Scheduled scans running at wrong time

[Para-Noid]

Has anyone tried a repair? 

Control Panel>Uninstall a Program>double click "avast">click "repair">reboot. (May need more than one reboot.)

[masu_au]

I’m going to put my two cents worth in.
I’ve been using Avast for some 4 years now and run a scheduled Full System Scan at 02:00 every day. This might sound excessive as others have pointed out but since I use laptops exclusively running a scan that reads all the data stored on your hard disk/s can give you forewarning of a disk that’s on its way out and allow you to get all your valuable data and software off before it goes legs up permanently. I do also do a full system backup every 2 weeks to an external drive but you can still save up to 2 weeks of work knowing you have a disk on the way out. It also minimizes downtime as it gives you time to get a replacement disk ready.
Anyway, back to the problems of the scans not running at the correct time. This has only been a problem for me since it was upgraded from the 2014 version to the 2015 versions and as far as I can tell it’s using UTC, GMT, Zulu, whatever you want to call it time and the log files state the UTC time and date not the local time and date.
I telephoned the call centre about it and as expected they told me to uninstall and then reinstall the software using a fresh download as Wi-Fi isn’t 100% reliable and the original update could have been corrupted. It’s pretty hard for a Wi-Fi link to corrupt a file when our in house network is all CAT5 or CAT6 cable running at 1000/100 Mb/s but the technical support person at the other end didn’t seem to understand that people do actually use extremely reliable, much faster and secure cable networks to connect to the internet.
Anyway I gave it a go just in case and as expected it didn’t fix the problem.
Having said all that, I never had any problems on the two machines I have used Avast on over the years until it upgraded from the 2014 version to the 2015 version, so for me at least it would appear to be some problem in the 2015 release.

[REDACTED]

I’m going to put my two cents worth in.
I’ve been using Avast for some 4 years now and run a scheduled Full System Scan at 02:00 every day. This might sound excessive as others have pointed out but since I use laptops exclusively running a scan that reads all the data stored on your hard disk/s can give you forewarning of a disk that’s on its way out and allow you to get all your valuable data and software off before it goes legs up permanently. I do also do a full system backup every 2 weeks to an external drive but you can still save up to 2 weeks of work knowing you have a disk on the way out. It also minimizes downtime as it gives you time to get a replacement disk ready.
Anyway, back to the problems of the scans not running at the correct time. This has only been a problem for me since it was upgraded from the 2014 version to the 2015 versions and as far as I can tell it’s using UTC, GMT, Zulu, whatever you want to call it time and the log files state the UTC time and date not the local time and date.
I telephoned the call centre about it and as expected they told me to uninstall and then reinstall the software using a fresh download as Wi-Fi isn’t 100% reliable and the original update could have been corrupted. It’s pretty hard for a Wi-Fi link to corrupt a file when our in house network is all CAT5 or CAT6 cable running at 1000/100 Mb/s but the technical support person at the other end didn’t seem to understand that people do actually use extremely reliable, much faster and secure cable networks to connect to the internet.
Anyway I gave it a go just in case and as expected it didn’t fix the problem.
Having said all that, I never had any problems on the two machines I have used Avast on over the years until it upgraded from the 2014 version to the 2015 version, so for me at least it would appear to be some problem in the 2015 release.

I've had the problem on and off, but since the 2015 release it's been constant.

It sounds like, from your description, they are only interested in getting you off the phone, not helping, typical unskilled call center stuff. They get to record a call, and a solution, mark it closed and put a smiley face on their metrics; not doing anything and not helping.

[pastorjoefremer]

Has anyone tried a repair? 

Control Panel>Uninstall a Program>double click "avast">click "repair">reboot. (May need more than one reboot.)

Just tried it. Doesn't fix it. I'm running Avast Pro Antivirus under Windows 8.1. I have had this problem since November or so; the scheduled scan feature is completely useless.

[bob3160]

@ Para-Noid,
It's a bug not something that can be fixed by a repair or clean install.
This is something Avast needs to tackle.

[REDACTED]

I am still running Avast 2014 which also has this issue.
On all my W7 64-bit machines I have created a CUSTOM "scan" (selecting the same scans items as the FULL) and in this new custom scan I go to its scheduler....and it works accurately (on time)....perhaps this solution (work-around) does not work in 2015 but wanted to re-post...may be worth trying.

[REDACTED]

So far the only difference in creating a custom scan go me was a slightly more regular wrong time, to the point I tried setting the schedule forward 6 hours so it would run the right time, and it tried running at the same wrong time

Avast is not reliable. If they cannot even get a schedule right why should I believe it can keep a virus out of my computer?

[bob3160]

So far the only difference in creating a custom scan go me was a slightly more regular wrong time, to the point I tried setting the schedule forward 6 hours so it would run the right time, and it tried running at the same wrong time

Avast is not reliable. If they cannot even get a schedule right why should I believe it can keep a virus out of my computer?

Maybe you should consider that the scans are actually there to make you feel better.
The built in shields really don't require constant running of scans once you know you have a clean system.

[REDACTED]

Maybe you should consider that the scans are actually there to make you feel better.
The built in shields really don't require constant running of scans once you know you have a clean system.

That might be reasonable, if they worked. Why would I think the scans, or shields, are working when something as simple as scheduling doesn't?

[bob3160]

Maybe you should consider that the scans are actually there to make you feel better.
The built in shields really don't require constant running of scans once you know you have a clean system.

That might be reasonable, if they worked. Why would I think the scans, or shields, are working when something as simple as scheduling doesn't?

If you don't think the shields are working, why are you using the product

[REDACTED]

 
Same thing for me. These scans are not only irritating in them slowing my computer down in the middle of my workday but they then happen randomly it seems in the middle of the night. I have tried to change the settings to the computer won't auto-reboot when scan is done and it's like I did nothing. Avast always reboots my computer after a scan and does not close down my programs correctly. SPECIFCALLY OUTLOOK. If my computer reboots with OUTLOOK open, it then needs 30 minutes to as much as 2 hours to "check for errors". I had to have all my email forwarded to a dummy gmail account so I could check it since this happens so often.

NOTE TO AVAST: I'm lovingly looking back to the old days of NORTON and MCAFEE. At least their software was not riddled with bugs like this. If basic things don't work right, who is to say your VIRUS protections are up to date? How can I trust your software to protect my computer? I'm moments away of going back to McAfee. Really.

[DavidR]

@  Bertdanger
Ah the good old days - when on-demand scans were more of a necessity than they are now.

With a resident on-access antivirus like avast, the need for frequent on-demand scans is much depreciated. For the most part the on-demand scan is going to be scanning files that would be otherwise be dormant or inert. If they were active files then the on-access file system shield would be scanning them before being created, modified, opened or executed.

I had previously avast set to do a scheduled weekly Quick scan, set at a time and day that I know the computer will be on. But I have stopped running on-demand scans.

Who is to say your definitions are up to date - well to start with you not only have the virus definitions auto update but also the streaming updates - I received 318 of these during the last 24 hours. Then there is the other quandary if as you say the virus definitions are out of date how is an on-demand scan to detect them either, this is no different with any antivirus.

That said this problem needs to be resolved (it worked very well with previous versions) or it is pretty pointless offering scheduled scans if they don't run as scheduled.

[DavidR]

New version of avast released 2015.10.2.2214, try that and see if this issue has been resolved.

[pastorjoefremer]

Well, dog my cats!!

Looks like it's fixed!

Working for me under Win 8.1 64bit with Avast Pro

Thanks, Avast! tech support or whomever.

Joe

[REDACTED]

I have 9 machines, and they all have the same problem: scanning at the wrong time.  The problem is that the scan used so many resources that some of the older machines can not get out of the screen saver for 20-30 seconds, if at all.  Whenever I can not get to the log in screen from the scrren saver it is always the damn scan running.  I usually turn the workstations on at 7:30 am.  The scheduled scan is for 13:00, but the scan usually automatically starts around 9:00.  Total pain in the ass now because it is killing productivity, and as a Network admin, I have to listen to all my employess complain that their computers are slow, frozen, or malfunctioning