I am currently using Avast Free program version 5.0.766. There were a few problems with the following updates of version 5 and in the meantime Avast 6 has been released.
I plan on updating to Avast 6 in some time, anyway.
My question is, if it is still safe to use my current Avast version, since virus updates are provided. Are there any security issues with the version I am using that have been fixed in the others or were the other updates only bugfixed and new features?
It is not as safe or feature packed as the current version but the virus def’s are the same, i would suggest to upgrade to the latest prerelease with a clean install and not installed over the top.
Just to clarify: I will eventually definitely upgrade to a new version in the next couple of weeks. Only not just right now since I want to modify a few things on my system anyways. The question is am I currently in the next weeks in acute risk to get infected with that Avast version?
It is not as safe
Is this 'less safe' related to the new features like Sanbox and WebRep or is there a security hole in the 5.0.766 version? Could I get that specific information in a changelog by Avast?
You’ve been using that old version this long so you should be fine for a couple of weeks, there has been lots of improvements since your version http://www.avast.com/release-history
I would still go for a non-Beta release, just to make sure that the bugs are worked out. Remember that Beta still means, “Not Done Yet” and is for evaluation purposes. The same is true with Release Candidates. The current version is 6.0 in general release. I updated through the GUI from Avast 5.1 to 6.0, and it works fine.
Or you can wait a week or so, for this next general release build. I am not a fan of Beta’s, unless you are a user who knows a lot about computers and is willing to possibly troubleshoot issues with the build.
My take would be either install the current general release of 6.0 now, or wait for the next general release of 6.0.xx.