Author Topic: Speed of Avast updates  (Read 22001 times)

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epp

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Re: Speed of Avast updates
« Reply #15 on: July 23, 2008, 12:57:28 AM »
On my 10-year old Pentium (1) 166 MHz Linux system, it took Avast 1 minute 31 seconds to update the software.  This is under Linux, but with a CPU that is only 1/3rd the speed of my K6-2.

I've uninstalled software I no longer use (including McAfee using their special uninstaller),

What could be wrong with the Windows version?
 

Offline Lisandro

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Re: Speed of Avast updates
« Reply #16 on: July 23, 2008, 01:01:17 AM »
I've uninstalled software I no longer use (including McAfee using their special uninstaller),
What could be wrong with the Windows version?
With that computer should you say...

This article provides the steps to remove SecurityCenter from your computer.
http://ts.mcafeehelp.com/faq3.asp?docid=71525
Also for direct download: http://download.mcafee.com/products/licensed/cust_support_patches/VSCleanupTool.exe
and http://download.mcafee.com/products/licensed/cust_support_patches/MCPR.exe (2007)

If you need, you can find many free versions of these registry cleaners here:
http://www.snapfiles.com/Freeware/system/fwregtools.html

Sometimes, McAfee won't be completely removed if, before, you do not uninstall Avast, including the use of its "Uninstall Application" if necessary (www.avast.com/eng/faq-install-uninstall-avast.html).
The best things in life are free.

epp

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Re: Speed of Avast updates
« Reply #17 on: July 23, 2008, 01:19:03 AM »
I have run MCPR.EXE but not VSCleanupTool.  I will run that one as well.

The VRDB is currently generating, so I will wait until that finishes before running VSCleanupTool. 

Someone else on the forum indicated that the VRDB (i) icon did not appear in the systray until after Avast was installed for the third time.  I also saw this same behavior, twice.  It is probably something that needs to be looked at by Alwil.  I do not want to uninstall Avast again, because of this particular issue.  So I will have to run VSCleanupTool while Avast remains installed.

I also turned off the HP digital monitor in the system config but will have to reboot it for that change to take effect, this will be done once the VRDB finishes generating, it's been generating for three hours already.





epp

  • Guest
Re: Speed of Avast updates
« Reply #18 on: July 23, 2008, 03:03:05 AM »
The last stand...

It is now almost FIVE HOURS since I started the VRDB generation and it is STILL generating it, this is with the PC completely idle.

It takes over 20 minutes for a simple update and five hours for a VRDB generation...

If a 500 MHz AMD K6-2 CPU in a system with 512 Mb of memory is not powerful enough for Avast, someone please tell me, because I would rather not waste further time with this.

Thank you all for the help you've provided up to this point.


Offline Lisandro

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Re: Speed of Avast updates
« Reply #19 on: July 23, 2008, 03:16:24 AM »
five hours for a VRDB generation...
Seems ok... depends of the number of files and the number of executable files that you have.
Don't worry that much on VRDB generation... let it manually overnight...
The problem, imho, is the update lag. Please, post the last 200-250 lines of avast log: C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\log\Setup.log
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Offline alanrf

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Re: Speed of Avast updates
« Reply #20 on: July 23, 2008, 03:16:33 AM »
epp,

I am suspecting that you not only have an older system with limited CPU and memory but, looking at your logs, I think you have a big problem with disk access timing on this system.  

This could be partly attributable to having a heavily fragmented disk.  Do you run a regular degramentation?  

Look at you log3.txt

Since the avast update is a differential update rather than a full update avast has to work out the differences that need to be installed.  
Take a look at 2:36:48  then the next log entry is 2:43:58 a gap of over 7 minutes! That is just a small part of the update.  

I just brought up my 8 year old XP system (1GHz processor and 512Mb memory) and avast updated it from 080717-0 to 080722-1.  The equivalent gap in the log on that system to your >7 minutes is 36 seconds.  On my old XP system the download time for the files was only 8 seconds for the 320Kb of update files.  I have a connection of the same speed as yours (6Mbps) and the total update time was 1 minute 51 seconds.

epp

  • Guest
Re: Speed of Avast updates
« Reply #21 on: July 23, 2008, 03:47:24 AM »
The drive was actually defragged last week, before I installed Avast this time around.

When the 5 hour point hit for the VRDB generation and it had not finished, that was enough for me.  I am not one that will leave a system on all evening.

It simply takes too long for anything Avast-related to get done and I'm going to look at other options.

Thank you again for all the help, but I am now convinced that I can't use Avast.

Offline DavidR

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Re: Speed of Avast updates
« Reply #22 on: July 23, 2008, 02:43:58 PM »
Well for a start the VRDB is something that isn't found in other AVs and one that will most likely be dropped at some point in the future as when it was introduced it was a much more useful function but things progress and it isn't as much of a benefit as it was. So you could simply disable it.

You will find that working with avast and your system to get the best compromise between protection and performance would be better for you.

With your old system you are going to experience similar issues with other AVs and if you don't it is likely because they don't provide the same levels of protection. avast by comparison to other major AVs is relatively light on resources. It is your system and your choice, if that is what you wild do, good luck with your next AV.

Don't forget help and support is a major consideration/issue when you are experiencing any problem.
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Offline Lisandro

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Re: Speed of Avast updates
« Reply #23 on: July 23, 2008, 03:53:43 PM »
Thank you again for all the help, but I am now convinced that I can't use Avast.
In fact you can use avast without VRDB... no huge problems...
The best things in life are free.

epp

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Re: Speed of Avast updates
« Reply #24 on: July 23, 2008, 04:19:37 PM »
Here is what I did this morning:

Uninstall all known instances of AV software past and present (Avast, McAfee), including running their secondary uninstallers, rebooted in-between all of them.

Ran Disk Defrag.  As I ran this last week, it indicated that only 8% was fragmented and it did not require another defrag.  I defragged it anyway.

Then reinstalled Avast.  The (i) VRDB icon is not currently displayed in the systray.  In looking at Tech's message in http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=36528.msg309054#msg309054, the MergeIcons, Disabled and ShowtaskbarIcon entries are not currently listed under [VRDB] in the avast4.ini file.

I have attached the log from the point of installation to the present time.


« Last Edit: July 23, 2008, 04:31:15 PM by epp »

Offline Lisandro

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Re: Speed of Avast updates
« Reply #25 on: July 23, 2008, 04:39:53 PM »
Then reinstalled Avast. 
I suggest an installation from the scratch:

1. Uninstall avast from Control Panel first.
2. Boot.
3. Download the latest version of Avast Uninstall and use it for complete uninstallation.
4. Boot.
5. Install again the latest avast! version.
6. Boot.
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epp

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Re: Speed of Avast updates
« Reply #26 on: July 23, 2008, 05:12:38 PM »
This latest install, was an install from scratch.

If the VRDB function ends up not loading at all, I'm probably better off as I do not want to wait another 5 hours for another file to be generated...

epp

  • Guest
Re: Speed of Avast updates
« Reply #27 on: July 23, 2008, 06:38:38 PM »
Here is a comparison (and an admission  ;D ):

I installed Avast on my father's computer earlier this year.  That PC has an AMD Athlon CPU, 600 Mhz and 256 Mb of RAM installed.  The Athlon is in the 686-class (i686) of CPU, my AMD K6-2 is in the 586-class (i586).

I am guessing that because the Athlon is an i686, I have noticed the same applications run faster, despite only having 1/2 the memory installed, than the same applications on my K6-2 system with twice the memory.  In the Task Manager, both are showing the exact same processes running at startup (except for the nVIDIA and HP processes which are on my K6-2 system).

When Avast just updated at bootup of the Athlon system:

Quote
Information about current update:
Total time: 3:59

- Vps: Updated
  (previous version: 080721-0, updated version: 080723-0)

Server: download93.avast.com (75.126.130.164)
Downloaded files: 6 (222.17 KB)
Download time: 3 s

was the result of the update. 

That is something I could live with on my K6-2 system.  :)

epp

  • Guest
Re: Speed of Avast updates
« Reply #28 on: July 23, 2008, 09:03:38 PM »
There was one other item that I turned off at startup that also had an icon in the systray.  With that no longer loading in, I'll report back on how fast the next Avast! update takes.

epp

  • Guest
Re: Speed of Avast updates
« Reply #29 on: July 23, 2008, 11:59:54 PM »
Getting better...

Quote
Information about current update:
Total time: 8:31

- Vps: Updated
  (previous version: 080723-0, updated version: 080723-1)

Server: download80.avast.com (75.126.38.76)
Downloaded files: 4 (6.11 KB)
Download time: 6 s