'Troubleshooting' options - Windows 9X

[Vladimyr]

Running 4.8 on 95 and 98 PCs, most 'Troubleshooting' options greyed (see image).
For 'Disable rootkit scan on system startup' and 'Disable avast! self-defense module', does this indicate that this feature's configuration cannot be altered, or does it mean that this capability is not installed on 9X systems?

[Malkor]

Windows 9X support has been cut for well over a year now (I know it's probably obvious, but nevertheless I will state it).  It isn't required, although possible, for software vendors to make Win9X compatibility which could explain part of it.

Though which options are greyed out in 4.7?  Just curious whether if some of those features are NT (2000, XP) specific or not.

[alanrf]

The avast team have posted in the forums a number of times that the newer features of avast cannot be supported in the Windows 9x versions (Windows 98, Windows 98SE & Windows Me). 

The basic antivirus functions, providers and on demand scanning are still supported in those older versions of Windows but new functions added to avast are only being developed for the newer Windows versions (those Windows operating systems developed from the Windows NT system and later) and are not available to the users of the Windows 9x systems.

[Vladimyr]

Though which options are greyed out in 4.7?  Just curious whether if some of those features are NT (2000, XP) specific or not.

4.7 only has the first 2, the second was greyed.

The avast team have posted in the forums a number of times that the newer features of avast cannot be supported in the Windows 9x versions (Windows 98, Windows 98SE & Windows Me).

Thanks, I know what has been previously stated but I would rather seek clarification than assume that a stated intention is a fait accompli.

network shield and boot-time scan were the only non-9X-compliant components in 4.7, as stated on the avast! website . If rootkit scan and self-defense are also non-functional in 4.8, the page http://www.avast.com/eng/avast-4-professional-antivirus-antispyware.html should be edited to reflect this as it could create ill-feeling if someone purchased the program with a false expectation.

[alanrf]

For we freeloaders I think that ... you get what you get ... is just fine.

I agree that those purchasing avast need to have clear expectations of what is provided for the Windows 9x and the Windows NT+ boundaries of the operating system.   However, it is a rare anti-virus product that now supports the Windows 9x environment at all.  I have to doubt that avast derives much income from paying customers on Windows 9x systems. 

[igor]

Yes, antirootkit and self-defense features are available only on Windows 2000+.

[Vladimyr]

Thanks igor
I'm thoroughly satisfied with avast! 4.8 Pro on 98SE (it's actually a dual-boot XP/98SE so I'm getting all the features in XP) but I do think that other purchasers (as alanrf suggested, probably not very many) may be misled by the lack of uniformity on the "Technical features" page, i.e. not clearly indicating all the features that don't apply to pre-2000 OS. There's also nothing in the program itself that explicitly states this, hence my initial post.

[nightshade]

Let's not get too technical about all of this, and not moan and groan too much about what it does and doesn't do, it supports the older operating system, and for me that is all that matters.

Thank You Avast............