Potential problem with latest pre-release

[Lisandro]

But it would probably assist to remove confusion by users if there was consistency in the use of temporary file space by the various components of Avast.

I can imagine that we'll have some troubles with the user rights here (not all of them will be the administrator in XP systems).
Anyway, the temporary files should be deleted by avast after using them (of after some time). Maybe they could improve this behavior.

[DavidR]

Strangely enough, I tried to see if I could replicate your problem, used my system cleaner of choice and it got rid of the _avast4_ and I carried one browsing as if nothing had happened.

Web Shield continued working as normal, I have no idea under what circumstances avast! uses this _avast4_ folder other than possibly unpacking archive files. So if you were downloading an archive file and there was no place to unpack it, an error condition would occur. How that is handled is the question, could it possibly recreate the folder on that error condition.

[Eddy]

I always clean my system manually since I have never seen a cleaner application that does it better than me
But I also wasn't able to simulate the problem.

[Vlk]

Well David if you have 4.6.623 it's not possible to delete the folder when WebShield is running anymore.

[DavidR]

Well David if you have 4.6.623 it's not possible to delete the folder when WebShield is running anymore.

I have to admit that I tried it pre 4.6.623 so I have just tried it and it still deletes it.

[Abraxas]

  Personally I wouldn't use a "automatic cleaner", as I've not had much luck with them. If you choose to, Vlk's suggestion remedies the threat of deleting the _avast4_sub folder. To me Avast! takes priority over a auto-clean utility. The time taken in  setting up, configuring exclusions with  these cleaners may be better spent ; as Eddy suggested, in cleaning manually .
I've tried  a few :BeClean, CCleaner, and shredded them after- wards as they didn't do what I wanted. If I wanted to delete shortcuts I wouldn't have created them,... plus other issues put me off using these apps.
 
By the way the latest release of  Avast!  4.6.623 has sped up both Xp and win98SE for me . For a while there with the previous version it was like I'd forgotten to release the handbrake. Real sludgy browsing! It's a relief to have good ol' Avast! running proper again. Thanks Vik , and team for sorting it out.

[DavidR]

Personally I wouldn't use a "automatic cleaner", as I've not had much luck with them. If you choose to,

I only use a cleaner that is user configurable to a fairly high degree and have only started to use ClearProg within the last month because it is configurable.

Vlk's suggestion remedies the threat of deleting the _avast4_sub folder.

Unfortunately, even after 4.6.623 the _avast4_ sub folder in the Temp folder isn't protected when Web Shield is running. That was the reason I mentioned it and the only reason of deleting _avast4_ was to try and replicate 'kantjer's' problem.

[Vlk]

are you talking about c:\windows\temp\_avast4_? (i.e. the temp folder used by the avast system services)

[Lisandro]

are you talking about c:\windows\temp\_avast4_? (i.e. the temp folder used by the avast system services)

Inside of this folder I have only the file Webshlock.txt that is aparentely empty...
Why? Why do the avast services need this temporary file and folder?