Avast 4.7 Professional on Windows Vista 64 bit system

[activelyx]

Hello,

I recently installed a copy of Avast 4.7 Professional so that I could evaluate it's startup performance. The reason I did so was that the previous version of Norton Anti-virus that came with my system was unacceptably slow. It was taking between 3 to 5 minutes to login to my system (sometimes more).

Before I installed Avast on my 64-bit system, with Norton uninstalled, it was taking 30 seconds to login. I can live with that. After I installed Avast, it was taking 2 to 2.5 minutes to login. While this is faster than Norton, it is still too slow. And I did change some of the Avast setup options (test memory, and delay Avast startup) to no avail.

I've installed Avast on my daughter's notebook, which is running Windows Vista Home Premium, a 32-bit operating system. She is able to login quickly. So it looks like the problem is isolated to 64-bit systems.

I am willing to pay for my professional version of the Avast program. But only if the startup issues are resolved. I can't sit around looking at a black screen with a cursor for 2.5 minutes.

[Lisandro]

First, be sure you fully uninstall Norton:

1) Remove NAV through Add/Remove programs from Control Panel. Boot.
2) Use Norton Removal Tool for Windows 2000/XP/Vista 2008.0.0.21.
3) Boot.
4) Install avast! Boot.
5) See what you get.

Full SymNRT info:

1. Download and save these three files to the Windows desktop:
   a) ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/english_us_canada/linked_files/tsgen/MSIFIX.bat
   b) ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/english_us_canada/linked_files/tsgen/SymNRT.exe
   c) ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/english_us_canada/linked_files/tsgen/SYMMSICLEANUP.reg

2. Run the three files that you just downloaded
   a) On the Windows desktop, double-click the MSIFIX icon.
      Click Run.
      A black window may appear very briefly.
   b) On the Windows desktop, double-click the SymNRT icon.
      Click Run.
      Click Next.
      Click I accept the License Agreement, and click Next.
      Type the letters and numbers that you see in the white box, and then click Next.
      Click Yes or OK at each prompt.
      You may need to click more than once. Your computer may be restarted for you more than once.
      You may be asked to repeat some steps after the computer restarts.
   c) On the Windows desktop, double-click the SYMMSICLEANUP icon.
      Click Run, and then click Yes.
      Click OK.

3. Boot.

Then, it would be good if you test the Standard Shield in Custom level and remove the open/created/modified files from scanning. Will it help?
Also, the Professional version hasn't an improved load up time compared to Home. The benefits aren't on performance level.

Oh, last, which other programs are being loaded automatically and which others load drivers (security programs) at startup or as residents?

[activelyx]

Thank you for your response. I downloaded the Norton Removal Tool and ran it. It completed successfully and the system rebooted. However I still have the 2.5 minute delay from the time I login and the time the Windows Welcome Center appears.

I can tell you this. When I remove Avast 4.7 and reboot, it takes 36 seconds to display the Windows Welcome Center. So whatever is running when I login, and Avast 4.7 is not installed, is acceptable to me, since it only takes 36 seconds to display the Welcome Center. Therefore, Avast 4.7 is taking approximately 2 minutes to do the initial scan at startup. Perhaps this initial scan could be relegated to an asynchronous task at startup?

I did remove the memory test, but I didn't change the scan on open/created/modified files. If I get some time I will try that. But it seems like a less secure operating environment.

For now, the delay is better than Norton's delay which was 10 to 15 minutes this past weekend.

[Lisandro]

But I didn't change the scan on open/created/modified files.

Why not?

Did you uncheck the option for scanning libraries at XP startup?
Will it help?

Of course, less resources but less protection.

Did you try Microsoft Bootvis to see which driver is delaying the OS loading?