@LairdDrambeg,
Unless avast releases a new program update really soon (which I doubt), I would suggest first to back up your license file (if you have a paid-for edition), then to uninstall avast, run the specific aswclear.exe removal utility under Windows Safe Mode for BOTH avast 6 and avast 5, selecting the correct folder too.
Then remove any (hidden) folders with "avast*" or "alwil*" as part of the name. Download the latest stable version and install anew. Reboot immediately after the installation process finishes.
I'm NOT saying this will completely solve your particular problem, but since you already have some troubles, then maybe eliminating previous remnants (of previous avast versions) could potentially help.
The latest stable installation would not be just an update from avast 5 to 6 (as you currently have), so some of the issues could be potentially solved. Unfortunately, I can't assure you this will solve any problem.