Firewall off ?

[REDACTED]

I have the Avast Internet Security 2015 paid version, with Windows 7.

I was working online this afternoon when I had an Avast pop up box telling me I have an update for Avast.
I clicked for the upload and carried on working on line.
I then had a pop up box saying that I had to restart my PC, but I needed to finish what I was doing, so I ignored it.
The main Avast page then appeared and I noticed that I was unprotected and my Firewall was (apparently) off.
I tried to turn the Firewall on, so I could finish my work, but another pop up box said I couldn't.
I then  clicked OK, saved my stuff and restarted my PC.

When it restarted it joyously announced that I had updated to 2015.10.2.2215 .

I appreciate some updates require a restart, but I have never had an Internet Security system turn itself off because I did not immediately restart.
I assume if I had continued working online I would have had no protection whatsoever.

Is this a standard Avast procedure, or did something go wrong ?

[Eddy]

Update means things have changed.
Some changes only work after a reboot.
As long as you don't reboot they simply can't work because not all changes that are needed have taken place.

[REDACTED]

I understand that, so don't implement the changes until I do reboot.
I still can't see that its responsible, without any warning, to leave my system unprotected in those circumstances.

[bob3160]

I understand that, so don't implement the changes until I do reboot.
I still can't see that its responsible, without any warning, to leave my system unprotected in those circumstances.

Your system wasn't unprotected. When the Avast firewall isn't working, the windows firewall was.
Until you reboot, the required changes don't happen and the updated Avast firewall can't run.
That's why you received the message that a restart was needed.
At that point, you needed to be in control and make the decision which was more important. Finish your work, or reboot so the firewall could work.