Author Topic: Emergency Update nightmare  (Read 11039 times)

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Emergency Update nightmare
« on: September 03, 2015, 10:31:40 PM »
I have a 1Gbps LAN connection that works as a PPPOE and every single time i start the pc Avast Emergency Update kicks in and makes my entire pc freeze for at least 3 minutes searching for a connection that isn't there yet.
Is there a way to permanently disable this awful POS? If it's not i will just uninstall Avast, i had enough of this .

Offline Para-Noid

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Re: Emergency Update nightmare
« Reply #1 on: September 03, 2015, 11:05:00 PM »
Have you tried changing your vps updates to manual updates?
Does the streaming updates affect your system?
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Online DavidR

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Re: Emergency Update nightmare
« Reply #2 on: September 04, 2015, 12:42:13 AM »
Have you tried changing your vps updates to manual updates?
Does the streaming updates affect your system?

The virus definitions update has nothing to do with the emergency update function, which is a scheduled function.

@ Azraelbuc
Since this is a scheduled task, you might be able to take steps to prevent the scheduled task being created or or block that executable internet connection in your firewall.

That said it would be handy if there was a way of manually setting the emergency update check.

Whilst this is a pain it is there for a purpose, if there is an avast issue where it can't use the normal virus definition and engine updates, this is able to get past those issues.
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Re: Emergency Update nightmare
« Reply #3 on: September 04, 2015, 02:21:29 AM »
Dumb question/idea.
Can OP go into the schedule task which is set for login and just chose the delay for 15 minutes ?
Wouldn't this allow him to get his PPPOE up and then Avast update would run in background ?

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Re: Emergency Update nightmare
« Reply #4 on: September 05, 2015, 07:43:21 AM »
Unfortunately not - i'm running XP and there is no delay option in it, it's all or nothing. So i tried disabling and even deleted it, but it still automatically recreates itself every shutdown. It really is a complete POS that is completely outside of my control,  the only thing that would made me ditch Avast.
If i could only disable it....

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Re: Emergency Update nightmare
« Reply #5 on: September 05, 2015, 04:40:35 PM »
Which is why I suggested blocking internet access in your firewall for the AvastEmUpdate.exe, have you tried that.
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Re: Emergency Update nightmare
« Reply #6 on: September 06, 2015, 01:31:47 PM »
Yes, i tried that but it has no importance whatsoever since there is no problem when the network is up - my problem is with the program itself (AvastEmUpdate.exe), while it's running at boot (when no connection is up) and only then. All i want is to stop this program to launch during boot, it can run with no problem whatsoever later.
BTW i have the option to load Avast services only after loading other services unchecked, do you think that checking it might present some security issues, like preventing Avast from scanning/protecting during boot?

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Re: Emergency Update nightmare
« Reply #7 on: September 06, 2015, 04:25:26 PM »
Your comment relating to the option to load Avast services only after loading other services isn't quite correct it is 'Load Avast services only after loading other system services.'

So I rather doubt that will make a difference to your problem, but it wouldn't hurt to try.
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Re: Emergency Update nightmare
« Reply #8 on: September 06, 2015, 04:38:21 PM »
Select this it may give you the necessary breathing space


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Re: Emergency Update nightmare
« Reply #9 on: September 08, 2015, 07:25:59 AM »
Yes, that did it - the Scheduled task hasn't been recreated.
But you must admit that calling a 1 Gbps fibre optic connection a dial-up is pretty messed up.

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Re: Emergency Update nightmare
« Reply #10 on: September 08, 2015, 02:06:54 PM »
Rename in safe mode and block with your firewall...

Offline Vanguard_LH

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Re: Emergency Update nightmare
« Reply #11 on: September 21, 2015, 10:37:29 PM »
From elsewhere I read (and noting some unwanted behaviors of Avast's Emergency Update which is not only to retrieve signature updates but has also retrieved and installed program updates without prompting the user), I did the following:

- Disable Avast's self defense module (Settings -> Troubleshooting -> Enable Avast self-defense module, deselect).
- Add a new firewall rule on outbound connections to block the following program:
    C:\Program Files\AVAST Software\Avast\AvastEmUpdate.exe
- In the C:\Program Files\AVAST Software\Avast folder, rename
    AvastEmUpdate.exe
    to
    AvastEmUpdate.OLD_exe
- Delete the setup\EmUpdate subfolder (the one with the goofy randomly numbered updates).
- Disable (not delete) the scheduled task in Task Scheduler for the Avast Emergency Update.
- Reenable Avast's self-defense module.

I did the above today and have not yet rebooted my computer to see if the scheduled task gets recreated or not.  I did not delete the scheduled event but just disabled it.  If Avast is rude in regenerating the scheduled event if missing, perhaps it will see the event is still defined, not notice it has been disabled, and not replace the event with an enabled one.

I've heard rumor that Avast will drop the Emergency Updater in November.  Any substantiation of the rumor?  If Avast continues to include their EmUpdate tool, they really should add a configuration setting, like under Troubleshooting, to let users enable or disable it.
« Last Edit: September 21, 2015, 10:40:12 PM by lee.hodsdon »

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Re: Emergency Update nightmare
« Reply #12 on: September 21, 2015, 10:48:27 PM »
There is a valid reason for having a tool like the emergency updater.
Shutting it down would defeat that purpose.
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Re: Emergency Update nightmare
« Reply #13 on: September 22, 2015, 08:14:06 AM »
From elsewhere I read (and noting some unwanted behaviors of Avast's Emergency Update which is not only to retrieve signature updates but has also retrieved and installed program updates without prompting the user), I did the following:

- Disable Avast's self defense module (Settings -> Troubleshooting -> Enable Avast self-defense module, deselect).
- Add a new firewall rule on outbound connections to block the following program:
    C:\Program Files\AVAST Software\Avast\AvastEmUpdate.exe
- In the C:\Program Files\AVAST Software\Avast folder, rename
    AvastEmUpdate.exe
    to
    AvastEmUpdate.OLD_exe
- Delete the setup\EmUpdate subfolder (the one with the goofy randomly numbered updates).
- Disable (not delete) the scheduled task in Task Scheduler for the Avast Emergency Update.
- Reenable Avast's self-defense module.

I did the above today and have not yet rebooted my computer to see if the scheduled task gets recreated or not.  I did not delete the scheduled event but just disabled it.  If Avast is rude in regenerating the scheduled event if missing, perhaps it will see the event is still defined, not notice it has been disabled, and not replace the event with an enabled one.

I've heard rumor that Avast will drop the Emergency Updater in November.  Any substantiation of the rumor?  If Avast continues to include their EmUpdate tool, they really should add a configuration setting, like under Troubleshooting, to let users enable or disable it.
I tried renaming it, but the moment i would reenable the self-defence module it would have started to scream bloody murder about files being corrupted and pc compromised. Fortunately i have discovered that if you disable it from Scheduled Tasks it will not be reenabled until after the next boot, so this somewhat works, but it has to be done every single time before i shutdown the pc. Hopefully in a future built i will be able to do it once and for all. Hopefully this build will come sooner than expected because the latest one has come with his own set of worrying problems/bugs.

There is a valid reason for having a tool like the emergency updater.
Shutting it down would defeat that purpose.
I rather have a pc that boots swiftly and smoothly than having malware definitions that come 30 minutes earlier.
So yea, there might be a reason for that tool but it's implementation is abysmal.

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Re: Emergency Update nightmare
« Reply #14 on: September 22, 2015, 04:31:22 PM »
@ Azraelbuc
The emergency update has nothing to do with virus definitions updates, they continue as normal.

The whole point of the emergency update function is to check if one is present, if not it should close. The kind of emergency updates it does is if there is a serious issue that means that you can't use the ordinary updates (broken) this can resolve that. The various scanning engines can also be updated in the regular engines and virus definitions update. But if the updates aren't working that can't be done, this is where the emergency update comes in.

By its nature an emergency update shouldn't be a regular occurrence, more checking for the presence of one and close if not present.
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