Avast 4.8 - The nag screen has returned

[Oz Bezarius]

avast! 4.8 is using an outdated engine, its emulator is much more basic, it doesn't have proper heuristics, doesn't provide Script Shield, it doesn't have Behavior Shield, it doesn't have AutoSandbox and also scanned files are not cached which significantly increases performance.
You get all this in avast! 6. For free!

Yeah, sure. But I won't get for free all the expanded options present in 4.8, for example the possibility to make my own list of file extensions which should be scanned when started/written on HDD. It's getting more and more simple with every new release. I know people are generally stupid and needs to be protected from themselves, but why more experienced users must also suffer from this?
And screw this Sandbox, it gets on my nerves like hell. Everytime I install/run new software, I have to add it to trusted exceptions. I've turned it off, then I turned off the resident protection and it still poped up. Don't know if it's a bug or maybe I've done something wrong, but I know I don't need it.

I's like having a choice of a free Ferrari 458 Italia and a free Zastava Yugo. And you'd pick Yugo and insist on it to the death. WHY!?

You've answered yourself in your first sentence: because I have a choice. Generally speaking, I don't believe in any AV software to be perfect, I just needs it to inform me there might be something wrong with my system. As soon as I know that, I'm loading a clean copy from a ghost image. I'm using this method for years and it never ever let me down - all I've lost once was few MP3 & JPG files, which recovery took me literally few minutes.
Besides I have a 1,3 GHz processor and 512 RAM MB. I saw what 5 can do to my computer during hot moments. Even 4.8 likes to dangerously slow down my machine (for example during database update), but at least it's tolerable.
So it's not like I don't know new versions. I know them quite well and that's why I'm going to stay with 4.8 as long as it is supported. What's new not necessarily must be better in its every aspect and for everyone.

And most importantly, thank you prilodri - seems it's working, I've messed with asw6Ldr.dll. But the question is how long 'till they develop the method to bypass it...

I don't see anything wrong with advertising new version of software. But there should be an option to turn it off after seeing it once. Showing it notoriously if you like it or don't is rather a disservice to a people like me.

[RejZoR]

You can edit extensions. Also if emulator is presenting a slowdown, just turn it off in avast! 6. Then you'll get avast! 4.8 scanning engine with extra caching that will significantly speed things up. Also update process is now much more transparent and less intensive for the computer.

[prilodri]

As much as you'd love for any avast! version to be automatically configured to your specific desires without some customisation, life just isn't like that. To expect avast! to automatically cater to your desired settings is quite frankly a ridiculous and boxed minded expectation.

Well taken, but I notice three new settings I don't need in the 6.0 configuration.  The virtualization feature actually looks pretty cool to me...  I will keep this in mind in the future as I am currently experimenting with Virtualbox and with VMWare to a more limited extent.

The only insanity is from the people not upgrading the the 6 versions, i find the new versions run lighter than any of the old versions and if you find that isnt so then you need to look at what other software you have running that maybe causing the slow downs.
It is strange how you can call avast bloatware

Sir, I said Avast 5.0 was bloatware...  I installed Avast 4.x for a customer years ago and he liked it so much he started using it exclusively.  When 5.x came out and he was forced to upgrade because of the nagging, he was upset.  I also tried installing the free version of 5.0 on customers systems and I remember being very disappointed by it.  I have not seen 6.0 yet.

Also to come here to the avast forums and state that your using cracked keys and then you want help on an old version of avast when there is a superiour new product in every aspect for free really makes me wonder how some people even remember to breathe.

If I went on the Apogee forums and told them that I'm still emulating Commander Keen in Dosbox, I hardly think anyone from their company would care (If they even still exist).

avast! 4.8 is using an outdated engine, its emulator is much more basic, it doesn't have proper heuristics, doesn't provide Script Shield, it doesn't have Behavior Shield, it doesn't have AutoSandbox and also scanned files are not cached which significantly increases performance.
You get all this in avast! 6. For free!

Ah yes, the sandbox feature, this is something I loathed in Comodo Antivirus....  I don't need my antivirus babysitting me, watching everything I do, making sure I don't defecate excrement in my underwear.

I'm not an expert in antivirus terminology, but what exactly is an antivirus program emulating?  Are the heuristics good enough to warn me if the torrent I downloaded has an infected file?  Probably.  I stated that I don't use Script Shield because I use Firefox with AdBlock Pro, and have never had any problem with this combination.  I also disable the Adobe Acrobat Plugin so I manually open PDF files and they do not open in Firefox (Which is a common method of infection).

Oh yea, I am also not using the bloatware Acrobat Reader "X".  I hope you don't mind.

I's like having a choice of a free Ferrari 458 Italia and a free Zastava Yugo. And you'd pick Yugo and insist on it to the death. WHY!? Take the Ferrari, take the avast! 6

I want an old mid to late 90s completely restored, fully loaded Toyota Camry?  Why?  Because I like this car and no one will tell me what to choose.  I guess you Europeans don't understand this because you have a collectivist (read: socialist) mindset, and individualistic thinking in the European Union is a thought crime.

[Gargamel360]

Yeah, this is degenerating further, now. 

First program problems, then business conduct, now here comes politics.....

Hitler references are shortly over the horizon.

[igor]

Yeah, sure. But I won't get for free all the expanded options present in 4.8, for example the possibility to make my own list of file extensions which should be scanned when started/written on HDD. It's getting more and more simple with every new release.

You are wrong - these options are still there, and there are more.

And most importantly, thank you prilodri - seems it's working, I've messed with asw6Ldr.dll. But the question is how long 'till they develop the method to bypass it...

There won't be any need to develop new methods - the virus database updates for version 4.x will simply stop, hopefully soon.

...I guess you Europeans don't understand this because you have a collectivist (read: socialist) mindset, and individualistic thinking in the European Union is a thought crime.

Yeah, some places thinking is a crime, and in other places... talking. 
Anyway, enough of that.