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Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: allenergy on July 29, 2011, 12:36:50 AM

Title: Need to TURN OFF Avast.setup. It is staying in task mgr and Dragging my computer
Post by: allenergy on July 29, 2011, 12:36:50 AM
I am trying to work and everything is slow.. acting as if there is a virus. Yes there is - it is called Avast!

I  need to get this off.. now... I will turn it off in Services if there is no other way.  I am NOT receiving updates at this time and haven't been for the past hour.

Avast has GOT  TO appreciate that it is a SERVICE on a computer that needs to operate with full functionality - Avast does not RUN the computer ... it SERVES the computer.

How do I stop Avast.setup

Thanks!
Title: Re: Need to TURN OFF Avast.setup. It is staying in task mgr and Dragging my computer
Post by: Asyn on July 29, 2011, 12:43:01 AM
Which OS..??
Title: Re: Need to TURN OFF Avast.setup. It is staying in task mgr and Dragging my computer
Post by: ady4um on July 29, 2011, 12:43:56 AM
I'm not sure what exactly you want to stop.

Try right click on the Avast tray icon -> Avast shields control and disable for 10 minutes. If that helps you work normally, then we could try to find what exact part of Avast is giving you problems.

Also, please give more info. OS? SP? x32 x64? Other security tools you have currently or had in the past?

Title: Re: Need to TURN OFF Avast.setup. It is staying in task mgr and Dragging my computer
Post by: allenergy on July 29, 2011, 12:44:58 AM
I see NO way to turn these off.. this is not listed separately in Services.

XP Professional, SP 3.  Computer is only 2-3 years old, I had Vista stripped out and had my brother (who builds computers) replace with XP Pro .  Windows 7 was TOO big an OS and took up too much space, I chose the smaller XP

Thanks for your help!
Title: Re: Need to TURN OFF Avast.setup. It is staying in task mgr and Dragging my computer
Post by: allenergy on July 29, 2011, 12:47:15 AM
In my task mgr there is something showing up as avast.setup.

THIS is what I want off.. I do not have ANY TIME to play troubleshooting with you today - I am working, have customers to reply to and event at 11pm Eastern tonight AFTER a conference call starting at 7:30pm . It is 6:46 pm.

Just tell me how to disable avast.setup.

It is a LONGSTANDING issue. -- Google avast.setup or what is avast.setup..  It has caused issues for people since 2008 that I saw.
Title: Re: Need to TURN OFF Avast.setup. It is staying in task mgr and Dragging my computer
Post by: Asyn on July 29, 2011, 12:47:19 AM
Ok.
Which avast..?
Which version..?
Title: Re: Need to TURN OFF Avast.setup. It is staying in task mgr and Dragging my computer
Post by: ady4um on July 29, 2011, 12:51:28 AM
Ok.
Which avast..?
Which version..?

I see NO way to turn these off.. this is not listed separately in Services.
XP Professional, SP 3

In my task mgr there is something showing up as avast.setup.
Just tell me how to disable avast.setup.
Title: Re: Need to TURN OFF Avast.setup. It is staying in task mgr and Dragging my computer
Post by: Asyn on July 29, 2011, 12:53:58 AM
Ok.
Which avast..?
Which version..?

I see NO way to turn these off.. this is not listed separately in Services.
XP Professional, SP 3

In my task mgr there is something showing up as avast.setup.
Just tell me how to disable avast.setup.

How should this help..??
That's not what I asked for.
Title: Re: Need to TURN OFF Avast.setup. It is staying in task mgr and Dragging my computer
Post by: ady4um on July 29, 2011, 01:02:53 AM
That's not what I asked for.
Does it really matter? I'm not "questioning" you. I'm just asking. The user wants to get rid of "avast.setup" in the task manager of Windows XP SP3, "no matter what" (in the sense that the user doesn't want to really solve the current problem right now, and doesn't want to "know" about Avast version/edition or what not).

Again, I'm not arguing, just asking (after you or anyone else could help the user with the problem).
Title: Re: Need to TURN OFF Avast.setup. It is staying in task mgr and Dragging my computer
Post by: Asyn on July 29, 2011, 01:09:46 AM
...after you or anyone else could help the user with the problem...

Sure, that's what I'm trying to do here. ;)
Still, I need some feedback...
Title: Re: Need to TURN OFF Avast.setup. It is staying in task mgr and Dragging my computer
Post by: allenergy on July 29, 2011, 01:54:49 AM
Asyn I AM WORKING.. i don't sit here in the forum and WAIT for replies.  Please have some patience.

I do appreciate your help, but realize that I cannot answer you instantly. Now to get this computer to speed up, I will have to REBOOT in the middle of critical work and then prepare for my conference calls and event tonight. (international so it's LATE for me .. 11 pm but I work overnight often) ... I will not be on this forum answering you instantly.  I need to be off  - Please see what you can find out about this avast.setup that is running and how to disable it.  I will check in when I can.

I have informed the board I cannot sit on here and play back and forth on this today .. I just need the best answers that you can find about this running process and how to disable it. I am certain it is extraneous since it is not normally there (as far as I know)

My Avast is 6.0.1125 - the one before this last  bug filled upgrade. I am not upgrading tho the most recent upgrade UNTIL all bugs are worked through. . I need my computer and internet to work SEAMLESSLY.

Program updates set to manual
Definition updates set to automatic

 Thanks in advance for your help.
Title: Re: Need to TURN OFF Avast.setup. It is staying in task mgr and Dragging my computer
Post by: allenergy on July 29, 2011, 02:01:32 AM
Asyn, you and the other responder asked questions at the same time, I answered his about my OS . yours was not showing at that point.  Sorry..  Then I had to go do work.

I have to close browser now and reboot, I would really love to know how to disable avast.setup.  I do not have the dashboard open, just the icon in taskbar.

I have disabled:   behavior shield, im shield, p2p shield (i  never need the last 2) and mail shield (my email provider has adequate protection).

My PRIOR antivirus was Symantec Professional 10 - (given to me free by my computer building brother)  I didn't want that, but that's what he had to install when he put the XP into this computer.

I have completely removed it, including MANUALLY searching the registry for any references to it and left over strings.  Took me over a month to complete fully.  It is GONE.  There have been no other AVs on this machine.

Thank you  in advance for your help - I appreciate it!

Title: Re: Need to TURN OFF Avast.setup. It is staying in task mgr and Dragging my computer
Post by: Asyn on July 29, 2011, 02:33:58 AM
Do you use: Free, Pro or IS..??
Title: Re: Need to TURN OFF Avast.setup. It is staying in task mgr and Dragging my computer
Post by: allenergy on July 29, 2011, 02:39:48 AM
I have just shut down and let the machine be off for 5 minutes, then did a boot up.  The avast.setup is NOT in the task manager any more.

It should NEVER HAVE BEEN - i was not setting up anything and did not even have Avast! dashboard open.  It is a GLITCH, a problem that needs to be addressed by Avast.  There were no actions that should have caused "setup" to run and to do so without allowing a stop.

Apparently this avast.setup has been a bug for years.  It's time it got addressed and resolved since when it for no apparent reasons decides to activate, it eats up a LOT of CPU and memory.

I currently have the normal
AvastSvc.exe
AfwServ.exe
AvastUI.exe

Running in task manager and things seem to be running much smoother and more fluidly and faster.

This is Avast Internet Security Suite -- full pro edition - paid.  Not the free version of Avast AV.

Thanks again for any insights.  

***Maybe someone can report this issue (again, as I'm sure it's been reported many times since 08) to Avast!  ***
Title: Re: Need to TURN OFF Avast.setup. It is staying in task mgr and Dragging my computer
Post by: Asyn on July 29, 2011, 02:54:08 AM
So you're on 6.0.1125 now..??
Or on 6.0.1203..??

In: Settings - Troubleshooting: set avast! to "start after other..."
Title: Re: Need to TURN OFF Avast.setup. It is staying in task mgr and Dragging my computer
Post by: davexnet on July 29, 2011, 03:40:46 AM
Isn't avast.setup the task invoked to do the definition updates?
(two or three times a day).

There should be something in the program settings/options that control when
this setup is allowed to run.  You can even set it to full manual control, I believe.
Title: Re: Need to TURN OFF Avast.setup. It is staying in task mgr and Dragging my computer
Post by: allenergy on July 29, 2011, 03:50:54 AM
Hi Asyn the reply to your first question is answered above and reason given as to why

I do not have what you reference in settings , troubleshooting.. ONLY  "Load avast! services only after loading other services"  It is similar and has been checked all along.

Hi Dave - whether it is or not (bad naming if it is ..!) my definitions were not updated anywhere around the appearance of this thing in the task manager. An update occurred this morning at 4 am.  If this thing avast.setup (which sounds like a configuration function - not a download or update function) is triggered by automatic def updates - it should VANISH (turn off!) after the updates are downloaded and installed.  Automatic shut off as it automatically turns on. 

This thing (avast.setup) has not shown up before .. it is a GLITCH..   There is nothing that would have caused this to launch and then once it did - I was not offered a way to shut it off.    It may have something to do with automatic updates, but as you can see by my setting above, program updates are set to manual, only virus defs are automatic.  I was not receiving any virus updates when I noticed this in the task manager.

There SHOULD BE a way to stop avast.setup (a NON essential and nuisance service) if it get's triggered.

I will watch and see if it comes on after I get my notification of defs being updated. IF SO - and it doesn't go off automatically and I can't shut it off manually - I will turn my defs to manual.  I didn't want to do that because I am SO BUSY   (doing 5 people's job functions or more working for myself) that I don't necessarily remember to check for updates manually. 

Something named Avast.setup should not even be launching  unless I am setting up or configuring a new install or upgrade.    I know too these avast.setup issues have been reported for years - I've found posts since 2007 about this avast.setup running. 

There needs to  be addressing of why Avast! makes computer systems run slowly and drag.  Why do shields (active components of Avast! protection) have to be disabled for things to work?  (this was recommended again in this very thread) This is poor design.  Perhaps like a firewall, there can be high, medium and low (or light) choice settings for the AV functionality?   I don't need the same type of or level of protection intensity as someone who games online and shares via P2P.  I need protection browsing from malicious sites and basic AV protection of my system.   I need protection from Google!!  (ha ha .. everyone needs protection from Google!)

Thanks again for your help.
Title: Re: Need to TURN OFF Avast.setup. It is staying in task mgr and Dragging my computer
Post by: allenergy on July 29, 2011, 03:58:23 AM
I am set for auto updates for defs as I mentioned above. I just changed the frequency to once every 1440 minutes or once a day.  From 2 x per day.

If I see this process triggered and "sticking on" (it should go off after updating and installing) I will consider switching to manual.  WHICH STILL does not address the problem which is .. the process SHOULD go off automatically after it completes it's task, not stay on indefinitely eating up a lot of CPU and memory.  <-- this part is what Avast! software needs to address, obviously there is a bad  turn on- turn off "switch" written.  (I do not know the techical terms for that a software program). 

Again .. thanks for all the help>  I do appreciate it.   :)
Title: Re: Need to TURN OFF Avast.setup. It is staying in task mgr and Dragging my computer
Post by: ady4um on July 29, 2011, 05:08:31 AM
@allenergy,

I have been watching this topic since my last post. Your posts were clearly transferring some urgency, together with... well, not being calm enough to solve the problem quickly enough.

Once you insisted that the process (not "service", as you stated) was avast.setup, and that you were not interested in actually solving whatever the problem was (but more as "give me my CPU back and go away" :) ), then I thought that a reboot was probably more "effective" than even opening this topic (at least, for the time being). But by the time I thought about it, Asyn was already expecting some answers from you. Adding more posts (from me) in the middle wouldn't had help you with your work.

Please don't get me wrong. I understand that you expect "everything" (including Avast) to assist you in your work and not to bother you. But let me clarify some things, at least the way I see them.

You mentioned in your posts about having to disable the shields. Yes, I suggested that, just to see if that would liberate your CPU. Although it would be a security risk when a potential malware is at your door, it was the most simple step you could carry out so to try to recover CPU power for your work. I wasn't giving you a major task, with hours of double checking.

I am NOT taking this personal. I am just trying to put things into some proportion. Of course you want things to work "as they should", but once they don't...

I also want to mention that any user posting here in this post was trying to help, as fast and effective as we could. You said you can't answer immediately. You said it several times. I think that you were feeling the pressure of your job and tasks, not from the forum users. If you were not answering fast enough, that only works bad for yourself, and also talks "good" about this forum's users, specially about those not directly related to Avast Software (which are most of us).

I want to make as clear as possible that all these comments (ranting?) are only meant to help you, and it is not about anything negative in any way.

Finally, the technical part.

I am set for auto updates for defs as I mentioned above. I just changed the frequency to once every 1440 minutes or once a day.  From 2 x per day.

Avast *checks* for updates the first time you get connected to the Internet after a boot, and once every 4 hours (240 minutes) after that. Avast Software usually makes available database updates about twice a day. For each time your Avast program *checks* for updates AND *finds* an update available, you get to apply the update (Avast does it). So changing from 240 to 1440 minutes means changing the *checking* frequency.

If that helps you to work better while it keeps you safe, fine.

According to your own descriptions, I would NOT recommend to change this setting to "manual".

IF the update today (or whenever the problem started) was having some problem, it could be for many possible reasons. One reason might be that your bandwidth was being intensively used, and Avast was trying to download updates. Usually, Avast updates are fast and around 10s or 100s of KB, but not always. A server might have a temporal problem. Or at the same moment you were intensively using your system, "exactly" when Avast was *trying* to update (with some problem) and you decided to check your task manager.

To be clear, I don't have the knowledge to say if the avast.setup process/service that you saw was indeed related to some kind of update for Avast. I am not saying that an update was the problem.

It might had been possible that had you leave it to complete the update, it had had free the CPU time eventually in a couple of minutes. This is a completely blind speculation now.

The fact is that you had a problem, and something might go wrong sometime in computers. If the problem was indeed an update for Avast, then from the millions of users receiving updates several times a day every day, "sometime" something could go wrong. This is never an excuse, but it is a practical / real possibility.

It might be Murphy's law, and a simple reboot might "solve" the problem, as it happens with many different tools. And if not, always remember to keep it calm and you will find someone to try to help you in this forum.

(My apologies for the long post.)
Title: Re: Need to TURN OFF Avast.setup. It is staying in task mgr and Dragging my computer
Post by: bobo1 on July 29, 2011, 08:42:57 AM
Are you sure that all symantec antivirus is all off?. They have a removal tool to get rid of it.
Try the avast un instal utility/ reboot and re instal avast.
Have you tested the computer with a anti spyware (malware bytes free) i use.
How much ram is installed??

 256mb ram or greater is required to run xp efectively & how much hard drive space is availible on your hard drive? for the swap file sys.
Title: Re: Need to TURN OFF Avast.setup. It is staying in task mgr and Dragging my computer
Post by: Asyn on July 29, 2011, 03:19:43 PM
Again .. thanks for all the help>  I do appreciate it.   :)

Try the second patch: http://public.avast.com/~kurtin/patches/
Solved..??
Title: Re: Need to TURN OFF Avast.setup. It is staying in task mgr and Dragging my computer
Post by: MikeBCda on July 29, 2011, 10:35:53 PM
Generally Setup only shows up (on my system) as an active task when it's checking for updates.  Sometimes this can take quite a while, even though I'm on DSL, because due to heavy internet traffic (most often) or whatever other reason, Setup is taking longer than usual to work its way through the database of available servers.  Once it's found one it can properly connect with, the download/update is quite quick.

So while your situation may be different from mine, in my case noticeable delays are while checking for available servers to (1) check for new updates, and (2) download and install anything new found.  I'm not sure whether this sequence needs to check for a server both times, which would lengthen the delay, or whether it can all be done with the first successful connection (perhaps someone more knowledgeable could enlighten me, please and thanks?).