idk at this point: first, when I try to download the Windows exe, Avast cuts off the download.

I got the file, scanned it, and Avast also declared it malware. What gives?

It's a false positive. Avast is notorious for reporting false positives. I have reported the issue to Avast and hopefully they will resolve the issue

Good news - they fixed it!  Jotti's Avast says old installer is ok now :)