

You can get rid of the prompt by restarting your laptop or computer using the following steps. The navigation path for this is Windows>Power>Restart.

1. Move your cursor to the Windows icon located at the bottom left corner of your desktop and click it.

2. At the bottom left corner of the screen, an icon that looks like a “0” with a “1” sticking out of it will appear. If you hover your cursor over this icon, the word “Power” will appear beside it. Click on this icon.

Avast Restart Next Century (2 Easy Solutions) - How Do I Remove 'Avast Restart Next Century' PromptMethod#1


3. Doing the above will bring up a small menu on the bottom left side of your screen. Click on the “restart” option on that menu.

4. If you have some programs open, you will get a blue screen asking whether you wish to “Restart anyway” or “cancel” and close those programs before restarting. Choose “Cancel” if this happens.

5. Save your changes in those programs by going to them and holding down “Ctrl” followed by “S.” Then close the programs by holding down “Alt” followed by “F4”. Then repeat steps 1, 2, and 3.


2) Method #2: Deactivate Automatic Updates

Suppose you are receiving the prompt because of an update. In that case, you can set Avast to “ask when an update is available” instead of “automatic updates” The navigation path for this is Avast Antivirus>Menu>Settings>General>Update>More Options>Ask when an update is available.


Here is how to do that:

1. Move your cursor to the Windows icon at the bottom left corner of your desktop and click on it.

Avast Restart Next Century - Deactivate Automatic Updates


2. Scroll down along the list of programs that appear by dragging the scroll bar on the right-hand side of that list until your mouse is on Avast and click on it.

3. On the Avast window that pops up, click on “Menu,” which is located at the top right corner of the page.

4. Next, you will see a drop-down, find the Settings option on that menu and click on it; it should be the 2nd item on the list.

5. On the next page, you will see “General” beside a shield icon on the left side of the page; click on this option.

6. This will include a list beside the “General” option. Click on the “Update” option, and it should be the second item on that list.

7. To the right, the “Update” menu will appear. On that menu, click on the first “More Options” on the page.

8. After this, three new options will appear. Click on the circle beside “Ask when an update is available .”Alternatively, you can choose “manual update,” but the latter option may leave your laptop at risk if you forget to seek manual updates. When you correctly click the circle, it will fill up with green. You can now close the program.


Final Thoughts

You can rid yourself of the “restart next century” prompt by choosing to restart your laptop or computer or deactivating automatic updates. To restart your laptop, follow this navigation path: Avast Antivirus>Menu>Settings>General>Update>More Options>Ask when an update is available.


Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Restart Avast Antivirus?

To restart Avast antivirus, you need to follow this navigation path Windows(right-click)>Computer Management>Services and applications>Services>Standard>Avast Antivirus(right-click)>Restart. 

To do this:
1. Move your cursor to the Windows icon located at the bottom left corner of your desktop and right-click it
2. Navigate your cursor to Computer Management and click on it; it should be the 9th option on the list.
3. On the window that pops up, Click on Services and Applications. It is on the left side of the page
4. On the right, you will see “services” click on it twice quickly.
5. Look towards the bottom of the page. You will see an option that says “Standard” click on it
6. Look for “Avast Antivirus” on the page and right-click it.
7. On the drop-down menu that appears, click “Restart.”

How Do I Uninstall Avast Antivirus?

To restart Avast antivirus, you need to follow this navigation path Windows>Settings>Apps>Avast Anitvirus>Uninstall

To do this:
Once the popup menu appears, click on the Cogwheel icon flush with the left side of the page; it represents Settings.
On the settings page, look for Apps (it’s on the left side of the page in the middle row), and click on it.
On the Apps and Features page, scroll down till you spot Avast Antivirus on the alphabetically ordered list and click it.
A drop-down menu will appear, showing an uninstall button; click on it.
Once you click uninstall, a second menu will appear telling you that Avast Antivirus and all the information related to it will be uninstalled. Click the Uninstall button on that page too.
A final warning will appear, click Yes and wait for the progress bar of the uninstall process to fill up.

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Pigtou Editorial Team

A group of tech enthusiasts who find pleasure in troubleshooting and resolving various issues. When we're not engaged in writing, we typically enjoy playing table football or spending time with our office dog.
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