NEW: Beta version released - 2016.12.1.2266

Hi all,

new beta version is live: 2016.12.1.2266
In this beta we focused on internal improvements and bugfixes.

Changes:

  • SecureLine internal enhancements
  • Firewall profile switching rewritten
  • Avast screens are not displayed on Windows 10 lockscreens anymore
  • Boot time scan feature is now being downloaded on-demand
  • Fixed showing restart dialog too often and ignore postpone times

Known issues:

  • User interface might freeze after inserting a license
  • User interface might freeze when starting smart scan
  • SafeZone Browser - Sometimes, Pay Mode fails to start. Restart of the browser should help
  • SafeZone Browser - Dummy notifications and landing pages of Pay mode
  • Boot time scan “on-demand download” does not work
  • HNS scan sometimes does not finish at all

Download links as usual or just update your current beta.

Enjoy,
Petr

Hi Petr,

I think it’s not a good idea to make a boot-time scan feature downloadable on-demand. It’s a core feature which should be installed out of the box. Why did you make it available on-demand?

+1.

This needs to stay however modules like cleanup which aren’t related to security need to go.

+1 Absolutely

+1

How to run a boot scan if there is a problem with the internet connection ?

+1 Think Boot Time Scan should’ve been left alone, maybe make Cleanup feature Download on Demand instead of boot scan, as how would folks run boot scan if Internet issues going on, and someone wanted to run a boot time virus scan to make sure it’s not infection blocking internet access.

Agreed, plus the boot-time scan for some considerable time was (or still is) unique to avast.

Not to mention this would also change the current on-demand scanning functionality. In cases where a detection was made, an option was popped it suggesting the user run a boot-time scan. That option would effectively be redundant as going on-line to download it, it is another step that may simply have the user not bother.

Interestingly the suggested boot-time scan as an on-demand download is currently a known issue.

- Boot time scan "on-demand download" does not work

I often wonder why decisions like this, placing more and more of a program on-line/cloud are made, not everyone has fast internet connection and some are off-line.

++1.Boot-time scan feature is a great option in scanning.Why this types of decisions are taken? however Ads and modules like cleanup which aren’t related to security need to go.

Making the boot-time scan a downloadable on-demand is just asking for trouble avast.

I think it's not a good idea to make a boot-time scan feature downloadable on-demand. It's a core feature which should be installed out of the box. Why did you make it available on-demand?
+1

I agree as well. Boot time scan is a fail safe rescue feature. Making it dependable upon connection availability is a bad idea by design. Because be assured, when you’ll need boot time scan to clean mess up, you won’t be able to download it because there will be connection issues for sure. There always are when malware is present…

Thanks for the update.

I agree as well that boot-time scan should be loaded by default, not on-demand.

or is the wording wrong and the bootscan downloads new update to that component when put into schedule ?

+1 such important feature shall be default

+1 PUP detection by default yet please add specific PUP-detection exclusions

That’s why I didn’t reply before, we need info from the devs, else it’s a guessing game…

I feel the wording is fairly clear:

+ Boot time scan feature is now being downloaded on-demand

For me the reference to the boot time scan feature is now being downloaded on-demand.

To me this means the boot time scan ‘feature’ isn’t present by default, other than a link to download it and run it as a stand alone function.

If this really is the case, I find it very hard to understand why they would remove this, what benefit does it bring in not having it available. Surely it doesn’t take up much disk space or space in the setup file to make it worthy of being pushed out to the cloud.

If Avast are so concious of saving space/bloat, I can think of many other features to remove first.

Just tested it, BTS works for me, even without any download.

Thanks for the feedback guys! This will definitely stir up the discussion about the boot time scan availability in the product team.
Just to clear things up. In the “new” design, libraries required by the boot time scan are downloaded when user schedules the scan for the first time.

Petr

so technically boot-scan is no-go if you have no internet ? (case of first install/first use of bootscan)
or will be there full-offline installer available for such case ?

I agrre with everyone here with respect to boot time scan. This is an important feature and I have used it. Please keep it within the Avast program. As was pointed out before, sometimes the internet is not always available or a virus might have disabled it.

Good alternative would be to decide to install Boot time Scan feature during program installation, just like you select Software Updater, separate shields, Rescue Disk or Browser Protection etc.

It’s a bit useless to be asked to install it when you need it in which case connection most likely won’t be available because malware tends to kill it or block it.