Jean is having problems with Avast
I have been using the free version of Avast for several years. It has kept my computer virus free. Today I tried to upgrade to the latest version 5.0. I was led around in circles and got nowhere. It says "Your download will start " but it doesn't start.  I will try again and if nothing works then I'll change to AntiVir. I know that Avast would like me to use the purchased version. I don't need it. I also don't need the frustration of trying to download their free version. Do you have any idea how  one upgrades to the free version?  Your newsletter has been a wonderful help to many. Hope you keep it up. Jean

Our answer
Thanks for your nice comments, Jean.

It seems Avast is getting more aggressive in its promotion of its paid version - and they now have an Internet security suite too. As most of you know, we do not like most "suites" - namely because they contain unnecessary programs like 3rd-party firewalls. While we still recommend Avast (because it's free and effective) we're not as enthusiastic about it lately. Anti-Vir has it's annoyances too - like the big popup ad you see every time you reboot your computer. Times are tough economically - and a lot of companies are getting very aggressive in their sales approaches. While this is understandable, it can be annoying. Avast is teetering on becoming overly annoying; we hope they reevaluate their priorities. In any case, you can download Avast's free edition here.

If you're thinking of replacing Avast all together read this:

We've just removed Avast from a couple of computers and installed Microsoft Security Essentials. We're loath to recommend anything Microsoft these days, but Microsoft Security Essentials (at least the anti-virus component) is excellent. Microsoft Security Essentials also comes with a very poor antispyware component, so if you're installing it, make sure you have a good antispyware program (or two) installed. We recommend Microsoft Security Essentials for its antivirus protection only. It's free, very easy to use, and it's very low on resources and annoyances. If you're a Windows XP user, and you'd like to install Microsoft Security Essentials, you should do it soon; Microsoft will soon stop offering it, as well as several other programs, to Windows XP users.

Reminder: If you're going to switch from one antivirus program to another, always remove the one you're replacing before installing the new one. Avast comes with an uninstaller, which unlike Norton or McAfee, actually works.