Avast Add-On Makes Browser Slow

[hanyoukimura]

Greetings all,

So for some time now Firefox v26 one Windows 7 64-bit Pro has been having performance issues. If for example, I used the search bar for an item, then once at Google clicked a search filter like Images, the entire browser would lock up for about 5 seconds before unlocking and loading the page. For a while I've just been living with it. However, I noticed this issue cropping up on a forum I frequent as well. Finally, after using Google a lot for various searching and having to wait for my browser to lock and unlock I had enough and looked into it.

Ran Firefox in Safe Mode and the problem went away. I restarted the browser and proceeded to disable add-ons until only a few were left, and lo and behold, the culprit was Avast Online Security. Once I disabled that the problem disappeared, and with the other add-ons turned back on except it, the problem is still gone.

I would like to know why the add-on is causing this and if this is a know issue or if there is something that can be done, because I do like having it enabled, but I'm tired of the lag and won't use it anymore until it can be fixed.

[CraigB]

What version of avast are you using? the latest is 2014.9.0.2013 which is better on performance than earlier versions.

I haven't been using AOS because it was breaking the functionality of many of the sites I use but I was not getting any sluggishness from AOS.

[hanyoukimura]

I'm using 2014.9.0.2013.

[CraigB]

Someone who uses Firefox and AOS may be able to provide you some more advice as I don't use either but for the time being it is fine to leave AOS disabled or uninstalled.

[airscapes]

I am noticing that even with the AO disabled in FF 26, avast is scanning long forum web pages as I scroll when reading. This is on the XP platform.  One site I am on most of the day is http://www.avsforum.com/f/  If I start to read a thread that is more than a page long and scroll quickly, avast icon spins and page does not move at first or smoothly as it did with previous major release  of Avast(just updated a few days ago)  I am getting ready to restore my machine to last Wednesday as this is really bothering the crap out of me.  Any work around would be helpful.
Thanks.
Doug

[Para-Noid]

I don't have an XP, I have a Win7x64 and I had no issues with the longer pages at that site
using Firefox. I don't have "browser protection" installed in avast either. The only time I have
slower page loading times is when  I use the sandbox.

edit: Most of the time I use Chrome since it's faster and lighter. 

[airscapes]

reading forums sucks with chrome as it never comes back to the spot you left from... if that ever works like FF I will switch in an instant.  Turned off disk cache in FF and is a little better but with an SSD drive you wouldn't think it would matter..  Still watch Avast icon spin when scrolling down a page that should have loaded completely.. wtf is it doing checking every link on the page or something?  .. YES it is!  I displayed stats and the opened avs in a small window and mouse over urls and avast scans them.. must be javascript crap.. oh well..

[hanyoukimura]

Ever since I disabled AOS, Firefox has been running nice and fast again, so I guess for now it will just stay disabled. I have Chrome as a secondary browser but there are thing I prefer in Firefox, so it remains my default.

[Alikhan]

The avast! online security add-on has plenty of issues.

I recommend you disable it until all of it problems are resolved.

It does not affect your protection since the Web Shield scans all HTTP traffic and does the malicious blocking.

[airscapes]

The avast! online security add-on has plenty of issues.

I recommend you disable it until all of it problems are resolved.

It does not affect your protection since the Web Shield scans all HTTP traffic and does the malicious blocking.

I have the AO disabled but it seems when I mouse over links in the AVS forum avast scans them.. Maybe this is some active java script or something but did not do this or did it way better in previous versions.  Any tips on what to disable this .. I mean I am not clicking the link, just mousing over it and scrolling the page.  Look for your self got to the avs http://www.avsforum.com/f/ and brows around. Place the website in a narrow window and bring up avast stats and watch it scan as you mouse over links or scroll down a long thread.  I don't feel upgrading OS and or hardware is an option ever time a new antivirus update comes out is reasonable.