Downloat the latest Avast! Internet Security 7.0.1401 (beta2) on Palupix

I like the new installer and interface and avast! 7 includes useful new layers of protection, too. It's still a beta, though, so don't rely on the program to keep you safe for too long.

Avast! Internet Security 7 makes an impression right away with an interesting new installation routine. As well as the usual "Express" install which just gives you everything, it's also possible to run a Compatible Install which essentially means you can choose precisely what you want: which core components, which real-time shields, even which language. Which could be ideal if you want to install a minimum version of the program to run alongside another antivirus tool.

The program's new interface is clean and simple. Your system status is just a click away, and the real-time protection you get here - File System, Mail, Web filtering, P2P and Instant Message scanning, Network checks, Scripts and Behavioural Monitoring, as well as the firewall - can also be checked and reconfigured (if appropriate) in a moment. (Although the Spam filter seems different, for some reason, and on our test PC we had to access it directly from our copy of Outlook 2010.)

Avast! 7 introduces new cloud-based services, too. Reputation Services connect to the cloud to establish the safety of websites and individual files, while new streaming updates help you stay more quickly protected against the latest threats.

One of the more unusual additions here is a Remote Assistance option, which allows you to connect to and share the desktop of another avast! user.

And of course avast! reports many general improvements, in particular with the program's sandbox and browsing protection.

This is avast! 7's internet security suite. The program also comes in a Free and Pro antivirus edition, and even the most basic of these delivers plenty of power, including a lot of real-time and browsing protection. So if you're looking to save money then the Free edition may be the best place to start.

But keep in mind that these are the first public beta releases of avast! 7, and they have plenty of problems. Here, for instance, are the issues avast! knows about already.

- In some cases, WebRep Chrome plugin is not installed correctly
- The Safezone browser is opening each time when you switch back and to the Safezone
- Plugins for Outlook 2k3 and 2k7 show "runtime error" message
- Sometimes autosandbox toaster does not close correctly
- Problems with avast sounds on Win 7 and Win Vista
- Remote assistance feature sometimes crashes on Win 7 32b, Win Vista 64b
- avast! account functionality is disabled
- the help hasn't been updated yet, it's still from v6
- many of the translations haven't been updated yet, so you'll see new items in English

So install with caution, if you do so at all.