Is there a way to know Avast is currently updating virus data base?

[lakrsrool]

Is there a way to have the system tray icon show that Avast is currently updating the data base?

If not is there a way to go into Avast and see if an update is in progress? (I can't see where I'd be able to do this)

Some kind of notification would be immensely helpful (like MS Security Essentials does with moving arrow in icon) so that I would avoid these two issues with dial-up:

1. If I knew an update was being processed I would avoid disconnecting the dial-up connection during the update and avoid getting the message that it was unsuccessful and have to dial back in to allow the update to finish.

2. If I knew an update was being processed it would explain to me why my response time has been drastically reduced.  I find that when an update is in progress my response time is significantly reduced to the point I give up and try another time (only to find out Avast was updating in which case I have to dial back in to let Avast finish).

One last point, a lot of times updates give "connection interrupted" errors and starts update over and over which ends up taking the update a long time.  By knowing via some sort of notification that an update is currently running I would stop using the internet because of the slow response time but still keep the connection to allow Avast to finish the update and then come return to using the computer when the update is finished (since the response time is so darn slow during the update).

Thanks in advance.

[DavidR]

Well the avastUI, Maintenance, Updates would show when the last update check was made. Compare that with the time frame now (the auto update check interval) you should have an idea if one might be in progress. But the only real way it to check the Task Manager and see if avast.setup is running, if not there isn't an update check in progress.

[cooby]

I would like to see some indication in the system tray icon as well.
lakrsrool, if I understand, is on dial up and simply wants to know that at this very moment Avast is updating.
I'd like to know it also, because sometimes the computer's fan goes crazy, hard drive works hard and it turns out it was an update coming in or the notification that a version update is available. Knowing what all the activity is about at the instant it happens is nice. Task Mgr/Process explorer do take a second or two to run. Too late to know what happened.

[schmidthouse]

I agree, it would be a nice convenient addition if the icon showed updating animation.

[lakrsrool]

I would like to see some indication in the system tray icon as well.
lakrsrool, if I understand, is on dial up and simply wants to know that at this very moment Avast is updating.
I'd like to know it also, because sometimes the computer's fan goes crazy, hard drive works hard and it turns out it was an update coming in or the notification that a version update is available. Knowing what all the activity is about at the instant it happens is nice. Task Mgr/Process explorer do take a second or two to run. Too late to know what happened.

Exactly, I have noticed a significant downgrade in response time which can only be attributed to Avast updating the virus data base.  For example this morning I made sure nothing else was running because my bank account login was taking forever and would lock up and eventually give me an "connection reset" errors.  I had to make three attempts to get access my account on-line and as soon as Avast gave me the message that the virus data base was updated then I started getting a much quicker response time from the computer and I was FINALLY able to login and and check my bank account.  Everything starts running MUCH faster once Avast finishing the virus data base update.

Unfortunately this dramatic slowing down of the computer while Avast updates is becoming a nuisance.    I am using a computer with  i3-380M Processor (2.53GHz) and have 4 GIG of RAM using WIN7 OS so there should not be any issue with my computer.

It would certainly be helpful if Avast would do the simple thing of for example placing a flashing red letter "U" in the system tray ball during an update in order to provide the convenience of easily knowing what was causing the significant downgrade in performance and perhaps wait a while until Avast finishes in that case.

[Grissey]

Agree absolutely with the previous contributors. Some indication would be extremely useful. Everytime time I start my PC I have to wait for the Avast database to update before things get up to speed. I know my PC specification is a bit dated but I can put up with that if I know that Avast is updating.

Dell Dimension 4400 / Pentium 4 2GHz / 512mb RAM / 40GB HD Samsung CDRW/DVD / 64MB NVIDIA GeForce2 /
Win XP Home SP3 /  XP Firewall /  Avast (Free)  /  WinPatrol+  /  MBAM  (Free) /  Win MSRT /  DropMyRights /  IE8 / 
 Firefox  (AdBlockPlus / DoNotTrackPlus /  WOT) /   BT Home Hub 3 (wireless)

[jrace]

That really souds like one of the best ideas in the last times to further improve this marvelous piece of code called "avast!".   

[Tinman57]

  I feel for ya, I used to be on dial-up and know the update problems Avast can cause.  Even on satellite internet it causes issues.  I've always hoped that Avast would add this simple option so I'll know why my system or internet is bogging down.  I think I suggested this option years ago when I first started using Avast.

[Para-Noid]

I agree, it would be a nice convenient addition if the icon showed updating animation.

+1   The only possible downside is the streaming updates. Some days there are as many as forty and sometimes even more.
       Of course these take perhaps a tiny second or two complete. 

[Chim]

lakrsrool ... I take it that stands for Lakers Rule? 

Anyway, I too am on Dial Up and since last year or the year before, I too requested the very thing you're now requesting.  Unfortunately, it doesn't appear like avast is gonna be incorporating any such System Tray Icon indication of an active Virus Definitions update in progress.

My guess would be that avast deems Dial Up Users in the extreme minority and thus, doesn't deem it worthwhile incorporating such a perk as much as us Dial Up Users NEED one and would really like one.

Unfortunately, I've been forced to be alert and be ready to make the connection of when Browsing / computer operation is sluggish and there is heavy Hard Drive LED activity ... I check the Task Manager for the existence of avast.setup.

avast 4.x used to have this perk.  I don't know why avast can't just put it right back in.  Instead, other perks that aren't needed, are being put in.

[DavidR]

My suggestion for those on dial-up would be to set the virus definitions update to Ask so you would at least know if there was one available as you would get the notification and could run it if convenient.

However, that would have the knock on effect of stopping the streaming updates as they only work when the virus definitions update is set to Auto. Some may say that is not a negative thing, but I do as they are a valuable addition to early avast detections.

So there is a bit of a choice there as a workaround, with good and bad points.

The avast.setup is still in avast 5, 6, 7 & 8, that hasn't changed when there is an update in progress it should be present as that is what initiates/controls it.

[cooby]

Not knowing what's going on is definitely an issue for dial-up users.

But even those of us on a speedy internet connection like to know what's going on, and some indication that all that mad drive, router, fans, activity is indeed Avast's and not by some undetected trojan transfering all my data out

As far as the 1-2 emergency updates in a day - that's not an issue for me, though might be for others, as DavidR mentioned. Since these update files have different names  (or I told it to ask, I don't recall), my firewall sees something new and asks so I know what's going on on that front.

[MikeBCda]

I'm accustomed to update checks slowing things down a bit (less for me, on broadband) ... back when I was on dialup, from frequently checking process explorer it appeared that the primary slowdown was while avast.setup was running through the list of servers to find an available one.  Once it succeeded in connecting with one, that was pretty much the end of the slowdown, whether or not it actually found an update to download.

And I do seem to remember that in antique versions there was a separate icon showing that an update was in progress, although that only seemed to appear after a successful connection and therefore not showing during the worst of the slowdown.  Or am I thinking of the icon for the now mercifully retired VRDB?

[lakrsrool]

lakrsrool ... I take it that stands for Lakers Rule? 

Anyway, I too am on Dial Up and since last year or the year before, I too requested the very thing you're now requesting.  Unfortunately, it doesn't appear like avast is gonna be incorporating any such System Tray Icon indication of an active Virus Definitions update in progress.

My guess would be that avast deems Dial Up Users in the extreme minority and thus, doesn't deem it worthwhile incorporating such a perk as much as us Dial Up Users NEED one and would really like one.

Unfortunately, I've been forced to be alert and be ready to make the connection of when Browsing / computer operation is sluggish and there is heavy Hard Drive LED activity ... I check the Task Manager for the existence of avast.setup.

avast 4.x used to have this perk.  I don't know why avast can't just put it right back in.  Instead, other perks that aren't needed, are being put in.

Yep, your absolutely correct, lakrsrool does stand for "Lakers Rule", do you happen to be a fan as well?  This happens to be my user name on Lakers Ground.

As to checking Task Manager, it's kind of a hassle that could easily be avoided with a very simple change to just add for example a red letter "U" on the orange ball while updating.

Besides helping answer why the system has slowed down this addition would help AVOID DISCONNECTING DURING AN UPDATE (not knowing if an update is in progress) and avoid the "unsuccessful update, update now" message I've attached.

[lakrsrool]

Well the avastUI, Maintenance, Updates would show when the last update check was made. Compare that with the time frame now (the auto update check interval) you should have an idea if one might be in progress. But the only real way it to check the Task Manager and see if avast.setup is running, if not there isn't an update check in progress.

Actually, I've been looking for the "avast.setup" process but haven't been able to see this process running.  I checked again just now and the only "Avast" process I have been able to see is "AvastUI.exe" and I checked just 2-3 minutes before I got the message that the Avast virus database was updated thus Avast must have been updating the virus database during the time I checked the Task Manager.

I am using version 6.0.1466 of Avast (I don't care for the way the interface has been described for the current Avast version) so perhaps when the "update" is running it's a different situation for the version I'm using.  If so then it would appear that I have no way of knowing if and when Avast is updating the virus data base in my case.