What you describe, except for point 1 - is exactly how it's supposed to work (with the points 3 and 4 actually being "notification not shown yet").
Igor, that is a contradiction. All the points, 1 to 5, are REAL examples happening RIGHT NOW, currently, simultaneously. Those are NOT inventions. Those are REAL.
Point 1 is happening to me. Point 3 is NOT "notification not shown yet", since they "alternate" according to the program update availability. They show up, just never simultaneously. But other users still see those simultaneously, when it corresponds. I used to see it that way, but not anymore. Point 2 is still seeing the correct behaviour, and point 3 has never seen it correctly. But all three ARE currently receiving the program update tray notification.
If points 1 to 3 are all using the same "update" settings, and they ALL are actually currently seeing PROGRAM update tray notifications when there is one available (same stage of distribution cycle), and they ALL have the same "Status Bar Monitoring" settings, there should not be a reason for those 3 REAL CURRENT users to see different behaviours.
About points 4 and 5, those "might" (potentially) be a case of "notification not shown yet", but not necessarily. But, when this behaviour is happening during (many) months, and the users are using a stable version which is 3 or 4 or 6 releases old, then what would be the point of "automatic program update"? Just because the tray notification is not showing up, does not mean that the AUTOMATIC program update shouldn't be applied. Having "automatic" program updates that are not automatically updating (during many months and many stable releases) is, well..., ridiculous. That situation should be enough to conclude that there is
some problem, somewhere.
Even if I discard any other REAL CURRENT users reporting their situations, my own current status is like in point 1, which you say it is not "normal".
If Avast doesn't want to test this, and experienced users simply deny the clear reports of many users (including reports from very frequent forum's users that usually offer good support here, like those I quoted), then I can only "pray" for those millions simple users out there not having their security program updated as they expect.
The DATABASE is still being correctly updated, no matter the database update tray notifications being displayed or not. The PROGRAM, is NOT being correctly updated in some of the cases, while it should be either automatically updated, or should correctly notify the user so to update manually, in a timely manner.