Please welcome the version 25.2 of Avast AV released on March 4th 2025
Major public announcement:
DoNotDisturb Mode is enabled for Windows ARM devices - the team hardly worked to get the feature enabled on ARM chipset
Say good bye to the Avast Passwords within the AV user interface. We have disabled the functionality as the legacy extension was completely disabled. There is a new browser extension that doesnât need the AV to be installed. If you were using the old functionality there is migration wizard.
other fixes to increase product stability and product performance
How to install:
Update from your existing Avast version via Settings â Update â Update program
The second one downloads same version of Avast Free, but has smaller size, so it downloads different file. So the first link has something more. Difference is huge. First link downloads 735 MB file and second one 617 MB file.
What is it? Icarus installer or additional âPUPâ software?
It looks like the Release post has been updated after your observation. The online free link now is a stub loader of only 244 K. The offline free link is now the item you showed as being the online link of 753 M (maybe that was a typo of 735), Not sure what happened to the 617 M file, so I canât speculate about the possible differences.
Having chosen the (âŠ/installertype_FULL/âŠ) offline variant , I can report that it now provides a package that WILL install on top of an earlier version (in my case 25.1) without having to uninstall the existing version. I couldnât get that to work over the last 3-4 version update releases. I say âthank youâ for that since it gives me confidence that the package is valid if I save it to backup storage in case I need to go back to it.
I updated Free to 25.2.9898a (build 25.2.9898.915) today.
On Restart âWindows Securityâ was complaining by tray shield icon highlighted yellow.
Had to do 2nd Restart before âWindows Securityâ shield icon changed to green.
Note, same thing happened to me last time I updated (to 25.1) and needed 2nd Restart to correct âWindows Securityâ shield icon to go green.
I currently have 15 copies of icarus.exe, most weeks or a month old.
It seems Avast still doesnât clean up avast-av-vps\temp very well.
THX ~ however the 25.12 release is only a few days old, so it would be good to know if it creates new multiple instances on its own, versus leftovers from prior versions
Avastâs spambot is holding an earlier message hostage so back to the point: can anyone say if the 25.12 version causes new instances of ICARUS.EXE multiplying, as mentioned elsewhere in the forums? THX
They have been pretty slow over the last few months and when they do there isnât much information in the notification.
Such as bug fixes, updated functions, features, so they arenât very helpful when they are posted. Why else would they be a need for an update, if virus pattern signatures are set to automatic.
For most people they leave the default settings to Auto Update for, Program and virus pattern signatures.
Yup true. But us Manual program updaters rely on the new version thread being posted by Avast staff here (eventually) and for the offline download files for backup.
Typically it happens early (one week or so) in the following month. However, for me a notification in the Community Forum without more details isnât that helpful. Like diving into a swimming pool not knowing the depth.
Hint - just make a note (save a browser link) of the off-line link for the Free or Paid version you have and that always delivers up the latest version - not old versions.
I was uncomfortable about 25.2 from the discussions about Software Updater sort of doing updates unexpectedly. Since enough time has passed that 25.3 is out, I decided to go ahead with installing 25.2 with the offline installer. The âCustomize installationâ screen didnât show up. Did Avast remove it or did I do something to supress. Hereâs my screen from my 25.1 install:
To my horror, the result was as if the items I didnât check off were included. I did my best to disable the stuff I didnât want and I think was mostly successful, but I much rather not install things I have no use for: thatâs safer. With the Software Updater, itâs there, but Iâve turned off Automatic Updates. I have other ways I check for updates and find Avast trying to babysit me basically useless and an unnecessary waste of resources.
DoNotDisturb Mode is enabled for Windows ARM devices - the team hardly worked to get the feature enabled on ARM chipset
Say good bye to the Avast Passwords within the AV user interface. We have disabled the functionality as the legacy extension was completely disabled. There is a new browser extension that doesnât need the AV to be installed. If you were using the old functionality there is migration wizard.
other fixes to increase product stability and product performance
Free: https://bits.avcdn.net/insttype_FREE
Premium Security: https://bits.avcdn.net/insttype_APR
JLJ-o-matic
