** INTRODUCING: BETA VERSION OF AVAST 5.1 [NOW 5.1.807] **

[Vlk]

Hi *,

we'll soon be releasing a new build of avast - version 5.1. This includes the three "consumer" editions of avast - i.e. avast! Free Antivirus, avast! Pro Antivirus and avast! Internet Security. The business products (avast! Business Protection and avast! Business Protection Plus) unfortunately aren't ready for the prime time yet and will be released later.

As usual, we're making the new version available for public testing before it's officially released.

Version 5.1.803 still misses a few things that will be in the next couple of days. For example, some of the Behavior Shield changes aren't there in this build yet (but there's a progress compared to the previous builds 5.1.798/803).

How to get it
Free AV: http://files.avast.com/files/beta/5.1.807/setup_av_free.exe
Pro AV: http://files.avast.com/files/beta/5.1.807/setup_av_pro.exe
IS: http://files.avast.com/files/beta/5.1.807/setup_ais.exe


How to install it
Just run the setup executable (links above). You can either install it from scratch, or on top of an existing avast installation (installing over both 5.0.xxx or 4.8.yyy should be fine). A reboot will be required to complete the installation.

If you're already running a previous v5.1 beta, you can go to this build by simply invoking the Program Update feature from within the avast! UI.

What's new
Most notable improvements include:
- Boot-time scanner for 64-bit OSes (finally!)
- Behavior Shield improvements - now with more sensors and able to detect exact offenders*
- Improved cleaning of infected computers
- Improved anti-rootkit engine - now capable of dealing with the latest TDL variants, for example
- Web Shield improvements (both stability and performance related)
- Mail and Web Shields not hosted in separate NT services anymore, resulting in much faster starts
- IS: new version of antispam engine
- Sound packs (more info coming later)

*The Behavior Shield functionality is still incomplete in this build. And even in the final v5.1, it will work only in "passive mode", which means that the new sensors will be active but won't be stopping the attacks, just reporting them to our backend infrastructure (unless you have opted out from the avast! community membership). This is to allow us to collect enough data before enabling the real thing in Q1 2011.

Changes in the latest build build 5.1.807
please see here: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=67373

Thanks much
Vlk

[Hermite15]

hey finally thanks... will install in a minute.

[rnuis]

Wow i will give it a try great

[igor]

I might add that - as usual with the betas - some of the language modules were not updated yet and the new items are still in English there; no need to report, this is normal.

I can also say that the boot-time scanner has been noticeably accelerated recently (at least for some OSes/machines). OK, technically this is not directly connected with avast! 5.1, but I thought that you might like to know anyway.

[12-es_csaj]

What's new
Most notable improvements include:
- Boot-time scanner for 64-bit OSes (finally!)
- Behavior Shield improvements - now with more sensors and able to detect exact offenders*
- Improved cleaning of infected computers
- Improved anti-rootkit engine - now capable of dealing with the latest TDL variants, for example
- Web Shield improvements (both stability and performance related)
- Mail and Web Shields not hosted in separate NT services anymore, resulting in much faster starts
- IS: new version of antispam engine
- Sound packs (more info coming later)

*The Behavior Shield functionality is still incomplete in this build. And even in the final v5.1, it will work only in "passive mode", which means that the new sensors will be active but won't be stopping the attacks, just reporting them to our backend infrastructure (unless you have opted out from the avast! community membership). This is to allow us to collect enough data before enabling the real thing in Q1 2011.


Thanks much
Vlk

And Behavior Shield for x64?  

[DavidR]

I'm glad that I now have fast broadband at 54.31MB download, completed whilst typing this up

[ronnycopeh]

Thanks, before I do anything else, I need a little help, I update using the link Is and things went great and rebooted, once up and running in the new version it asked me to restart again and then, back to the original version 5.0.677. what went wrong? any respond is welcome, thanks again

[zfactor]

same here installed this one rebooted it did another update then rebooted again now im back to 5.0.677???

[Coolmario88]

I will wait till Avast 5.1 is out of Beta   i just know that this version of avast is going to be awesome. as always

[Vlk]

Oops, sorry for that, I again forgot about one server-side config change, please wait for a few moments...

[DavidR]

Thanks, before I do anything else, I need a little help, I update using the link Is and things went great and rebooted, once up and running in the new version it asked me to restart again and then, back to the original version 5.0.677. what went wrong? any respond is welcome, thanks again

Strange no problem here.

There were two options when the installation started/ended, Update and Uninstall you didn't happen to choose Uninstall, in which case it might have dropped back to 677. For me the install went fine I clicked Update and allowed the reboot and I'm running on 5.1.798 on the restart.

[NON]

Downloading, thanks avast team!

[schmidthouse]

Alrighty then....and we're off

[ronnycopeh]

I did do the update

[Vlk]

Just wait a few more minutes guys, as the original setup had incorrect servers.def in it that will basically get you back to 5.0.677 on next update...

This will be fixed in like 10 minutes.