Avast Free Antivirus suddenly asks to restart my computer!

[Rundvleeskroket]

Yes, we live in a world where computers are now used mostly by laypeople. The computer has become a white good. I'm therefore all in favor of defaults that cater to that, such as auto updates. But for those with more experience, there should be choice. And that is disappearing. Power users have become a niche small enough to ignore, it would seem. Much the same as everything being optimized for phones. The bigger user group by far. I so enjoy doing my banking on a big PC monitor and looking at a sliver of vertically used screen space because that is what phones see. Not. Or how options are hidden, simplified or even removed because there is only so much room for buttons on a touch screen device. Meanwhile I have seas of screen real estate going unused because I'm now the marginal use case, not worth developing for.

[Rundvleeskroket]

Yeah...

That's probably related to those two hidden shields:

antirootkit and some other one right nearby it.

I have found anti-rootkit to be the culprit. Which goes back to the problem with Avast: in my case it is mining software. Just because that is sometimes installed without consent as malware, doesn't make all use malware. And a miner in any case isn't a rootkit, so the anti-rootkit shield shouldn't even be involved. But it is.

The team building Avast chose to have the anti-rootkit shield do something else besides looking out for rootkits. Without telling us. Without changing the name of the shield. My version of Avast from a few months ago didn't have this problem. So now I have to forgo all rootkit protection, because Avast mislabeled and mis-aggregated functionality. And to top it off; the anti-rootkit shield ignores set exceptions. So it's all or nothing just to have a system that does what you want. And then the people that tell you to always stay current on everything look suprised you choose 'nothing'. Well, that's all the nuance we get in choosing. It wouldn't have to be if Avast actually did what it said on the tin, so to speak. If it actually followed it's own rules, like exceptions. But it doesn't.

[InvisibleMan]

So now I have to forgo all rootkit protection, because Avast mislabeled and mis-aggregated functionality. And to top it off; the anti-rootkit shield ignores set exceptions. So it's all or nothing just to have a system that does what you want.

At least it's not as important.

Rootkits are techncially viruses.

So as long as your file and web shields are running, there's little possibility you'd get a rootkit into your system anyways.

I guess, anti-rootkit has only one possible useful function: catch things that are already on a computer, if it was infected before installing Avast.

[Rundvleeskroket]

I use web shield, file shield, and mail shield. That's it. All other Avast functionality is not even installed. I used to also run anti-exploit and anti-rootkit, but no more because of this. I run a firewall (not Avast) with custom ruleset. I use a VPN (again; not Avast). Hardware router with blocking. Etc. And I have at least 6 months of full system backups I can revert to.

All the more 'funny' having Avast trying to scare me by telling me I'm unprotected without the Avast firewall and Avast VPN.

The version of Avast I used up to updating some time last week or so, from maybe a few months ago, does NOT have the problem where the anti-rootkit shield ignores exceptions, or exceptions are deleted altogether. This is new. And still not fixed.

You mentioned image viewing; I use IrfanView. Have been for over 20 years now I think. Does the job just fine.

[InvisibleMan]

The version of Avast I used up to updating some time last week or so, from maybe a few months ago, does NOT have the problem where the anti-rootkit shield ignores exceptions, or exceptions are deleted altogether. This is new. And still not fixed.

That's why I keep all the offline installers for stable versions, so I can revert back, just in case.

[Rundvleeskroket]

I could revert to an earlier image. A bit Draconian, but would work. I hope the devs pay attention and fix the issue. And tell us. So I can hopefully safely update again.

My fear is you're right; Avast Free may be the lesser of all evils. Which is a sad statement considering all the issues. I think Defender is nibbling at their profit margins, making them desperate with the upselling. Pushing updates without much testing (The Microsoft method) compounds the problems.

I'd love for them to get back to basics with the Avast Free product. But I don't see it happening with how the market is developing. I dread it will get much worse.

Going with a paid version of Avast also doesn't bring me anything. All the paid features are things I don't need or want. And I don't see 'better support' being very useful if that comes from a company with this mindset. I just don't see the added value. I doubt my financial support would change any of that. Maybe I would feel better about complaining about free software, but I feel I'm being very fair in my criticism. If I paid for Avast, I'd take a far more stern tone. Make demands. Ultimately, I want Avast to succeed in business. AV is important. Just, maybe concentrate on the quality of the basics instead of ever more half-assed new gizmos.

[InvisibleMan]

@Rundvleeskroket I sent you a private message.

[Rundvleeskroket]

To drive the point home: I just got a center screen popup, asking me if I know about tech support scams. The full Avast GUI popped up over everything else, front and center, with this #$#$

This is why many people run in silent mode, and missing actual alerts. Because the upsell is getting way to aggressive and intrusive. I'd go back to silent mode too if I didn't constantly have to check what Avast is doing to my exceptions etc.

Paying would solve this NagWare issue. Maybe. Not so sure after reading the forums for years now. But paying just to turn off the nags, and not getting any other functionality I want or need, seems like a bad deal. What I want, and might pay for, is basic AV that actually works properly. Tested. Without shenanigans.

[billygoat319]

Hi  Rundvleeskroket

I am using paid version.
I also had same pop up appear in middle of the screen.

[bob3160]

Hi  Rundvleeskroket

I am using paid version.
I also had same pop up appear in middle of the screen.

A screenshot would have been helpful. Thanks

[petr blatny]

related to the pop up, can someone provide a screenshot, please?

[InvisibleMan]

@petr blatny

Related to this topic I started the thread with.

Avast Overseer task did something to my Avast again now, just 30 minutes ago or so (as it says).

And now it requires my computer to restart again, when it already happened the other day.

What is going on? It never happened before for the past year.

I don't like to restart my compuer that often. I keep it normally running 24/7.

I feel like disabling and removing that scheduled task and Overseer alltogether! I disabled automatic updates. I don't want any updates!

And I never used the most recent Avast either. I have v21.8 and I'm happy with its stability.
I've read too many recent posts from people about a lot of issues with the most recent version.
I don't want it.

[InvisibleMan]

@petr blatny

I restarted my computer. And it did it again right now!

I'm getting rid of this Overseer. That's it.

Also, it seems like it could triggered by updates of virus definitions.

But it never happened before. Why does computer suddenly require restarting every time I update virus definitions?

Is it because I use Windows 7 instead of most the modern one and nobody tested it on Windows 7? I don't know...

[Rundvleeskroket]

Hi  Rundvleeskroket

I am using paid version.
I also had same pop up appear in middle of the screen.

A screenshot would have been helpful. Thanks

I tried to make one when I got the screen but when I went to alt-prntscrn it retracted into the GUI.

[InvisibleMan]

I tried to make one when I got the screen but when I went to alt-prntscrn it retracted into the GUI.

I can recommend Screenshot Captor. It existed for many years, and proven to be a great tool for taking picture of the screen, parts of the screen (easily), specific windows, etc.

And all shortcuts are adjustable, and you can have more than one shortcut for the same action (useful in this case).

Google it if interested. DonationCoder are the developers. And they prvovide free license keys for anyone who requests them, so donations aren't necessary and it won't have any adware 100%.