avast! not checking correctly for WinXP Service Packs

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

I’ve got a report from 2 users that avast! causes massive problems on vanilla WinXP systems and systems with just SP1. From their words, installation was started but system either restarts during installation or installs but then causes massive problems on every boot.

I don’t have any SP0 and SP1 XP systems at hand to test, but it would be good to verify that installer actually checks for this and prevents installation in cases where minimal system requirements aren’t meet fully, to avoid raging of users.
Please verify this. I know there aren’t many such users but still, avast! still supports WinXP and as such it has to work correctly and notify users of it can’t.

2

From http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download#tab2

Windows 7 (any Edition, 32-bit or 64-bit) Windows Vista (any Edition excl. Starter Edition, 32-bit or 64-bit) Windows XP [b]Service Pack 2[/b] or higher (any Edition, 32-bit or 64-bit) Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Service Pack 4

That means that, for XP, you need at least SP2, even when the minimum OS is Win2k.

3

RejZoR knows that… but seems that the setup doesn’t :wink:

4

I don’t know if the setup installation program of Avast will actually refuse to be installed in XP or XP+SP1. I’m not sure if it ever did during Avast 6 development and updates.

But in any case, if RejZor knows about that minimal condition of SP2 under XP, then why the need to “test” anything? They need to remove Avast, reboot, update to at least SP2 (but SP3 would be better), reboot again and reinstall Avast (and reboot again).

5

ady4um, as far I could understand, RejZoR is not asking to test anything, just that the setup recognize the XP SP1 and do not let avast install there.

6

Exactly. I always use fully updated systems and i recommend others the same but apparently there are ppl still using vanilla (SP0) and SP1 WinXP systems. And if you install avast! on such system, it will cause massive problems. All this could be avoided if avast! automatically blocks its installation in the first place. Which from the words of those users, it doesn’t block anything.

7

Oh, he is requesting from Avast developers to include this checking for the next release. OK, thanks.

8

The only thing I would add to that request is that the same check would still have to allow installations on “Win2k+SP4+UR1”.

So no “you need at least SP2”, but more like “under XP, you need at least SP2”.