Setting recommendation for DAIL-UP to avoid freezes, slow loading, lock-up issue

[lakrsrool]

This morning after dialing in my FF browser failed to load my start page or any other pages. I tried using IE browser and watched what was being scanned by Avast. I noticed a number of "downloads" from Avast that were being scanned.  My start page only partially loaded the first time and then failed to load at all thereafter.

I disconnected and found another DIAL-UP PROMPT FROM AVAST asking to CONNECT TO DOWNLOAD 846.AVAST.COM.

I dialed back in using FF browser again and this time my start page did successfully load.

It appears that Avast is now "downloading" files and if there are problems it causes my connection to slow to a crawl and finally stop in which case I have to disconnect and I get a prompt from Avast to connect for a "download" which in this case solved the problems I was having.

I've been getting  a lot of requests to connect from avast for "vl.ff.avast.com" but I think this may be the first time I've noticed the connection request for "download846.avast.com".  Most of the traffic was on the Network Shield which was showing some of these Avast download scans.

Btw, I've received another request from Avast to update the virus definition file which fails to update each time I've requested Avast to do so.  The progress scan bar advances very little and then stops.  This time I had a "connection not established" error presumably because I disconnected when nothing was working the first time I dialed in.

I haven't received any help about returning to an Avast 6 version yet.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN: On the "Current Status" page I have a message that says: "Not connected with any Avast Account". When I click on the link to "connect" it says "retrieving information" but nothing happens or changes. WHAT IS THE MESSAGE MEAN: "Not connected with any Avast Account"?

I have another couple of questions:

1) Is there any way to TURN OFF Avast as far as all of these "downloads" it needs?
2) Is there a place where I can find "known issues" in as much as I'd like to know if these issues are going to be addresses ASAP?

Thanks again in advance.

Addendum: I tried updating the Virus Definitions file (VPS files) and it was successful this time (attached file).

This took 11 minutes if I recall because of using DIAL-UP.

I'm thinking that with all of the Avast "DOWNLOADS" that are occurring this could be a problem with DAIL-UP USERS because of the potential for "partial" or "interrupted" downloads that would occur because the DIAL-UP CONNECTION by it's very nature will NOT always be CONNECTED. 

Is it possible that these inevitable  "partial downloads" that would inherently occur using DIAL-UP could be CAUSING THE ISSUES OF SLOWING DOWN INTERNET TRAFFIC, FREEZING AND LOCKING UP AT TIMES?

If a "download" has to occur and is CRITICAL to Avast then perhaps a prompt message should be given to a DIAL-UP user if in the event a DIAL-UP DISCONNECT interrupts an "Avast DOWNLOAD" that would tell the user to REMAIN CONNECTED until the "Avast DOWNLOAD" finished (perhaps another prompt message could be displayed when it is finished in these cases).  Just a thought.

[DavidR]

Nothing in this regard has changed from avast5 through to avast7, when a connection is established avast will check for updates.

The connection to downloadXXX.avast will be from avast.setup which is responsible for the avast updates. You only have a limit on dial-up bandwidth so whilst a VPS update is happening that bandwidth will be shared. Nothing has changed in that regard.

The "Not connected with any Avast Account" means A) you either haven't setup an avast account (https://my.avast.com) and or B) you haven't linked the current installation with your my.avast.com account.

I though you would have by now applied the delay update check, which I generally recommend dial-up users to apply:
- In avast7 you need to edit (using notepad) avast5.ini the [InetWD] section of the, C:\ProgramData\Avast Software\Avast\avast5.ini.  Win7 location

- Dial-up connections, add this line:
RASWaitSeconds=600 and
UseRAS=1 if not present (or edit UseRAS=0 to UseRAS=1)

[InetWD]
UseRAS=1
RASWaitSeconds=600

When complete save the changes, avast's self-defence module will ask for confirmation, etc. answer Yes.

[lakrsrool]

Nothing in this regard has changed from avast5 through to avast7, when a connection is established avast will check for updates.

The connection to downloadXXX.avast will be from avast.setup which is responsible for the avast updates. You only have a limit on dial-up bandwidth so whilst a VPS update is happening that bandwidth will be shared. Nothing has changed in that regard.

The "Not connected with any Avast Account" means A) you either haven't setup an avast account (https://my.avast.com) and or B) you haven't linked the current installation with your my.avast.com account.

I though you would have by now applied the delay update check, which I generally recommend dial-up users to apply:
- In avast7 you need to edit (using notepad) avast5.ini the [InetWD] section of the, C:\ProgramData\Avast Software\Avast\avast5.ini.  Win7 location

- Dial-up connections, add this line:
RASWaitSeconds=600 and
UseRAS=1 if not present (or edit UseRAS=0 to UseRAS=1)

[InetWD]
UseRAS=1
RASWaitSeconds=600

When complete save the changes, avast's self-defence module will ask for confirmation, etc. answer Yes.

The UseRAS=1 was already there, but the RASWaitSeconds=600 was not so..... I tried the .ini file change. I had to add the ".ini" file extent using notepad using "all files" since I figured that the "txt" extent would be applied otherwise (if this makes any difference to my outcome) but after answering all the prompt questions i.e. Did I want to replace etc, then after another Avast warning a file will change I got a prompt that said "ACCESS IS DENIED", so I couldn't change the file.

All this change in the ".ini" file would do however is delay my "updates" by 10 minutes, right? So wouldn't I still potentially have the same issues but just delayed?

Btw, As I was curious, I've tried clicking on the link you provided where you referred to "setup an avast account (https://my.avast.com)" but have been waiting now for about 45 minutes while it continues to be "Transferring data from static2.avast.com" all of this time.  In awhile I guess I'll try stopping the web page and restarting it. But then I'm of the opinion this is not contributing to my issues anyway, right?

Thanks for all of your help, it's greatly appreciated.

[DavidR]

Did you use notepad as suggested as that is the only text editor that the self-defence module will allow to edit the file, if so because of windows UAC you may have to run notepad.exe as admin.

It rather depends on just how much activity is going on at the time of update, since this is likely to be greater when you first establish your connection, then 10 minutes later shouldn't be the same.

Currently the my.avast.com is having server issues, so I would leave it a little while.

[norel]

With dialup I simply had to opt for manual updates all the time. Check for updates once or twice a day when you first connect. Takes just a few minutes and you're done. A little extra effort but sure saves a lot of hair pulling, and I don't have much left to pull.   

[lakrsrool]

With dialup I simply had to opt for manual updates all the time. Check for updates once or twice a day when you first connect. Takes just a few minutes and you're done. A little extra effort but sure saves a lot of hair pulling, and I don't have much left to pull.   

I know, I have had to do this with older and slower computers (anything less than a Pentium4 and less than 1 GIG RAM and/or 600 GHz using XP or lower O.S.) but I wouldn't think it should be a problem with an i3 Processor with 2.4 GHz speed and 4 GIG RAM using a WIN 7 operating system.  It has generally taken less than 5-8 minutes in the past with this laptop using Avast 6.

[lakrsrool]

Did you use notepad as suggested as that is the only text editor that the self-defence module will allow to edit the file, if so because of windows UAC you may have to run notepad.exe as admin.

It rather depends on just how much activity is going on at the time of update, since this is likely to be greater when you first establish your connection, then 10 minutes later shouldn't be the same.

Currently the my.avast.com is having server issues, so I would leave it a little while.

Yes I did use "notepad" as I had stated this in my original posted: "I had to add the ".ini" file extent using notepad using "all files" since I figured that the "txt" extent would be applied otherwise".

As far as running in "admin", I've purposefully never "enabled" administrator and DO NOT WANT TO (I try and keep things as simple as possible as I'm the only user and don't want to complicate my life more than it is already).  What happens in my case w/out administrator "enabled" is if I update files that the computer for some reason doesn't think belongs to me (I have no idea why) then my windows 7 just asks if it's OK and then goes ahead and changes the file if I say it's OK (that's all the security I want or need).

Oh and I am getting a rather vague message every time after setting up a login ID/password to login into Avast which says only "ERROR" and nothing more each time I try.

I've attached the "Access is denied" and the "ERROR" message logging into Avast.

OK so what's the trick to add more than ONE attachment?  I click on "(more attachments)" and the screen returns to where I was but if I browse to add an attachment it appears to me to just replace the file path I had for the previous attachment.  In as much as I have no idea how to add attachments the instructions say we can have "4 per post" (and it would actually be nice to be able to add them "in line" which apparently is not possible either I guess I'll just have the ONE attachment (Access is denied) for now.

[lakrsrool]

Just as a side note, here is the other attachment showing the "ERROR" message trying to login into my newly created Avast account.  (not sure why I cannot add more than one attachment by clicking on "(more attachments)".  As we can see it doesn't give much information to the user at all what's going on.

[DavidR]

It isn't a case of running as admin, but find notepad.exe (in c:\windows\) and right click on it and select run as administrator.

Selecting I have never had a problem in saving it, not save as, just by selecting File save. So I really don't know what is going on with your system.