Troubleshooting common issues with AVG Secure Browser

Installation and Setup

Installation issues

We recommend you try to install AVG Secure Browser using the exact steps in the following article:

• Installing AVG Secure Browser
• Installing AVG Secure Browser
• Installing AVG Secure Browser

If installation is still unsuccessful, contact AVG Support.

Error messages during setup

For information about the possible error messages that may appear during the initial setup of AVG applications, refer to the following article:

• Troubleshooting common activation error messages

Update issues

For information about issues when trying to update Secure Browser, refer to the following article:

• Troubleshooting update problems with AVG Secure Browser

PRO activation issues

Ensure that your subscription is valid for AVG Secure Browser PRO.

If activation is still unsuccessful, contact AVG Support.

Uninstall AVG Secure Browser

For detailed uninstallation instructions, refer to the following article:

• Uninstalling AVG Secure Browser

General

Secure Browser crashes or won't open

If AVG Secure Browser crashes or doesn't open, try the troubleshooting steps below:

1. Restart your PC and try to reopen AVG Secure Browser.
2. Restart your Mac and try to reopen AVG Secure Browser.
3. Force stop AVG Secure Browser by opening your device Settings, selecting Apps ▸ AVG Secure Browser, then tapping Force stop.
4. If AVG Secure Browser still doesn't open, try uninstalling then reinstalling it.

Can't download a file from the internet

When downloading a file from the internet, AVG Secure Browser may ask you for further verification or block the suspicious download completely. The download requires your attention if one of the following icons appears in the download bar at the bottom of the browser window:

• File not verified: Indicates AVG Secure Browser cannot verify the download and requires your verification. To verify the download and keep the file, select Keep. To remove the file, select Discard. To avoid this error, ensure that the latest version of AVG Antivirus is installed on your PC.
• File blocked: Indicates that AVG Secure Browser has detected a dangerous file and blocked the download. To avoid this error, ensure you only download files from a safe and legitimate online source.

Secure Browser blocks some downloads

AVG Secure Browser automatically blocks downloads that may cause problems on your computer or online accounts. When trying to download a file, you may see the message that the file can't be downloaded securely.

The file download may be blocked for one of the following reasons:

• Malicious: A virus or malware.
• Unwanted: A deceptive file that may make unexpected changes to your computer.
• Uncommon: An unfamiliar file that is potentially dangerous.
• Insecure: A file that is not secure or the website it is downloaded from is unsafe.
• You are using the built-in Web Shield feature. For more information about the Web Shield, visit the AVG Secure Browser - FAQs.

Can't access the Security & Privacy Center

The latest version of AVG Secure Browser, which contains the Security & Privacy Center, is not supported on Windows versions Vista and older. For security reasons, we recommend updating your operating system to the latest version of Windows. After you update your PC, you can install the latest version of AVG Secure Browser.

The scroll bar doesn't work in Secure Browser

The inability to scroll on certain pages in AVG Secure Browser can occur when using a third-party extension called I don't care about cookies. To resolve this issue, disable the extension and allow the use of cookies for the page. We recommend also reporting the issue to the extension vendor.

The 'aText' app doesn't work with Secure Browser

This is caused by the Self-Defense setting in AVG Antivirus, which prevents malware and apps like aText from modifying AVG Secure Browser by injecting code into the browser address space. You can only install and use the app with AVG Secure Browser when Self-Defense is disabled. To resolve this issue:

1. Open AVG AntiVirus.
2. Go to ☰ Menu ▸ Settings ▸ Troubleshooting.
3. Untick the box next to Enable Self-Defense.
4. Click OK, disable to confirm.

The Self-Defense setting in AVG Antivirus is now disabled.

Error code messages in PRO

Refer to the list below of explanations for possible error codes:

• Error code 1: Your activation code format is invalid.
• Error code 2: Another activation request is already in progress.
• Error code 3: Communication with the server failed while trying to activate your code, or the server returned an empty response.
• Error code 4: There is no valid subscription matching your activation code. The subscription may exist, but is expired, overused, or for another product.
• Error code 5: Your free trial was already activated and can only be used once.
• Error code 6: Communication with the server failed while trying to renew your subscription, or the server returned an empty response.
• Error code 7: Your subscription was revoked by a user from the subscription page, or by AVG.
• Error code 8: Communication with the server failed while checking for revocation, or the server returned an empty response.

VPN issues

A VPN error may occur because of loss of internet connection, routing problems (caused by internet providers), server problems, or other connection issues. For more detailed information, refer to the VPN Error Messages section of this article.

To troubleshoot some common problems:

• Choose another VPN location (ideally closer to your current location).
• Disable VPN and try reconnecting.
• Close your browser, wait 10 seconds so that all components are closed, then reopen the browser.
• Restart your PC.

PIN recovery

To protect your data from being compromised, AVG Secure Browser does not store any user data, including your PIN code, on your mobile device or our servers. Because your PIN code is the first line of defense if someone steals your device, only you can manage or disable it.

To manage your PIN settings:

1. Open AVG Secure Browser and tap Settings (the gear icon) in the top-right corner of the screen.
2. Tap Browser lock.
3. Next to Passcode, tap the green (ON) slider so that it changes to gray (OFF) to disable Browser lock.

VPN Error Messages

Can't connect to the server.

This error can appear for different reasons, refer to the relevant full message below for possible solutions:

• Please check your internet connection: You may not be connected to the internet or your router has connectivity issues. Ensure that you are connected to the internet.
• Please check your license status: You may need to activate your license in the browser again.
• We are intensively working on fixing the problem for you: Try using a different server location.
• Try using another location or restart your browser: Restart your browser and use a different server location.

We couldn't retrieve a list of locations.

Check your internet connection to ensure that you are connected to the internet and restart your browser.

Connection speed is too low.

This error occurs if your internet connection disconnects after reaching a certain upload speed. Check your internet connection.

The location is (temporarily) unavailable.

The location is temporarily not in the locations list, try selecting a different server location.

Kill Switch activated. VPN disconnected. Kill Switch will prevent external pages from loading.

This error occurs if you have the Kill Switch feature enabled, which blocks internet access. To disable Kill Switch:

1. Open Secure Browser and go to ⋮ Menu (three dots) ▸ Settings.
2. In the left-side menu, select Privacy and security.
3. Click VPN Settings.
4. Next to Activate Kill Switch, click the green (ON) slider so that it changes to gray (OFF).

Your Wi-Fi is not secured. Use VPN to protect yourself from data theft.

This message appears if you are using an unsecure or public Wi-Fi without VPN enabled. We recommend always enabling VPN on public networks.

System proxy detected. VPN cannot be enabled because you use a system proxy.

This error occurs when you use a system proxy, which prevents VPN from being enabled. To check your system proxy settings:

1. Open Secure Browser and go to ⋮ Menu (three dots) ▸ Settings.
2. In the left-side menu, select Accessibility.
3. Click Open your computer's proxy settings.