we’ll soon be releasing a new build of avast - version 5.1. This includes the three “consumer” editions of avast - i.e. avast! Free Antivirus, avast! Pro Antivirus and avast! Internet Security. The business products (avast! Business Protection and avast! Business Protection Plus) unfortunately aren’t ready for the prime time yet and will be released later.
As usual, we’re making the new version available for public testing before it’s officially released.
Version 5.1.803 still misses a few things that will be in the next couple of days. For example, some of the Behavior Shield changes aren’t there in this build yet (but there’s a progress compared to the previous builds 5.1.798/803).
How to install it
Just run the setup executable (links above). You can either install it from scratch, or on top of an existing avast installation (installing over both 5.0.xxx or 4.8.yyy should be fine). A reboot will be required to complete the installation.
If you’re already running a previous v5.1 beta, you can go to this build by simply invoking the Program Update feature from within the avast! UI.
What’s new
Most notable improvements include:
Boot-time scanner for 64-bit OSes (finally!)
Behavior Shield improvements - now with more sensors and able to detect exact offenders*
Improved cleaning of infected computers
Improved anti-rootkit engine - now capable of dealing with the latest TDL variants, for example
Web Shield improvements (both stability and performance related)
Mail and Web Shields not hosted in separate NT services anymore, resulting in much faster starts
IS: new version of antispam engine
Sound packs (more info coming later)
*The Behavior Shield functionality is still incomplete in this build. And even in the final v5.1, it will work only in “passive mode”, which means that the new sensors will be active but won’t be stopping the attacks, just reporting them to our backend infrastructure (unless you have opted out from the avast! community membership). This is to allow us to collect enough data before enabling the real thing in Q1 2011.
I might add that - as usual with the betas - some of the language modules were not updated yet and the new items are still in English there; no need to report, this is normal.
I can also say that the boot-time scanner has been noticeably accelerated recently (at least for some OSes/machines). OK, technically this is not directly connected with avast! 5.1, but I thought that you might like to know anyway.
Thanks, before I do anything else, I need a little help, I update using the link Is and things went great and rebooted, once up and running in the new version it asked me to restart again and then, back to the original version 5.0.677. what went wrong? any respond is welcome, thanks again
There were two options when the installation started/ended, Update and Uninstall you didn’t happen to choose Uninstall, in which case it might have dropped back to 677. For me the install went fine I clicked Update and allowed the reboot and I’m running on 5.1.798 on the restart.
okay I did it ;D I was expecting it tbh but still clicked on “update program” to see what it does, and it got indeed downgraded to 5.0.677 ;D + an “license expired message”, then a pop up asking me to renew, clicked on “I already have…”, license got re-activated 8)…just like that will have to upgrade again… but I’ll do that from scratch.
The Network Shield does not work in this Beta? Everything else seems to be ok, except the NS module doesn’t work. Windows 7 x64. Tried re-starting it, doesn’t work. Is this expected?
thanks… will install in a minute.
will have to upgrade again… but I’ll do that from scratch.