Updating from 1178 to Free Home 4.8.1185 on Windows 98 S.E

I have the 4.1.1178 Free home version, as I have 98 S.E and am unable to de-activate the self defence module, what is the correct method to update my Free 4.8.1178 home version to the 1178 Free Home version?

As I have Windows 98 S.E i don’t have the access to disable the self defence module, so I just clicked on program update and it seemed to update ok, will this be ok, or would I have had to uninstall and reinstall the pre-release 1185 from scratch?

I right clicked the (a) icon on system tray, and selected program update, it all downloaded successfully, and it now says it’s build 1185.

It asked for a system re-boot.

Does this all sound the right thing to do?

Also I just had a look at the Zone Alarm settings after the manual program update, and they are as follows on the entry detail.

Avast Anti-Virus Update version 4.8.0.0

Avast Email scanner service 4.8.1169

Avast Web Scanner 4.8.1184,0

I know the question was answered recently that the executables dont record the actual program version update, but wondered if these settings were ok.

All the builds show as 1185 in the On Access Protection Control for the installed providers.

I found that all I had to do was use the program update feature and I was updated to new beta build 1185 This was consistent with previous beta refreshes.

I suspect that the previous concern was the need to take care of self-defence when first entering the beta program (and I get the impression from VLk’s post that the same procedure will be needed when entering future beta programs).

I would not worry too much about the version information being shown by ZoneAlarm. It seems to be a regular feature of the beta program that these are not completely “tidied up” until the new final release is made available.

Thank you alanrf,

As I say all the builds show as 1185 in the On Access Protection Control for the installed providers, so it looks ok like you mention.

It’s a good program I like it alot.

In that case though in my position with 98 S.E, what would I need to do given that I am unable to disable the self defence module for future beta programs?

btw, is there a difference between future beta refreshes and future beta programs?

I ask because was this recent update not a beta program update?

Please see the current beta thread at the top of the forum. Build 1185 is a refresh within the present beta program. I think that you got into a discussion in another thread about how you more or less stumbled into this beta program.

So let’s see if I can explain -

When avast decides to start a beta program then they announce it in the forum. Then avast users willing to participate normally join by downloading and running the aswbeta.exe program. This flags the user’s avast configuration as now in the beta program stream and causes the beta version of avast to be installed.

Once the beta program is running there may be 0, 1, 2 (or more but unlikely) updates or “refreshes” of the beta update before the final new production version is released. It is usual for the team to announce the new refresh of the beta as happened today with build 1185. If you are flagged as being in the beta program and you perform a program update then you will get the latest refresh of the beta program.

As discussed before, when the new final production release is made available and it is installed then beta program participants are automatically restored to the normal avast update stream (ie removed from the beta program).

When the avast team decides to run a new beta program then we start all over again with this process.

So all I would be required to do is click on program update then?

So in simple terms the last 4 digits are refreshes, and the next beta program could indeed be called 4.9 as an example?

I am just really trying to fathom out what I need to do when there are updates, so I am happy about refreshes but still confused on what to do when there is a complete new program update like for instance a 4.9 update.

Because of the position I find myself with 98 S.E do I just wait till there is notification of a new program update then I click on program update within Avast, as I don’t want to be running aswbeta exe files or anything like that, and obviously I cannot disable any self defence modules due to me having Windows 98 S.E

I have build 4.8.1185 at the moment, so it looks like I have a beta program would you say? so when this new release becomes available for download, what is the easiest method for me to update and upgrade?

Would you say that I have the beta program then? as I have build 4.8.1185 and it let me perform a manual update with no problems from 1178 to 1185.

Not too sure what you meant when you said if you are flagged?

When the beta program is over (= when the official version is released), all you have to do is make a program update (either manual, or automatic, doesn’t matter) and your program is updated to the official version - and it stays like that.

If another beta is started in the future (could be just 4.8 with a higher build number, not necessarily 4.9), it will be announced on the forum. To install the beta, you always have to download a special executable (which will be included inthe announcement) and start it; without it, you’ll always be on the official version. And again, when the beta program is over, all existing beta users are moved to the new official version during a program update.

So perhaps then it may be easier for me in the circumstances to just wait on final releases by just clicking on program updates when the time comes?

The build I had before I performed the upgrade to 1185 which was 1178 was downloaded from scratch from here http://public.avast.com/~vlk/4.8.1178/setupeng.exe (Home Edition, English version) ~21MB, this seemed to give me the beta right away, am I right in thinking that this would be a beta program? please confirm, because surely it wouldn’t have let me perform an update within the program itself unless it was a beta version according to alanrf.

What I am really saying is that I didn’t download any special executable, I just originally performed the download from the link I show above, of course I am referring to when I originally installed Avast and not this latest update to the build, although as I explained to alanrf, I didn’t perform any download special executable for that either, but he said that is ok.

What confuses me is that my original Avast download was from here http://public.avast.com/~vlk/4.8.1178/setupeng.exe (Home Edition, English version) ~21MB and I didn’t download using the aswbeta.exe program, which worries me in thinking that it may not be the Beta program that I currently have at the moment.

Did I get away without downloading from the aswbeta.exe program because I didn’t have a previous version installed at the time?

So I am hoping at the end of the day that I can just use the program update button all the time without the need to be running the aswbeta program as I will only be really wanting the official versions and not the beta’s.

Ah, I didn’t know that Vlk put the full installer online, too - it’s not the usual way.
Anyway, it’s not the usual installer - you can consider this file to include both the normal installer, downloadable from our web, and aswBeta.exe in one.

So this means I can keep my current version and just perform the manual program update when the time comes without ever having to future install the aswBeta.exe separately.

I actually preferred the way that vlk put the installer online like that as it went through with no problems, and of course it helps people like me that are unable to disable their self defence modules due to having windows 98 S.E

Anyone care to read my latest reply?

Yes. Once you’re using beta, invoking program updates will update the beta (and in the future, to the official release also).

I understand that now, but, what happens when I need to upgrade once I have the official version?

It will upgrade with or without the self defense module on.
The self defense only prevents the first upgrade from official version to beta, i.e., entering the beta program is only done manually disabling the self defense module.

The only thing that worries me is when I go out of Beta to an official version, what happens if I want to go into a beta? is that when I need to download the aswbeta.exe file to enable me to enter a new beta program.

Yes, you can download it again or you can use the ‘old’ aswbeta.exe program too… it’s very small.

When a new beta is announced (after a regular release) on the forums, you will be given the link for aswbeta.exe, this is required only to convert from the regular version to the beta version. If you are on the beta and there is a beta refresh you need only use the program update and you get the refreshed beta version.

When the beta is complete and that is usually indicated by a post on the forums announcing the release of a regular program update. At that point you use the program update and you will be converted to the regular release.