Logon problems after program update of Avast endpoint protection suite

[RNos]

Created a ticket for this issue last week but did not get any response so far. Hope I have more luck overhere.

I recently update the Avast virus scanner (business protection/endpoint protection suite) on one of our workstations to program version 7.0.1438. When the user tried to logon next day Windows just showed the ‘welcome’ screen for 30 minutes or so. Logon normally takes about 5 minutes. The user restarted the workstation and tried to logon again with the same result.

The virus scanner was disabled by a system admin by restarting in safe mode and disabling the Avast services. After that the user was able to logon to the workstation though the roaming profile turned out to be damaged.

The user proceeded to work at another workstation and removed about half of the files on the 600 MB roaming profile. After doing so (and repairing the local profile) the user was able to logon at his own workstation. Logon times were back to normal. All in all it took about half a day to repair the damage and get things back to normal.

Since I have over a dozen other workstations around that also need this program update and are also used by users with a roaming profile I would definitely like to know what caused this behavior. Can you explain me what happened and how to prevent this for future updates?

[.: Mac :.]

One of the tings to try is to  set avast to load after the rest of the system starts.  Under Settings>Troubleshooting check "load avast! services only after loading other system services" This seems to help with logon time on our users that run large logon scripts.

[wimmme]

We had the same with on of our terminal servers. Did an automatic update to 7, but after restart logon was not possible. Had to boot into safe mode and remove Avast.
A manual install did work, but I still encounter strange behaviour from time to time ...

[mpadams]

1. Any time a system fails to boot after an Avast upgrade: go into Safe Mode, uninstall, reboot, reinstall. Have had to do that a few times, but most upgrades were automatic + fine.

2. Roaming profile delays: I hope you have a GB network + RAID or SSD feeding the users. Try using my NetToggle program to adjust the client settings for network behavior. http://unquietwiki.com/programming/

[RNos]

Thanks for the replies.

The Logon script contains one line in which it creates a drive mapping.

The network is 1 Gbit. The server is a Dell Poweredge 515 with a raid 5 disk configuration.

I've successfully updated several other workstations (after the one with the logon problem) and did not run into this problem again.

One particular PC exhibited some strange behavior but this was probably due to MS Security Essentials being installed next to Avast endpoint protection suite.

[spi]

We had the same with on of our terminal servers. Did an automatic update to 7, but after restart logon was not possible. Had to boot into safe mode and remove Avast.
A manual install did work, but I still encounter strange behaviour from time to time ...

wimmie I guest the problem was also same with me, the worst is BSOD cause of the multiple user driver conflict with avast.

go to Device manager select menu View then show hidden devices check the multiple user service is marking with exclamation or not if yes then disable the aswrdr or aswsp then reboot.

if this solve your problem your avast engine and service status is stop, is mean no antivirus protection.

[orbitaladmin]

  this has been an epidemic for my 100 PC client base with 3 of my client's servers. a few before the client 7 upgrades which were really bad, BSOD on boot until I uninstalled or at least uninstalled the sandbox component.

since the 7 upgrades, there are no BSOD but just the waiting forever part which is not fun for me when they call wondering why they can't login at 7am (after I have spent all night doing server maintenance). I am pretty annoyed about this after this morning I had to reboot a SBS 2003 server and I left it starting up for 2 hours (walked away) and it became hung at "preparing network connection". after two resets I uninstalled the Avast client in safe mode which still had Sandbox installed, rebooted and it started ok. because of the normal wait times of booting a SBS server the trial and error resolution time was about 3 hours! 3 hours wasted which ended up eating into morning production, costing real money to the customer!!!!

I reinstalled without the sandbox and it is fine. so far, in every instance, removing the sandbox resolved the issue. I think the sandbox is a great idea but on a server, it causes more troubles than it solves (even stopped a Blackberry server service from starting!!??). I would like to see it as an option instead of a default on server client installs; not to mention the Sharepoint shield not starting on 100% of servers I manage.