Minor problem with skin selection in 4.8.1169

[Firebytes]

The following is a very minor glitch in the GUI of version 4.8.1169. Just thought I would bring it to the attention of Avast personnel.

To duplicate the problem open the GUI and select Menu>Select Skin then when the "skin selection" window opens hit Cancel. The program will hang for 10 seconds or so while showing a partial view (on one of my systems) or whole view of the "skin selection" window before it closes and allows you to go back to the main Avast GUI. I have duplicated this behavior on three different systems. All are running Windows XP Home, SP2 and the skin name being used is: szc-kde.

Version 4.7 did not have this problem on my systems.

No other problems noted, and hopefully there won't be  . Thanks for a great product.

[Dieselman]

Must be your install or something else on your pc. I just did what you said it it only takes a sec after I click cancel. No hang ups. I am also using the same skin as you. I am on XP SP2 also. Are you using Comodo Firewall by chance?

[Firebytes]

No, I'm not using Comodo firewall. I assumed it was a bug in the new version of Avast, as I am getting it on both of my systems and my father is getting the same thing on his system. The only thing I can think of is that possibly Threatfire, which is on each computer might be causing it. I will suspend TF and try again and see what happens...

Yes, it was Threatfire causing it. While TF is suspended the problem goes away.

Thanks for the feedback. It made me look for other causes on my system than the new version of Avast.

[Firebytes]

Maybe Avast personnel can determine where the cause of this minor problem lies between Avast and TF and get it cleared up on one end or the other. Not really worried about it though, if that is the worst problem I see I will be fine. 

[Dieselman]

Dump TF and use Comodo. I use Avast and Comodo 3.0 and it works great together. I am a Comodo team member also. If you want to keep TF then you need to make ashsimpl and ashsimp2 a trusted item.

[Tarq57]

I also use Threatfire (free), default settings, (3 out of 5) and can not replicate this. (Nor any other TF-related problem.)
Skin selection is, if anything, faster than before.
(Use the same skin, too. Szc-kde.)

[Firebytes]

Hmmm, I don't know then if it isn't TF related. It cleared up for me while TF was disabled (I do have default TF settings and Avast free). I will try it again next time I reboot and turn off Returnil protection and see if possibly it happens with TF because Returnil was in session lock when I noticed the problem.

[Firebytes]

Dump TF and use Comodo. I use Avast and Comodo 3.0 and it works great together. I am a Comodo team member also. If you want to keep TF then you need to make ashsimpl and ashsimp2 a trusted item.

I have used TF and the previous version of Avast with no problems whatsoever and without having to set any avast items as trusted. Apparently this is some other problem on my systems instead of TF anyway as posted by Tarq57. I definitely want to keep TF. I tried Comodo once and it wasn't to my likings. I will check for other possiblilities when I get time Tuesday. Anyway, as I said its no biggie, just a minor inconvenience. I rarely change Avast skins anyway.

[Firebytes]

I figured out what was causing the problem I mentioned I was having earlier with Avast hanging for several seconds when cancelling out of the skin selection window. It had nothing to do with Threatfire or any other program interfering.

I had Avast's Standard Shield sensitivity set to "high", when I set it back to "normal" the problem disappeared. Set the sensetivity back to "high" and the problem returns. It did this whether TF was running or not. I never had this problem with the older Avast version when the sensitivity was set to "high".

Also, on a side note, this new version of Avast seems to cause my computers to run a little slower than the last one.

[Firebytes]

Ok, I didn't word that last post very well, what I meant was:

If Standard Shield is set to "normal" then the problem disappears even if TF is running. Set it back to "high" and the problem returns. If Standard Shield is set to "high" then suspending TF makes the problem disappear. Clear as mud??

[DavidR]

There would appear to be an interaction with TF when avast scans the file for the selection pop-up (because you have it on High it would scan every file), TF may be interested in what is going on so may try to get in on the act causing a delay.

With the standard shield on Normal avast isn't going to scan the file, so no interaction with TF, the same is true if TF is disabled there can be no interaction.

[igor]

I can't reproduce it even with Standard Shield set to high.

Anyway - does avast! tray icon spin during the delay? If yes, it's scanning something and it might be interesting to find out what it is. So, you can open the on-access protection settings, expand it into the detailed view, select the Standard Shield provider and watch the "Last scanned" item while you're performing the skin selection (cancelation) somewhere else on the destop.

[Tarq57]

FWIW I can't reproduce it, either, with the standard shield on high, nor with TF set to maximum protection.

[Tarq57]

Sorry to re-visit this old thread, but I recently moved Avast to another partition, which involved uninstalling it then using a new installer to install it afresh, and I'm now having a very similar problem to the OP, in that the GUI is slow to open, and the skins menu + the GUI very slow to close, when Threatfire is enabled. Problem disappears when Threatfire is suspended.
Avast sensitivities all set to normal.
Minor problem, but slightly irritating.
MY OS (XP SP3) runs from C:\ . Avast was installed on the D:\  partition, and had been there for almost two years, updating the program via the internal updater as new versions were released.
Avast is now installed on C:\, and it was after this install that the issue started.

[Lisandro]

Problem disappears when Threatfire is suspended.

I've tested ThreatFire three times... I only has problems with its filters: blocking WebShield, messing Firefox extensions installation, etc. Now, another issue with it