When Windows starts a red circle stays for 1 minute..

[shgoh]

yea...i experienced this too before...it can really take a long time during rebooting...

[Lisandro]

I moved the "avast Antivirus" folder from the Programs folder to the Accessories subfolder. But I don't see why it would influence.
... and I don't have any Avast icon in the Startup submenu, but it starts automatically. (When I run "msconfig" I see Avast is set to startup)

Well, the problem could be that avast needs to scan the files where the icons of all Start Menu are placed (not only avast folder).
It won't help moving the avast links folder to another subdirectory...

As I use this computer at home, my exclusive use, I set Windows to automatic log on with an administration account so I don't pass through that Ctrl+Alt+Del screen.

That is EXACTLY what seems to be happening.
Windows needs to start a lot of services and drivers before you can logon.
Automatically logon bring to you a false impression: the boot time (loading services and drivers) has not finished and you have already start to logon (automatically logon).
What's making the logon slower could be the non-finished boot-time.
Hope I make myself (Vlk and Igor) clear 

[DavidR]

The higher the standard shield sensitivity, the longer the boot as it will scan more files. If you have any other security based programs that also scan on boot, this can cause duplication of scans and also prolong the boot.

I used to have long boot times with earlier versions of avast (much improved in the latest versions) and that was caused by my firewall being very active on boot and standard shield on High, but never once did it result in the red circle.

For me it takes about 25-30 seconds before the log on screen appears, I log on and it takes a further 30 seconds before all boot activity is complete (no avast icon rotating), overall about 1 minute but no red circle.

[Culpeper]

I don't consider it a big deal.  I guess I could take the time to review a boot log but I don't think anything is wrong with avast scanning files during boot up while everything else is booting up at the same time.  It just takes time.  It still doesn't take as as long as a Linux distro to boot up.  I'm going to reboot and time the red circle if it appears again....


16 seconds.  And the red circle disappears after everything is through booting up.  In fact, I don't even think it is slowing down the boot up.  The first system tray icon to appear is Avast and the last system tray icon to appear is the firewall and after that the Avast red circle goes away.  For appearances sake it appears to be normal.  Let me know if I'm incorrect on my assumption.

BTW, I'm using XP with auto logon.

[RicardoB]

My boot takes 30 seconds until the Desktop screen appears and almost ONE minute MORE until Avast run.

So, you think that it is normal?

Well, now I have to check with the people I saw it running right when windows starts and check if they have automatic logon and how long their boot takes.

Did I get it right?

[Culpeper]

Well, you can do several things like scanning your PC with Avast, look to see how many other programs are loading on start up, and so forth.  Also, it would help us to know how much random access memory you have installed, your processor type, if DMA is enabled on your hard drive,  and examine your boot log.  For a benchmark you can unintall Avast and time you entire boot process.  For all we know your entire boot process has been 90 seconds or more and the Avast icon is your first indication of such.  My first inclination is that you have too much stuff loading on boot and now you have added Avast into the line up.  In other words, the red circle in Avast isn't you main problem.

[Vlk]

Ricardo,

during the one minute when avast is not active, can you check the Task Manager, Processes tab, if there's a process called ashServ.exe? (you can sort the process name column by clicking the header).

Thanks
Vlk

[Culpeper]

Well, I've run that test and ashserv.exe is present.  I've determined that the red icon is related to the system boot up.  In particular, the cable modem and router coming online.  Starting IE during boot up shows a blank browser screen until right after the red circle disappears on the Avast icon at which point IE starts downloading the home page.   So, I'm assuming that Avast is going to show that red circle until it has an internet connection.  Let me know if this is incorrect.

[RicardoB]

Well,
I have a Pentium 4 HT 2.8 GHz; 1,5GB RAM; 40 GB HD SATA.

I took a Print Screen while the processes were loading...

And also one when the processes were loaded (ALL Process).

I see video card driver, avast, DVD Launcher, VMWare, MS Defender etc.
But the ones that use more memory are
Explorer.EXE;
ashServ.exe;
SVCHOST.EXE;
MsMpEng.exe.

Does it give an idea if there is a problem or it is normal?

[Lisandro]

VMWare

Are you automatically (startup item) loading a virtual machine or just the services?
VMWare is a intense memory user...

[Vlk]

OK, please dump the ashServ.exe for analysis of where it's stuck.

To do this, download the program http://public.avast.com/~vlk/hangrep.exe , run it, select ashServ.exe in the list of processes, click Save As and save the dump file (please note that this needs to be done WHEN THE PROBLEM IS PRESENT, ie. before the avast tray icon red circle disappears).

When you have the dump, ZIP it and upload it to ftp://ftp.avast.com/incoming (note that you won't have READ access to the ftp site, just write)

Thanks
Vlk

[RicardoB]

Tech,

It is just the VMWare service that is loaded. No virtual machine is started.

[Culpeper]

OK, please dump the ashServ.exe for analysis of where it's stuck.

To do this, download the program http://public.avast.com/~vlk/hangrep.exe , run it, select ashServ.exe in the list of processes, click Save As and save the dump file (please note that this needs to be done WHEN THE PROBLEM IS PRESENT, ie. before the avast tray icon red circle disappears).

When you have the dump, ZIP it and upload it to ftp://ftp.avast.com/incoming (note that you won't have READ access to the ftp site, just write)

Thanks
Vlk

uploaded as CULPEPER*.*

[Lisandro]

Tech, It is just the VMWare service that is loaded. No virtual machine is started.

Ok... no trouble.
But, if you disable automatic logon, and wait 1 minute after booting and before logon, will this happen?

[Vlk]

Culperer, thanks for that, unfortunately, the file on the ftp site seems to have zero length. Could you please try to upload it once more?

Many thanks
Vlk