Avast automatically updates without permission and avast gives tray icon error.

[jacemace5005]

Avast has started to update version 8.0.1497 to a newer version of Avast, which I am guessing are version 9.0.2006 to 9.0.2008. This happens automatically and surreptitiously; and even on an installation reboot, with the settings also changed to update the program versions manually. This is a clean installation on a windows 8 x64 machine.  The problem is the tray icon disappears and I get an error avasttrayicon: avastui.exe application error 0x0000000. The icon disappears, and the avast function options are unattainable. I would also personally like to stay in version 8.

I have used the repair option, and this does not work. As I have said, it is a clean install, that I have tried many times, and recently the update has occurred right after the installation reboot.

What should I do? Is it a registry error? I have a feeling it may be the Avast emergency update, or Avast programmers now have Avast installations connect directly to the Avast servers and have forced automatic program updates. 

[Para-Noid]

Have you tried a clean install using safe mode? 

[olddog]

Avast has started to update version 8.0.1497 to a newer version of Avast, which I am guessing are version 9.0.2006 to 9.0.2008. This happens automatically and surreptitiously; and even on an installation reboot, with the settings also changed to update the program versions manually.

It has been said that Avast had to forceably update those on Windows 8 to 2004.9.0.2008 in order to comply with a Microsoft requirement, and that was purpose of the emergency update around 21/11/2003.

http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=141423.msg1027968#msg1027968

[kodl]

".....in order to comply with a Microsoft requirement..." How about customer is always right "requirement"? Upgrade WITHOUT customer agreement is in ANY businesses NOT acceptable. Who is using your software? Customer, or Microsoft?
BTW what "Microsoft requirement" are you talking about?   

[DavidR]

".....in order to comply with a Microsoft requirement..." How about customer is always right "requirement"? Upgrade WITHOUT customer agreement is in ANY businesses NOT acceptable. Who is using your software? Customer, or Microsoft?
BTW what "Microsoft requirement" are you talking about?   

It was I believe about compatibility and Microsoft saying what AV versions were compatible, if you weren't in that boat then you could have found that avast was uninstalled by windows 8 and or 8.1 and you wouldn't have been told that MS was going to do it.

That would have meant you defaulted to windows defender after avast was installed.

We saw lots of that when people updated from win8 to 8.1.

[kodl]

Microsoft did not upgrade Avast, Avast upgrade itself. Windows defender is disabled from day one I installed Windows 8.1.

[DavidR]

Microsoft did not upgrade Avast, Avast upgrade itself. Windows defender is disabled from day one I installed Windows 8.1.

No but they were very likely to have uninstalled it, so what sort of choice would that have been. Don't do anything and people would have complained also, do an update so win8 users aren't in that position and people complain. It is a no win situation.

If MS uninstalled avast then by default you have no AV so it would enable the windows defender.

[schmidthouse]

Yes the reality is, it is Microsoft's playing field and if you don't play by their rules.....You don't play.

[kodl]

 Uninstalling Avast from PRIVATE computer without permission of owner is just invasion of privacy, punishable by LAW! Don't you think so?

[schmidthouse]

I don't know the law, so I won't speculate.
I do know, when it comes to MS< it doesn't matter what I think.

[kodl]

BTW, I'm running Windows 8.1 with Avast 8. NOBODY will force me to do what THEY require!

[Xanadu]

Mine updated without permission on Thanksgiving day...and I was originally really ticked about it.  But the explanation is reasonable and I have no problems with the new version running.  It is what it is.  I would rather have it updated then removed. 

[Ghis1964]

MS has nothing to do with this "security-hack".
I run win7.
If avast update/reboots without permission, it simply has been "hack" and nobody wants to FACE that issue. Cognitive dissonance.

My anti-spyware does not recognize that "newer self-updated auto-start from avast" while the old was legit.
The first time (last summer) this happened, I've allowed my anti-spyware to white-list that avast "emupdate". But only to realize that, when updating avast-program, avast did not upgrade. I had to use avast-remover from avast to remove it and then install the new version. Everything when fine, yay! ..... NOT!!! Avast was all ok. But windows-media-player was nowhere to be found, except all kind of messages that I had to re-install WMP, which I try to NO avail. System restore did not work. I had to clean install win7.

This morning, my 2 PCs had rebooted during the night while I was in bed. Luckily, one of them does not restart when the reboot is not legit. After starting it, and log into both, I saw my anti-spyware alert about emupdate once again after those months of repairing what the "first hack of avast" had caused me.

There are TOO MANY toys around avast now (google-chrome, facebook login facility, stream-update, mobile this, mobile-that, cherry-jello, toilet-paper dispenser, etc).

What avast needs is programmers. NOT public-relation personnel.

[jwoods301]

I can understand Avast's dilemna...risk bricking Windows Updates or bricking AV protection.

They did admit they should have done advance notification...lesson learned for them.

This situation is also a good reason to have a current system backup (full disk image) to roll back to when anything goes wrong...

A lot of people think System Restore is a "full backup"...it isn't.

There are 1 TB external drives available now for less than $100 US.

Lots of choices for disk imaging software, many of them free.

In this day and age, with software vendors doing rapid release cycles, it's "user protect thyself".

[olddog]

...They did admit they should have done advance notification...lesson learned for them.

Lesson learned??  I'm not so sure.

There have been a number of emupdates since the 21/11/2013 one that seems to have caused so much resentment.
I don't know exactly how many. I'm not aware of any Avast publication that details either the number, or what they were for, either before or after the event.

I don't know to what degree my Avast has been hacked, patched, or repatched by this backdoor procedure, since these "updates" don't change the official version number, and there is no public listing that I am aware of which files have been altered, added or subtracted by the emupdates.

What happens if one does a "repair". Are any of the changes made by prior emupdates overwritten. If I do a new install, have all the changes made by prior emupdates been included in the current installation file available on line, and how does one check if there is no change in the version number.