Avast AV 1. Password? 2. Slow start-up?

[Telegraph_Sam]

1. I have registered and have been running Avast! Free AV.  I wanted to temporarily disable the program in case of a conflict with something else.  But this means entering and altering the "settings".  To do this Avast is asking me for a password.  I am not aware of ever having created or registered a password.  If I haven't, or have forgotten it, how do I get it?

2. My PC has always suffered from very long boot times in spite of various attempts with start-up monitors.  If I use Process Explorer, which I can understand 5% of, I believe that much of the initial delays are caused by Avast updating. Until this is complete it is impossible to run any other program.  Is this normal??

[DavidR]

1. Essentially if you can't remember it you have o reinstall.

2. First you have to be strict in what starts on boot, many programs and their friends want you to to start them on boot by default. Only essential applications should be allowed to start on boot.

You can delay the avast update check, though you have to modify the avast5.ini file.

Using notepad (essential) open this file C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Avast Software\Avast\avast5.ini (XP location) Or C:\ProgramData\Avast Software\Avast\avast5.ini (Vista, win7). Locate the [InetWD] section heading and add the following line if it doesn't exist, AlwaysConnectedWaitSeconds=180 and place it after the AssumeAlwaysConnected=1 line (create if not present). Once you have completed the modification, save the changes, the avast self-defence module will ask confirmation about the modification, answer Yes.

See example below, which is for 180 seconds, you can increase that if required (another minute or two), but that should be fine.

[InetWD]
AssumeAlwaysConnected=1
AlwaysConnectedWaitSeconds=180

[Telegraph_Sam]

Tks for quick response.
Re 1. I suppose that I created the "Settings" password when I registered originally, AND that this PW is not the same as the one I use to log in to the forum? 

Re 2 I will digest this though just delaying the process will probably only postpone the problem since the updates are obviously essential and if my low spec processor can't multi-task then I'll have to live with it.

[DavidR]

You're welcome.

1. at some time a password must have been set to stop settings being changed; unless you are in the habit of using the same password for multiple things (not advisable) then it is unlikely to be the same.

2. delaying the update check will take it away from what is a busy time (boot) for a low spec system. So you should see a noticeable difference, You could further extend it to 300 seconds.

Avast itself is running early on in the boot anyway and would be scanning other files that run on boot to protect your system. This is why it is important not to have any non-essential applications run on boot (system, security, basically).