Is avast! Free Antivirus compatible with Windows 8.1?

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

I just did a clean install of the RTM Windows 8.1 x64 and would like t know before I wreck my system

Is avast! Free Antivirus compatible with Windows 8.1 yet? What is the exact version that I need to be downloading?

I have a 3 year license for Eset NOD32 and a 3 year License for Kaspersky Internet Security and a 4 year license for Bitdefender AV but although the last 2 score well in AV tests, they have a lot of glitches.

NOD32 = Not yet compatible with Windows 8.1 and even though their Beta version 7 IS compatible, I don’t want to install a Beta software. Additionally, they haven’t been doing well in independent AV tests and some sites report that their performance impact on the system is high unlike the old days where they were super light

Bitdefender AV = absolute crap, although it gets 100% in all virus tests I’ve seen, it by itself is a virus and causes a lot of trouble starting from slow browsing on the web to many false positives

Kaspersky Internet Security & AV = Not compatible with Windows 8.1 yet, I am tired of them to release the updated Patch B installer and also sick of their stupid activation system, you activate the product 3 times and BAAM, your key is blacklisted and good luck with support to get your key reset

thus, I turn to Avast but I don’t know how good is it when it comes to performance impact on a system, false positives, adverse effect on browsing

please help a n00b!3

2

Avast 8.0.1497 states Compatible with Windows 8 and 8.1, on the release info here in the forum, I’m still on Windows 8 here myself, so I can’t tell you for sure if it works properly or not, (Waiting til the 17th to install 8.1 here due to Windows Media Center, and don’t wanna have activation issues with that)

3

→ http://forum.avast.com/index.php?msg=983692

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Thanks Asyn

5

You’re welcome.

6

I see avast! here is doing better than Eset:

http://chart.av-comparatives.org/chart1.php

how well does avat respond to 0 day threats? viruses that are not yet defined in the signature based on behavior ?

7

Now that is something I will surely speak off on.

I dont really love any tests that I see,to me they are all unrealistic in some way.No user is really going to hit 0-day thingy in real world.

Also if the malware is true 0-day no AV will catch it not even avast,everything we hunt or see is just plain malware roughly a day or two old. :wink:

Avast already is using evo-gen and filerepmalware technologies and it is constantly improving to respond better to newer threats and v9 will be a great step towards that with deepscreen. ;D

Improvements are on the way,so behold! :slight_smile:

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yes you make a good point, it is very unlikely that I will get one of those 0 day viruses. I’m so torn away to install avast! or NOD32 I have a 3 year license for NOD32 but ESET has released the final version of NOD32 v7 in German language 10 days ago but isn’t releasing it in English ::slight_smile:

really confused to wait for them or to install avast! free and waste my NOD32 antivirus

9

Install avast!, at least for a test. You’ll like it. :wink:

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The only quirk I have about it which is making me not want to go ahead and install it is that last month when I installed it, it kept giving me nags to upgrade to the pro version :frowning:

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Did you register it…!? → http://www.avast.com/faq.php?article=AVKB9

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Kinda weird saying that you don’t want to install a beta but do install a rtm…

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RTM is not the same as Beta, RTM is after Beta

RTM = Release to manufacturing

Furthermore, a quick hashtag on the Win 8.1 ISO I have with the available one recently released on MSDN is 100% the same, thus, proves my point