The latest version a disaster for XP

[Nagan]

I did the over the top of install of the latest version on my XP SP 3. On restart , the computer literally hanged and nearly took 5 min to display the desktop icons.

2.Network completely fails, and no browsers work.

3.Above that , AVAST decalres itself unprotected . Pressing Resolve does not solve a thing.

4.Did the wise thing to go back to 1489.

Hope the engineers paid attention to such trivial details.

[Asyn]

No problems here on XP, try a clean reinstall.

1. Download avast! Free Antivirus: http://files.avast.com/iavs9x/avast_free_antivirus_setup.exe
2. Follow instructions: http://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility (Run this tool for all prior installed avast! versions..!!)
3. Reinstall avast! with the downloaded installer from point 1.
4. Reboot.

[DavidR]

No problem with 9.0.2011 on my XP Pro SP3 system either.

[Gopher John]

I had similar problems with WinXP Pro SP3 updating thru the AvastUI.  An Avast repair via Add/Remove Programs sorted the problem for me.  Avast has been running fine since.

[Nagan]

Agree with the suggestions. But there should be one fixed method that would work for sure.Why try over the top , and then a fresh one? I think AVAST with its years of experience must give the best foolproof deal to its users... IMHO.

[Para-Noid]

Sometimes the change log affects different systems in different ways.
This makes it impossible to have a one size fits all fix. So each issue
needs to be addressed individually on a case by case manner. 

[chris..]

hello,
ok for issue on case by case , but when more or less 90% of big issues are (and were for v8) fixed by clean install , why don't avast think about an  clean install way first ?
Tons of evangelist (good) posts here should be saved. People may be also a little less aggressives about what they believed to be rubbishes products.

There are many software (also securities tools) in the world , each one has their own way to be installed , how many doesn't try to find a fix to numerous freezes and BSOD due to install ?

[CraigB]

Agree with the suggestions. But there should be one fixed method that would work for sure.Why try over the top , and then a fresh one? I think AVAST with its years of experience must give the best foolproof deal to its users... IMHO.

If you are upgrading from an old version such as 1489 then imo a clean install would be best, upgrades over the top seem to work alright when working with the same version but coming from version 7 to 8 or to 9 then less problems appear with clean installs.

[Nagan]

Agree with the suggestions. But there should be one fixed method that would work for sure.Why try over the top , and then a fresh one? I think AVAST with its years of experience must give the best foolproof deal to its users... IMHO.

If you are upgrading from an old version such as 1489 then imo a clean install would be best, upgrades over the top seem to work alright when working with the same version but coming from version 7 to 8 or to 9 then less problems appear with clean installs.

Suggestions taken Craigb. I am a user and not a foe. Why can't AVAST make a best foolproof way to deliver , rather than suggest to user, you could do it this way LATER. I understand each machine out in the world is unique and they can't test for such. Atleast with the experience they should be specific , which method will work with the least of inconvenience. Hard job.. These are humble suggestions. 

[MikeBCda]

I must have a good fairy looking out for my systems -- in all these years, I can't remember ever having to uninstall and clean-install, even for a full-version update of avast, going all the way back to my Win 98SE days.  Only one real problem I can remember, and that wasn't even tied in to the installation process ... some years ago there was a serious conflict between avast and the ZoneAlarm firewall, but both companies worked together to get that straightened out quickly, within a week or less if I remember correctly.

Several recent updates, especially going from 8 to 9/2014, have required multiple reboots before they worked properly.  I suspect that's because new drivers may have been introduced and needed activation by rebooting to proceed with the update, possibly in several stages of the process.

[chris..]

have you tried all updates on your 13 years old W98 OS with daily use ? do avast 2014 works fine now on it ? 

I have a 8 years old Wxp (never formatted) , with maybe tons of useless soft or registry keys , don't know if one day avast will not encounter problems to unload driver by exemple.

If you never have troubles , maybe it's firstly because you are organized , never missed steps that nag could do , use more or less new OS without many rubbish , know when you have to stop foolishness before the problem gets worse ...

Right , this is not avast fault , but facts are that guys and evangelists with tons of avast posts are much less likely to encounter problems than newbies.
How many of these same newbies came knocking on the door of the beta test version ? I'm sure they are more comfortable at home with a game or video , awaiting for a BSOD due to avast final release. 

Maybe there are not enough "1 post" member here to say avast or their pc doesn't work at all, or they are loggin the forum just for fun yelling at avast

Edit:ah yes I forgot, before you give me the note, there are millions of users who do not complain

merry christmas to all, I'm late to the party 

[DavidR]

Win9.x essentially was supported up to avast 4.8 and although 4.8 is still on life support that could end at any time. The virus definitions updates format changed in avast 5.0 and has changed again in avast 9.0, so the earliest supported OS in avast 9.0 is XP SP2 or possibly XP SP3 and higher.

So no avast 2014 9.0 doesn't work win9.x.

There are no special privileges as Evangelists, an update doesn't know who is on the other end of the update. We do program updates from the UI or install a new version over the top of the old versions and or a clean install, just the same as other users. Many users also do this in the beta testing to try and find kinks that require sorting.

[jwoods301]

If you think about it, each Windows configuration is unique, so a "one size fits all" solution is not possible.

I had two small issues with the lastest version on my XP box, but I don't use the Avast firewall, and several other Avast features.

That said, most modern software installers will detect a previous version and will remove it during the install while preserving your personalized settings, and notify you that a reboot will be required to remove files that are in use.

I'd bet that's the root of most of the issues. Files that need to be removed and replaced aren't for certain features.

I'd also bet that Avast will move its installers in that direction sooner rather than later. Too big of a support nightmare not to...

You can roll back to a previous version that worked well for you until this release stabilizes.

Filehorse.com has the older versions of Avast...

http://www.filehorse.com/download-avast-antivirus/old-versions/

[chris..]

@DavidR

For W9.x , it was of course a humorous parenthesis 

far from me the idea to any privileges, this is not what I meant

I just think those interested a little to avast software and give their time to help each other, as you Evangelist, you can anticipate - may be unconsciously - some evidence.

I don't know by exemple if MikeBCda never needed to do a clean-install or never done a clean-install.
Never tested once the procedure? no more just for info when all goes well? no more just to know what 's talking to help users suffering?
Like an airline pilot had never trained to predicament in a simulator ?
If never , ok I'm wrong , but if he has done before, what "is proving that he has not already begun to anticipate future problems?
As clean some files or unload/reload drivers a year ago with aswclear used on v8 could not prevent the proper functioning at the time but should become a problem with the v9 change log.

@jwoods301
I also thought about this type of installation, but I am sure that if it is not like that, there is a reason.
And when there is a security utility as avast, I suppose we take the utmost care in the procedure to prevent anyone to easily take control of your system

[DavidR]

In almost ten years of using avast it has been a very rare occasion when I have done a clean install/reinstall. Even when involved with the beta testing, when the regular release has come along generally I do a install over the top of the beta. In that time I have been involved in all but one of the beta trials.

On occasion I have had to do a clean install, one occasion being a beta trial just wouldn't work on my XP Pro system, so in going back to the regular release I did a clean reinstall.  On occasion it has been recommended to do a clean install when going from beta to the new released version.

Outside of that I generally don't do a clean install, whilst now it isn't as much hassle as previously there was no way to save/export your settings as there is now and import them into the new install.