The preferences does work, you just have to add it back to the system preferences pane.
The preference pane in the Incompatible Software folder on the main drive. “/Incompatible Software/”
Double clicking the Avast.prefPane file to open resolves the problem of the preferences pane.
I haven’t noticed any other problems with avast aside from the preferences problem.
It seems that 10.8 > 10.9 transition works differently for different people/computers. Anyway, re-install in Maverics with current version should fix it easily.
I’ve reproduced the crash of the System Preference.
Just after installing Avast! 8.0 you can open Avast! preference and configure the program without any problems.
However, if you will fix the permission of the system disk (I regularly do it), then you can’t configure Avast! any more.
It is still possible to open the preference pane of Avast!, but when you click any options, then System Preference will crash.
I installed the very latest version released yesterday (8.0, 40005).
I’m not a programmer, so I don’t see which is a cause (Mavericks or Avast!8 ), but there should be a problem.
I just hope this problem will be fixed as soon as possible.
I cannot use preferences from the Avast software options, meaning directly from Avast. However I can from the Macbook Pro system preferences area. The lock won’t work from Avast but will unlock from system preferences only. Click on system preferences and click on the Avast icon and there you are. I’m not sure why it won’t work directly from Avast.
Thanks a lot adicerni . It worked for me from the Mac book pro preference area . Was struggling with Maverics mail and the update also did not work for me . Bought airmail and it was also not working because of this issue. You have indeed saved my day . Thanks a ton again