avast 7 has released as of February 23rd. It is new and there are many issues being posted daily on the avast forum in many threads. There are also many avast! 7 users that have no issues. However, the business community is NOT ready to deal with these issues, we just want our computers to work. So, staying with avast! 6 for a little while makes since, and let the product get some more debugging. This way you not introduce any undesired results from this upgrade. avast! 6 took about 2 months to be ready for commercial users. Also, there are confirmed cases of avast! 6 users being upgraded to avast! 7, even though they have the Program Update set to “Ask” If you are having avast! 7 issues, then I am recommending a temporary downgrade to avast! 6.
1) Download avast! 6 Pro from here and save to desktop and save to desktop
2) Find your avast! license file “license.avastlic” (needed for step 8)
3) You must remove the old antivirus first! – so go to Control Panel, then Add / Remove programs (if XP) or Programs and Features (if Vista / 7)
4) uninstall the avast! 7 (sometimes this will require using the avast! removal tool)
5) remove the network cable so your computer CANNOT go online!
6) reboot system to finalize the removal process
7) now install avast! 6 by executing the file saved on the desktop “setup_av_pro_601367.exe ” (step 1)
8) go with defaults, select Yes to “Community IQ”, select “Supply a license file”, and browse to the saved “license.avastlic” (step 2)
9) reboot system (finalizes installation process)
10) Right click avast! icon in system tray, and choose “Open avast! user interface”
11) Choose settings (upper right of avast! window)
12) Choose Updates
13) Under update settings, PROGRAM, select “Manual update” and click OK
14) Close avast! window, and plug in network cable.
Here is my post to the avast Forums that got me blacklisted!
“As I read through the Forums about avast! 7 users being unhappy and bailing to other anti-virus products:
1) It took 2 months before avast! 6 was ready for commercial distribution
2) avast! 7 is only 1 week old now
3) Everything new is not fully debugged. This is all software companies, anybody remember Intuit QuickBooks 2000 (never was usable)
4) Those who adopt early get to reap the benefits of their actions.
5) I always take a “wait and see” attitude so I don’t “open a can of worms” This statement is NOT limited to avast! or anti-virus
6) avast! 6 is a great product, and all problem 7 users should go back to 6 for a month or so!
39 years as I failure analysis engineer, this advise on new software releases is the best advise you will ever get!
I have included the URL to avast! 6.0.1367: www.advantage77.com/Files/setup_av_pro_601367.exe”
I have used Avast free edition since long ago.
Every time there is an update I wait a rather long time before I update the program, as a safety measure.
About 10 days ago I updated to version 7 and thought it was working properly on my Win XP (32 bit) laptop, but 2 days ago executed a Visual Basic calculator which I programmed myself and when I closed the program my laptop hanged (blue screen of death).
I repeated the action about 10 times and the same happened.
I ran another VB program again developed by me and got equal result. I can assure my files are not infected.
I uninstalled Avast (with problems) and obviously executed a few of my programs and nothing happened.
I reinstalled Avast and made some tests. My computer only hanged once but today Avast suddenly started to detect about 20 infections, the majority of which were found within de Avast folder created during the installation.
Nevertheless, I cleaned those files with Avast.
I rebooted the machine and again virus detection in the same files.
I Googled for information about version 7 and found your page.
Therefore I have uninstalled the program and I wil now install version 6.
I realize that going back to an older version is not the best thing you can do but, frankly, I think version 7 has some kind of bug.
Finally I have to say that I feel grateful to Avast as well as to everyone who tries to help, you included.
Regards.