Bootup time on XP got worse with v9

[DavidR]

@DavidR,
v6,7,8 of avast - ready to work in 1min45sec, v9-4minutes.
I tried the I'm on DSL trick and load avast after all services trick - minor advantage, perhaps a minute.
Yes, avast loading up front is in the way.
Mind you, I have really few processes running at startup and nothing other than avast needs internet. So my theory still is that it's something in v9 that's so different and annoying.
<snip>

By the "I tried the I'm on DSL trick" do you mean what I suggested, set it to dial-up (otherwise I'm not sure what you mean by this) ?

Personally I wouldn't have expected much out of the "load avast after all services trick," a minute is massive for something I would have expected to give micro/seconds. The load services after relates to system services not every/all service/s, so avast should still be running fairly quickly after boot.

If it is truly something in v9, then I would expect many more posts related to this and XP. I certainly haven't seen it on my XP system.

[cooby]

I hear you. Some timing values maybe off - some of the login to ready timing depends how long I delay typing in the login password, because Avast seems to bring in stuff early, be it emergency or streaming or the ads we all despise so much.
Yes, not DSL - ouch, I did mean dial-up. I remembered the old dial up routine and thought it was under the DSL regime - been a looong time...

[DavidR]

When you boot up as quickly as you can achieve it open Task Manager and see what avast processes are running, the one that handles the auto update check is now instup.exe (not the old avast.setup), if you see that in the Task Manager it is checking for updates. That can add to the normal boot load making it slower for under resourced systems.

You can try delaying the update check in the avast5.ini file (set the 'I only connect to the internet using a dial up modem' back to always connected):
- In avast8/9 you need to edit (using notepad) avast5.ini the [InetWD] section of the, C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\AVAST Software\Avast\avast5.ini (XP file location)

- Broadband connections, add this line (if not present):
AlwaysConnectedWaitSeconds=300 and
AssumeAlwaysConnected=1 if not present (or edit AssumeAlwaysConnected=0 to AssumeAlwaysConnected=1)

[InetWD]
AssumeAlwaysConnected=1
AlwaysConnectedWaitSeconds=300

When complete save the changes, avast's self-defence module will ask for confirmation, etc. answer Yes. You can extend this duration if required (300 = 5 minutes).

[Randissimo]

However, in MY case, the longer boot up appears to NOT be due to avast 9.0.2013.  It appears to be related to my having installed SP3.

one of the main reasons why Windows update takes much time is because of the net.framework optimization task which is running on idle right after the start.
A solution would be to let your computer on idle for a few hours. Or take a look here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2571181

However, in your case, your computer is simply too bad if it can't even run Windows XP sp3 fluently. I'd suggest switching to Linux or configuring a new one for about 250-300 euros/345-415 dollars with SSD included.
Add about €40 or $55 for a Windows 7 license and you're good to go for almost 6 years. That means approximately €6.67 or $9.17 annual expenses for Windows.
Anything else would be a waste of money and/or a waste of time.

[Undead-Divine-Assassin]

When you boot up as quickly as you can achieve it open Task Manager and see what avast processes are running, the one that handles the auto update check is now instup.exe (not the old avast.setup), if you see that in the Task Manager it is checking for updates. That can add to the normal boot load making it slower for under resourced systems.

You can try delaying the update check in the avast5.ini file (set the 'I only connect to the internet using a dial up modem' back to always connected):
- In avast8/9 you need to edit (using notepad) avast5.ini the [InetWD] section of the, C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\AVAST Software\Avast\avast5.ini (XP file location)

- Broadband connections, add this line (if not present):
AlwaysConnectedWaitSeconds=300 and
AssumeAlwaysConnected=1 if not present (or edit AssumeAlwaysConnected=0 to AssumeAlwaysConnected=1)

[InetWD]
AssumeAlwaysConnected=1
AlwaysConnectedWaitSeconds=300

When complete save the changes, avast's self-defence module will ask for confirmation, etc. answer Yes. You can extend this duration if required (300 = 5 minutes).

This ^ is very useful. Thanks for the info.

[DavidR]

You're welcome.

[cooby]

You can try delaying the update check in the avast5.ini file (set the 'I only connect to the internet using a dial up modem' back to always connected):
- In avast8/9 you need to edit (using notepad) avast5.ini the [InetWD] section of the, C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\AVAST Software\Avast\avast5.ini (XP file location)

- Broadband connections, add this line (if not present):
AlwaysConnectedWaitSeconds=300 and
AssumeAlwaysConnected=1 if not present (or edit AssumeAlwaysConnected=0 to AssumeAlwaysConnected=1)

[InetWD]
AssumeAlwaysConnected=1
AlwaysConnectedWaitSeconds=300

When complete save the changes, avast's self-defence module will ask for confirmation, etc. answer Yes. You can extend this duration if required (300 = 5 minutes).

Great. DavidR you earlier said it's tricky to do - doesn't look tricky at all
As soon as I stop enjoying AV-free life, I'll pop Avast back in and use this trick because it makes sense to me. Thank you again.

[DavidR]

<snip quote>
Great. DavidR you earlier said it's tricky to do - doesn't look tricky at all
As soon as I stop enjoying AV-free life, I'll pop Avast back in and use this trick because it makes sense to me. Thank you again.

You're welcome.

Whilst I would say it is relatively easy, many do find it daunting. Editing a .ini file albeit a text file it does control program settings and people worry that they could mess it up. Plus depending on OS (win7 or later, etc) the file location may be hidden and you need to run notepad as administrator, not an issue in XP. Collectively these may seem daunting.

[soulstace]

one of the main reasons why Windows update takes much time is because of the net.framework optimization task which is running on idle right after the start.

Yeah that .NET Framework 4.0 service really killed my XP startup time, until I de-activated it using services.msc

[cooby]

DavidR, big THANK YOU.
This change to delay made an enormous difference in useability. I can run Notepad or Excel a minute to minute and a quarter after login.

I looked over various logs from the firewall, router, avast and system and learned that Avast chest starts and connection to emupdate.avast.com is made before login.

The slowdown was definitely due to some 20seconds of avast connecting to xxxx.u.avast.com, 10 or more of those with "u." in name, and then the update is done in a bit over 3 minutes. No idea what all this connecting was for.

Happy as I am with the resolution of this, I keep being very annoyed by the replacement of the update announcement with the sale of the year, some scanner, and other slideup ads, but at least that doesn't interfere with work.

[DavidR]

You're welcome.

The xxxx.u.avast.com entries are the actual auto update trying to connect to an update server, if it can't connect for any reason then it will try another. That connection should be initiated by the C:\Program Files\AVAST Software\Avast\Setup\instup.exe (replacement for avast.setup).

I'm not sure how you come up with the connection to emupdate.avast.com being related to the chest as the chest doesn't have any specific file, I would have thought it would come under the control of the, C:\Program Files\AVAST Software\Avast\AvastEmUpdate.exe (or avastSvc.exe) as it checks to see if there any emergency updates.

[cooby]

DavidR, I didn't mean to imply that chest had anything to do with emergency update. I just tossed it in to confirm avast was on and it's the first event avast reports.
Avast starts with boot and system sections, service comes in later. Here are some crazy details I nit-picked into chronology.
Router is what router saw. Windows is from event logs. Avast is from several avast logs. FW is from my firewall logs.

This section is before logging in. No question that avast starts its activities early, as expected.
The initial connection to emupdate.avast.com surprised me a bit, but it's fine by me. It's all repeatable.

11:02:22 router: my laptop asked for and got IP
11:02:46 windows: system event 514 authentication pkg then 515,519,528,576,...
11:02:46 windows: eventLog started
11:02:57 avast: chestLog started
11:02:57 avast: MailLog started
11:02:58 avast: eventLog: reports StartPatchManagement
11:03:07 router web log: su.ff.avast.com
11:04:33 router web log: emupdate.avast.com

These events after login, and updating was in this instance dalayed to 15 minutes

11:04:50 windows Logon event 528 for me (several system jobs before and after of course)
11:04:54 fw \avast\avastemupdate.exe started
11:04:54 fw reports winlogon
11:04:56 fw \avast\avastemupdate.exe connects out to localhost:12080
11:05:09 fw \avast\avastui.exe
11:05:15 fw \avast\avastsvc.exe starts \avast\avastemupdate.exe
11:07:00 router web log: vl.ff.avast.com
11:10:41 router web log: su.ff.avast.com
11:10:58 avast rootkit scan started
11:11:21 avast rootkit scan finished
Updating section
11:17:33 till 11:18:27 bunch of xxxx.u.avast.com connections then 5 normal
11:17:58 fw \avast\avastsvc.exe starts \avast\instup.exe
11:18:24 avast eventLog: The virus definitions have been updated to 140324-0
11:18:31 avast uitrackingLog: /popup/vps_updated
11:18:40 seasonal sale slideup instead of update+sound notification

I have to be crazy to do all this three times now. But I did learn few things along the way.

[DavidR]

Yes avast does get started quickly to protect the system, even before the user would logon.

It is good that your router provides a log (some don't, or the user doesn't know how to access it) as it certainly help clear any matters like this up.

[Randissimo]

one of the main reasons why Windows update takes much time is because of the net.framework optimization task which is running on idle right after the start.

Yeah that .NET Framework 4.0 service really killed my XP startup time, until I de-activated it using services.msc

I don't recommend that. Just restart and let the optimization task run when you don't need your computer.