Is there anything that was taken out of the 4.8 Home features/scanners/protection and it’s not present in 5.0 Free version? I know that there are several new features added in 5.0 Free, but I don’t know if anything was removed. Please tell me. Thanx! 
For Example… Skin changing option is removed…
The website blocking has been moved to the IS version IIRC… but that was IMO a small feature that was more for a firewall to deal with any way…
At the moment that is all that i know of…
You mean that there’s no more website blocking in 5.0 free? Hm… I don’t care much about skin changing, but I’d like to keep that feature. Anything else maybe? And thank you.
Obviously you get the webshield, which blocks malicious content etc… 
What I meant is when you go into the advanced settings of avast! 4 webshield and there is a place where you can input a website name/IP address that you wish to be blocked. When trying to visit the site you would be prompted by a message in the broser by avast saying that it was disabled…
URL blocking is removed
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=53804.0
That’s a pity… What kind of free solution should I use with Avast then, what do you suggest? Thank you.
Why use a solution, almost every browser has exception or blacklist options these days, just enter the sites you want blocked in there. Also about the skins removed, they are just not removed from the free version, but from the whole product, and they are also in my opinion unnecessary because Avast finally has a great GUI
I can’t seem to find the logfile viewer in version 5 (it used to be a menu item shown when right clicking on the blue avast ball). There’s nothing in the help file that says how to find it, and there’s no obvious logfile in the \program files\alwil software\avast5 folder.
There is a place in the settings where you can specify the maximum log file size, so it’s in there somewhere.
Am I missing something here, or did they remove that feature (Logfile viewer)?
RLW
Hi rlw, welcome to the forum
I can’t find the log viewer either, maybe it is gone…
What you can do though, is check the report files for each shield. I imagine that this would make reporting things to the forum easier also.
To alter the max log size:
open avast! GUI → settings → maintenence → change 'Maximum size of each logfile.
-Scott-
Thanks for the welcome, Scott. I’ve recommended Avast to quite a few of my clients, and I have to say the new interface is going to be much easier to support (I never really liked the old interface, it looked like some kind of MP3 player). I am a bit concerned that the logfile is not easily accessible. I had a customer call me yesterday, saying she had a virus alert from Avast, but it happened as the system was shutting down, so she never got to see what the final disposition of the file was. We dug into the logfile, and found that it had been deleted.
I hope the powers-that-be see fit to restore the very log viewing interface from Avast 4.
RLW
I’m using “avast! 4.8 professional” now.
If I update avast, the version will be “avast! Free Antivirus” which is for ordinary Internet use.
My question is that should I update the version? Or just keep using 4.8 professional?
Could anybody give suggestion? Thanks a lot.
Thanks for your suggestion.
But that will cost money, right?
My problem is that I don’t have enough money to buy sth else.
So, what i can use is the free version.
Thus, should i update 4.8 professional into 5.0 free version?
carlcc,
I just upgrade my v4.8 pro to v5.0 pro withouth cost anymore money. Just use to old key, but you need to get a file .license from avast to revoke it. If your key still valid obviously, you can get v.5 for “no more cost”
Really?
Sounds great.
So how should I do?
Just go to the website and download the professional 5.0 verstion
and just install it?
Or do i need to uninstall the original?
Thanks a lot!
carlcc,
Yes, download the pro v.5 version to your computer from www.avast.com;
I suggest clean install, but there should be okay just with upgrade (not sure because I use clean install).
If you chose to do clean install, do not forget to create system restore first. Uninstall avast 4.8 from control panel, or use avast uninstall utility (more safe), get it here: http://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility
After uninstall - reboot your system. Then install avast v.5.
To get your subscription active again. Take a look to avast GUI >> Maintenence >> Subscription - there would be an option to use our avast 4.8 valid key. Click it! Then it should take you to: http://www.avast.com/resend-license.php
Please fill the form with your valid data. Then avast will send a file (.license) to your mailbox. Use it to activating avast 5 pro
Good luck.
Thank you very much.
Your really do me a favor!
I still have some questions because i’m really an outsider of computer.
You mean that it’s free to use professional 5.0 version by filling a form which includes my demographic information or sth?
cuz’ I remember that only home edition is free.
Professional 5.0 version is not free, but you paid already By buying Avast 4.8 Pro, you didn’t buy the 4.8 version, you bought a license for Avast Pro versions, so you already paid for every new version
I still use WIndows98 with much pleasure. How long can I use 4.8 free?
Thanks for the time you provided Avast free for w98.