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Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: Mike_A on November 01, 2012, 08:16:43 PM

Title: AVAST Takes Too Long to Load and Does NOT Work [RESOLVED]
Post by: Mike_A on November 01, 2012, 08:16:43 PM
When I start up my PC (WinXP SP3) Avast sometimes loads before the network is enabled and sometimes after. When it starts before it also works. When it starts after the network is enabled, 95% of the time Avast has the red X on the system tray icon. I am on Program 7.0.1466. I am not able to upgrade because it is not working. Clicking on FIX IT or START PROGRAM does not work. Every so often I have to manually start the Avast Service.

What is happening that I cannot get Avast to work properly??? No way I would pay for Avast the way it is working the last 6 months!

I'm going to manually download the latest program and install it but I should not have to do that. Is there enough testing being done???

Title: Re: AVAST Takes Too Long to Load and Does NOT Work
Post by: Mike_A on November 01, 2012, 08:29:14 PM
Manually updated to the latest release and the same thing still happens!
Title: Re: AVAST Takes Too Long to Load and Does NOT Work
Post by: Pondus on November 01, 2012, 08:30:43 PM
what processor?
amount of ram?
what other security programs installed?
Title: Re: AVAST Takes Too Long to Load and Does NOT Work
Post by: JohnWood on November 01, 2012, 08:41:20 PM
I pulled AVAST off my Intel T3200 (1.67hz 4gb ram 500hd Vista 32bit) laptop after an update caused the computer to take about 5 minutes to boot and then caused the computer to "stutter" through tasks. Regressing back to MSE has this computer functional. Fortunately I always set to do manual updates because when I did update my desktop, I got the BSOD that I am now resolving by reinstalling my OS.

Nothing like the tiny laptop screen in front of my wall of BSOD monitors!


I
Title: Re: AVAST Takes Too Long to Load and Does NOT Work
Post by: Mike_A on November 01, 2012, 10:16:38 PM

what processor?
- AMD Athelon 1.25 Mhz
amount of ram?
- 1 Meg
what other security programs installed?
- None
Title: Re: AVAST Takes Too Long to Load and Does NOT Work
Post by: Asyn on November 02, 2012, 06:46:37 AM
1. avast! GUI -> Settings -> Troubleshooting -> Enable: "Load avast! services only after other system services"
2. Click OK.
3. Reboot.
Title: Re: AVAST Takes Too Long to Load and Does NOT Work
Post by: Mike_A on November 02, 2012, 06:02:04 PM
1. avast! GUI -> Settings -> Troubleshooting -> Enable: "Load avast! services only after other system services"
2. Click OK.
3. Reboot.

I tried this but the settings do not stay. They are reset after I close the GUI. So I searched on the Avast forum to see how to change settings and saw they can only be changed in Safe Mode. Tried that but Avast would not load. So I tried Safe Mode with Networking. Avast loaded. Changed setting as recommended above. Again reset after closing.

So I am stumped. Help is appreciated!

Thanks.

Title: Re: AVAST Takes Too Long to Load and Does NOT Work
Post by: Asyn on November 02, 2012, 09:39:12 PM
Do you've admin rights..??
Title: Re: AVAST Takes Too Long to Load and Does NOT Work
Post by: lukas.hasik on November 02, 2012, 10:07:50 PM
1. avast! GUI -> Settings -> Troubleshooting -> Enable: "Load avast! services only after other system services"
2. Click OK.
3. Reboot.

I tried this but the settings do not stay. They are reset after I close the GUI. So I searched on the Avast forum to see how to change settings and saw they can only be changed in Safe Mode. Tried that but Avast would not load. So I tried Safe Mode with Networking. Avast loaded. Changed setting as recommended above. Again reset after closing.

So I am stumped. Help is appreciated!

Thanks.

Is the avast service running at all?
Title: Re: AVAST Takes Too Long to Load and Does NOT Work
Post by: Mike_A on November 03, 2012, 04:27:50 PM
Do you've admin rights..??

Yes
Title: Re: AVAST Takes Too Long to Load and Does NOT Work
Post by: Mike_A on November 03, 2012, 04:31:21 PM
1. avast! GUI -> Settings -> Troubleshooting -> Enable: "Load avast! services only after other system services"
2. Click OK.
3. Reboot.

I tried this but the settings do not stay. They are reset after I close the GUI. So I searched on the Avast forum to see how to change settings and saw they can only be changed in Safe Mode. Tried that but Avast would not load. So I tried Safe Mode with Networking. Avast loaded. Changed setting as recommended above. Again reset after closing.

So I am stumped. Help is appreciated!

Thanks.

Is the avast service running at all?

This time, yes. The icon on the system tray has the red X on it but since the icon shows I am assuming it is running. Also, this time, the Avast service was started. I do have times when the service does not start and I have to manually start it.

This is getting frustrating. No use running Avast if it is not protecting me. I had this problem a while back and then a couple of updates later it went away and I have not had the problem until now.
Title: Re: AVAST Takes Too Long to Load and Does NOT Work
Post by: Asyn on November 03, 2012, 04:35:17 PM
- Which avast!..?? (Free/Pro/IS)
- Other security related software installed..??
- Which AV did you use before avast!..??
Title: Re: AVAST Takes Too Long to Load and Does NOT Work
Post by: Mike_A on November 05, 2012, 06:53:21 PM
- Which avast!..?? (Free/Pro/IS)
- Other security related software installed..??
- Which AV did you use before avast!..??

Free.
None.
Been using Avast for quite a while. I believe I used AVG before that but like Avast better. Like I read somewhere else on this forum, like that person, I have a love - hate relationship with Avast. Right now I have a red X on the Avast icon so I have no protection. I do not like that.

Now I cannot get the service started. It starts and then stops. I looked at Windows log files and no indication of an Avast failure. Looked at Avast logs and no entries since 9-18-2012! Now I am really stumped!


Title: Re: AVAST Takes Too Long to Load and Does NOT Work
Post by: SugarD-x on November 05, 2012, 09:02:36 PM
I've noticed this on an install of XP, Vista, and 7 on the same machine too. It seems to be hardware-related in my honest opinion. For whatever reason, certain systems I've used tend to have issues loading and will hang doing such for a few minutes before suddenly loading it all at once, including Avast!'s services. It seems to be uncommon, though, and system specs don't appear to play a role in it as the system is pretty powerful. I haven't seen it happen on Windows 8 yet, but my best guess is probably something Microsoft released in it's updates conflicts with certain drivers or hardware.

As bad as it sounds, my personal workaround was to just let the computer sit for 10 minutes or so and do it's thing. When it felt good and ready, it would suddenly load everything and get back on track again. ;D
Title: Re: AVAST Takes Too Long to Load and Does NOT Work
Post by: lukas.hasik on November 05, 2012, 10:51:04 PM
maybe try "Repair" from Control Panel?
Title: Re: AVAST Takes Too Long to Load and Does NOT Work
Post by: SugarD-x on November 05, 2012, 11:16:30 PM
maybe try "Repair" from Control Panel?
I'll give it a try and see, but the issue appears to not be Avast! itself, but more-so something Avast! just happens to trigger more often in the system's "glitchy-ness". Granted, this computer has given me odd issues since the day I bought it, so I'm not surprised at this point. ;D
Title: Re: AVAST Takes Too Long to Load and Does NOT Work
Post by: Mike_A on November 06, 2012, 01:47:19 AM
maybe try "Repair" from Control Panel?

Tried that and got an error. No indication of the error in the Avast logs.
Title: Re: AVAST Takes Too Long to Load and Does NOT Work
Post by: Mike_A on November 06, 2012, 01:49:51 AM
As bad as it sounds, my personal workaround was to just let the computer sit for 10 minutes or so and do it's thing. When it felt good and ready, it would suddenly load everything and get back on track again. ;D

I had seen that happen in the past. So it is not just me. Whew! Thought I was crazy. Well, maybe so, but anyway.

Well, it just seems to be getting worse and worse in this instance so I think I will do an uninstall and an install and hope for the best.

Thanks.

Title: Re: AVAST Takes Too Long to Load and Does NOT Work
Post by: Asyn on November 06, 2012, 05:51:00 AM
Well, it just seems to be getting worse and worse in this instance so I think I will do an uninstall and an install and hope for the best.

1. Download avast! Free Antivirus: http://files.avast.com/iavs5x/avast_free_antivirus_setup.exe
2. Follow instructions: http://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility (Run this tool for all prior installed avast! versions..!!)
3. Reinstall avast! with the downloaded installer from point 1.
4. Reboot.
Title: Re: AVAST Takes Too Long to Load and Does NOT Work
Post by: Mike_A on November 06, 2012, 05:39:47 PM
Well, it just seems to be getting worse and worse in this instance so I think I will do an uninstall and an install and hope for the best.

1. Download avast! Free Antivirus: http://files.avast.com/iavs5x/avast_free_antivirus_setup.exe
2. Follow instructions: http://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility (Run this tool for all prior installed avast! versions..!!)
3. Reinstall avast! with the downloaded installer from point 1.
4. Reboot.

I did a reinstall and it is now working. I'll see how long this lasts. I will say that I went through a couple of different steps during the install that did not present themselves during the automatic update. A couple of different questions were asked. Also, it did not steer me towards a registration number like the product previously has done. So maybe something in those differences caused a minor confusion within the product itself. Don't know. Just know it is now working, happy about that, and hope it stays working!

Thanks.
Title: Re: AVAST Takes Too Long to Load and Does NOT Work
Post by: Asyn on November 06, 2012, 05:55:20 PM
You're welcome.
Title: Re: AVAST Takes Too Long to Load and Does NOT Work [RESOLVED]
Post by: Mike_A on November 07, 2012, 02:19:54 AM
I've started up my computer 3 times and Avast has worked each time. So I am a happy camper again! Looks like a complete uninstall and reinstall is needed to fix some problems. Should NOT have to do that but no software is perfect! And this software is VERY important.

 :)