avast updates before logging on?

[Rick F]

I noticed that avast can/will update before I'm actually logged on.  Maybe it was that way with ver. 4 too, but didn't notice. How is this possible and is it safe?

When I turn on my PC in the morning I sometimes turn it on then go and get the news paper, and make coffee.  This morning I turned it on at 8:55 AM and left the room without logging on.  When I came back at 9:10 I logged on and was expecting (that sexy voice) to report avast updated. When I didn't hear that, I checked the 'about' on avast and noticed that it was already updated.  It read, "last update attempt: 3/23/2010 8:57:25 AM and shows vps 100323-0.  How is this possible as the programs haven't even loaded yet?

Thanx.

[DavidR]

Well avast5 appears to be different to 4.8, in that when installed it isn't set up in a single user area of the documents and settings of XP but the All Users area (this would be different in Vista, win7, etc.).

So if it is installed so that all users can use it perhaps that is why the update can happen before a user has logged on, I don't know this for sure but that seems to be what it is doing.

[igor]

avast! service is running under LOCALSYSTEM account - and as other automatically started services, it runs before the user logs on.
So yes, it doesn't need anybody to be logged on to perform an update.

[Rick F]

Thanks DavidR and igor.  I appreciate the quick response.

BTW, I just love the new GUI (graphical user interface) of ver. 5. Very nice design.