PC shutdown problems

[HVM]

Avast Free Antivirus 20.6.2420(build 20.6.5495.588)
Windows 8.1 X86
No other security-related software installed

The problem is back，Moreover，shutdown and restart will encounter this problem

Download the complete dump file:https://cowtransfer.com/s/705d0cf0ca6346

I've alerted Avast. Let's see if that helps.

Days passed without any reply

[bob3160]

Avast Free Antivirus 20.6.2420(build 20.6.5495.588)
Windows 8.1 X86
No other security-related software installed

The problem is back，Moreover，shutdown and restart will encounter this problem

Download the complete dump file:https://cowtransfer.com/s/705d0cf0ca6346

I've alerted Avast. Let's see if that helps.

Days passed without any reply

It's the weekend. Patience.

[av4me]

ditto on this problem for the past week or two

except I've used avast long enough to remember this exact problem happening years ago

seems like their coders forget what they break every few years as the team changes and they repeat their mistakes

what is happening is they are trying to phone home (ping) and log that you are shutting down your machine (yes they collect data like this, how do you think the product is "free")

so something in your other firewall program is blocking that ping or trying to trigger a dialog if you want to allow that ping, or just never lets it happen at all

since the machine is in shutdown you can never see that dialog/block

then you have to wait for avast to timeout waiting for that ping because they have insanely long timeouts set for some inexplicable reason

basically we have to figure out which program is trying to ping and then set a manual rule in our firewalls to allow it, then the shutdown will take just a second or two again

or avast could just stop trying to phone home with so much tracking data

ps. the newest beta still does NOT fix the problem as of 8/15  20.7.2557

[DougCuk]

I have just fixed this issue on one of my Win7x64 computers - by doing a complete uninstall using the AvastClear Uninstall Utility.

I have 4 computers in regular use with the same security software installed - but only one of them has suffered from the "Slow Shutdown" problem. The symptom being that Windows Shutdown is delayed because the Avast Antivirus Service takes almost 3 minutes to stop and generates a System Event Log error message:
"The Avast Antivirus service did not shut down properly after receiving a preshutdown control."
Logged as a Service Control Manager Error - Event ID: 7043.

I have two virtually identical Win7 computers but only one was exhibiting the "Slow Shutdown" problem.
So it seemed unlikely it was a specific software incompatibility as both machines are setup with identical software. It seemed more likely that there was a "corrupted" Avast setting (located either in a config file or in the registry) that was causing this problem. So a full uninstall and reinstall might eliminate the problem.

I usually try to avoid wiping my Avast setup as I have a lot of Exceptions configured to protect my utility collections getting quarantined as suspect. (Lots of Nirsoft tools and other snooping utilities). I used the "Backup Settings" option in Troubleshooting and took the risk that restoring this backup might re-import whatever "corruption" was causing the Slow Shutdown issue. Fortunately restoring the Settings Backup onto a new clean install proved OK - and Windows now shuts down in under 20 seconds again (and all my Exceptions and other tweaks are preserved).

On my system (Win7x64 - Intel i5-2500 3.3Ghz with 8GB RAM - WD Black 1TB HDD)
Without the Avast Antivirus Service active Shutdown only takes about 7 seconds
If the Avast Antivirus Service responds normally then Shutdown takes 14-19 seconds
When the Avast Antivirus Service gets stuck then Shutdown can take up to 3 minutes

I do not believe that any Avast "phone home" tracking is causing this problem - all my systems have the AvastUI program blocked from phoning home via an outgoing firewall rule - but disabling this made no difference to the problem. 

For me I was seeing this issue occasionally with v20.4 - just a few times a month - not at every shutdown.
It disappeared after the update to v20.5 and then started happening at every shutdown with v20.6

[vidok2004]

we are tired of this problem, and at home on the free version and at work on the paid version, we will use Kaspersky, let our lawyers decide how to get the money back for a disgusting product.

[DougCuk]

vidok2004: I too was tired of this problem - so I decided to try and fix it - and it worked. And it is still fixed over two days later with at least 6 shutdowns completed - so the fix appears to hold. (See my previous post above.)

Yes it would be great if Avast could identify the cause and issue a corrective update - but in the mean time this issue does appear to be fixable by the end user without too much effort. Just backup your Avast settings, run the Avast Uninstall utility https://support.avast.com/en-ww/article/Uninstall-Antivirus-Utility/ - then reinstall Avast and restore your settings. Annoying but hardly difficult.

So far I have only seen this problem on 1 out of 4 computers - so it was not too disruptive - and of course if the problem returns then that WILL be an issue - but to threaten legal proceedings seems a little excessive.

[av4me]

reinstall of 20.6 did NOT fix this for me, not at all in the slightest

see if your reinstall survives several more boots/shutdowns without the problem coming back

in fact 20.6 reinstall suddenly started a second problem on boot, I would constantly get AVLAUNCH "Bad Image" errors which are reported elsewhere on the forums

Avast is really screwing up bad since 20.4

so what I did was roll back to 20.4 - solved both problems

you can do this by downloading the 20.4 offline installer using the archive .org snapshot

http://web.archive.org/web/20200515163551/http://iavs9x.avg.u.avcdn.net/iavs9x/avast_free_antivirus_setup_offline.exe

Code: [Select]

http://web.archive.org/web/20200515163551/http://iavs9x.avg.u.avcdn.net/iavs9x/avast_free_antivirus_setup_offline.exe

(you can see it's a clean link to avast's CDN copy (they own avg) and http://files.avast.com/iavs9x/avast_free_antivirus_setup_offline.exe redirects to avcdn.net) so hopefully safe since Avast absolutely refuses to maintain an archive of their previous versions despite hundreds of requests over the year from so many people going through new version breakage

NOTE: you must force your PC offline to install 20.4 and not have it instantly upgrade back to 20.6 - right click on your network adapter or internet icon in your system tray and select disconnect and don't go back online until it's all uninstalled and reinstalled

I mean you'd think Avast would have a rollback feature after all these years but nope

[bob3160]

"I mean you'd think Avast would have a rollback feature after all these years but nope"
Which AV's have this feature? I can't think of any.

[DougCuk]

AV4me:  My fix is still holding after 3½ days and about 12 shutdowns. (Shutdown in 14 to 19 seconds every time)
Sorry to hear a reinstall of v20.6 did not fix your problem - did you use the AvastClear Uninstall Utility?

I specifically used and recommended downloading the Uninstall Utility as this removes almost all Avast file and registry settings - whereas the standard Windows Uninstall will leave a lot of settings intact. From experience I have found that many installer scripts will just reuse these settings if present - instead of rewriting them from scratch - and the reinstall thus appears to have failed to correct the problem. Whereas in fact the "corrupted" setting has just survived the reinstall process. 

[bob3160]

If Repair doesn't fix the problem, try the following:
If your Avast settings are not the default settings and you want them restored after the Clean Install, follow this before removing Avast.
https://goo.gl/TXjM7h
Clean Install of Avast:
https://goo.gl/4Ptzkf
If you need additional help with the Clean Install, watch this:
https://youtu.be/p-h3myRD51A

[DougCuk]

From my limited experience of fixing this issue on one PC here are a few observations:
1. The "Repair App" option in Settings->Troubleshooting does NOT fix this problem.
2. Using the "Backup Settings" and then "Restore Settings" onto a clean install is OK
3. I strongly suspect the standard Windows Uninstall doesn't clear the "corruption" (earlier posts in this thread?) 
4. You need to use the AvastClear Uninstall Utility to ensure a clean slate for a successful reinstall.

Bob3160: Couple of points:
Your links are all for older versions of the program with different menus
The "Backup Settings" option is now in the Settings->Troubleshooting menu
and no longer has any selection options - it is all or nothing (and content is encrypted).
I believe the recommendation is for best results the AvastClear should be run on the intact installation
- that is do not run the normal Windows Uninstall first as it removes useful clues the utility can use.

My exact sequence of steps was as follows:
1. Download the Avast Uninstall Utility https://support.avast.com/en-ww/article/Uninstall-Antivirus-Utility/
1. Use the "Backup Settings" option in Troubleshooting (there are no selection options in current version)
2. Un-tick the "Enable Self-Defense" option in Troubleshooting
   (i.e. Disable the protection of Avast's own files and settings)
3. Run the Avast Uninstall Utility (AvastClear.exe) on the intact Avast installation.
   With Self-Defense disabled I opted to run AvastClear in normal mode (Safe Mode is offered & suggested)   
   System will reboot after the uninstall - which ensures the cleaned Registry is loaded.
4. Probably not essential but there was one extra cleanup step that I did - after the reboot.
    I deleted an Avast folder that was left behind - C:\Program Data\AVAST Software\   
5. Reinstall Avast free - I used the full Offline Installer.
6. Use the option in Troubleshooting to "Restore Settings" - which includes all Exclusions and Allow/Block selections.

[bob3160]

@DugCuk,
Thanks for pointing out the need to revise the instructions to Back-up and Restore
the Avast customized settings which I've done.
The rest of the instructions still remain in order to accomplish a clean install of Avast.

[Wizzzzard]

I am very disappointed that there has not been any resolution to this stuck registry problem.

Today Avast decided to remove a dll file from Divx player "libGLESv2.dll" which has been on my computer for several years without issue and with no notification of doing so, it has taken me hours to fix it. Last time it was a vital dll file needed to run my raid array and caused Windows to be unbootable, I had to use another PC to put the dll back in windows.

Avast has never stopped or caught a real virus in all the years of using it, it has only ever caused issues and without a fix for the stuck registry I can't continue to use this broken software so I'm uninstalling it.

EDIT: Horray my computer now takes around 5 seconds to shutdown without Avast. It's a shame this was my only option.

[DougCuk]

My fix for this issue worked on one of my customers computers yesterday (see my post above for all the steps).
The computer was working OK with v20.4 installed - but after it updated direct to v20.6 the "Slow Shutdown" bug hit - with a 3½ minute wait at Shutdown.

I checked the Event Log and sure enough it had a Service Control Manager Error (Event ID: 7043) in the System Log with the description "The Avast Antivirus service did not shut down properly after receiving a preshutdown control." Applied the fix and Shutdown went back to 20 seconds.

[DarkZero556]

I have just fixed this issue on one of my Win7x64 computers - by doing a complete uninstall using the AvastClear Uninstall Utility.

I have 4 computers in regular use with the same security software installed - but only one of them has suffered from the "Slow Shutdown" problem. The symptom being that Windows Shutdown is delayed because the Avast Antivirus Service takes almost 3 minutes to stop and generates a System Event Log error message:
"The Avast Antivirus service did not shut down properly after receiving a preshutdown control."
Logged as a Service Control Manager Error - Event ID: 7043.

I have two virtually identical Win7 computers but only one was exhibiting the "Slow Shutdown" problem.
So it seemed unlikely it was a specific software incompatibility as both machines are setup with identical software. It seemed more likely that there was a "corrupted" Avast setting (located either in a config file or in the registry) that was causing this problem. So a full uninstall and reinstall might eliminate the problem.

I usually try to avoid wiping my Avast setup as I have a lot of Exceptions configured to protect my utility collections getting quarantined as suspect. (Lots of Nirsoft tools and other snooping utilities). I used the "Backup Settings" option in Troubleshooting and took the risk that restoring this backup might re-import whatever "corruption" was causing the Slow Shutdown issue. Fortunately restoring the Settings Backup onto a new clean install proved OK - and Windows now shuts down in under 20 seconds again (and all my Exceptions and other tweaks are preserved).

On my system (Win7x64 - Intel i5-2500 3.3Ghz with 8GB RAM - WD Black 1TB HDD)
Without the Avast Antivirus Service active Shutdown only takes about 7 seconds
If the Avast Antivirus Service responds normally then Shutdown takes 14-19 seconds
When the Avast Antivirus Service gets stuck then Shutdown can take up to 3 minutes

I do not believe that any Avast "phone home" tracking is causing this problem - all my systems have the AvastUI program blocked from phoning home via an outgoing firewall rule - but disabling this made no difference to the problem. 

For me I was seeing this issue occasionally with v20.4 - just a few times a month - not at every shutdown.
It disappeared after the update to v20.5 and then started happening at every shutdown with v20.6

long time computer tech and after following your directions to the letter it still takes a full minute to shutdown.   Before updating to the latest Avast I had created a batch file with an icon that would use the sc.exe control "avast! antivirus" 255 along with some other shutdown commands in an administrative cmd.exe and it went from 4 minutes shutdown to about 10 to 15 seconds shutdown time.  Intel I7 and SSD's.   Now it is back to this BS.  I put up with the 4 minute shutdowns for over a month and now while it's a bit less this computer will shutdown in about 3 seconds without Avast.  A full 60 seconds to shutdown is not acceptable.   There should be a command that can be run from and admin command prompt that will allow shutdown the way it did on 20.4 (or whichever one that worked on).

 I have to shut down power to this computer - basically pull the plug on the power for reasons I won't go into and having to sit there and wait for this is beyond ridiculous.  One program should not have that level of control.   Sort of reminds me of what's going on in this country and Ben Franklin's quote: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety"  We're giving up a lot of liberty to Avast controlling our computer for a little safety!   

Avast was good for quite a while.   Too bad they screwed it up so badly.   Time to go looking for a new AV unless this gets fixed soon.