Author Topic: Updating taking over my computer usage  (Read 10743 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

hiyanett

  • Guest
Updating taking over my computer usage
« on: January 13, 2009, 12:57:25 AM »
I would like to know if there is anything I can do so that Avast doesn't completely shut down everything until it is done updating?  I cannot do anything until Avast has done it's thing and that is that. This is very annoying when in the middle of something and I must wait until it is done. Is taking the whole computers usage over a flaw in Avast or does it do that to everyone? Is there any way for Avast to make the updates less of a pain and update in the background while a person can continue what they are doing? Thanks for any advice.

Offline Lisandro

  • Avast team
  • Certainly Bot
  • *
  • Posts: 67195
Re: Updating taking over my computer usage
« Reply #1 on: January 13, 2009, 01:04:06 AM »
avast update process priority is NOT set to use high CPU usage, unless you've manually started the update (it's logical, when you manually start you DO want it running). Which firewall do you use? Any other security program (or antivirus) in this computer?
The best things in life are free.

hiyanett

  • Guest
Re: Updating taking over my computer usage
« Reply #2 on: January 13, 2009, 01:34:00 AM »
Avast does the updating by itself, not me. I also run Comodo Firewall.

Offline Lisandro

  • Avast team
  • Certainly Bot
  • *
  • Posts: 67195
Re: Updating taking over my computer usage
« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2009, 01:36:55 AM »
Avast does the updating by itself, not me.
So... it's not avast, but something that it's interacting with avast...
Sometimes, deleting the avast entries into Comodo programs settings (programs allowed to connect) and allowing them again works.
The best things in life are free.

hiyanett

  • Guest
Re: Updating taking over my computer usage
« Reply #4 on: January 13, 2009, 01:39:03 AM »
I will give this a try, thanks! I will have to wait and see but will let you know if this works.

Offline alanrf

  • Avast Evangelist
  • Massive Poster
  • ***
  • Posts: 3870
  • Just an avast user
Re: Updating taking over my computer usage
« Reply #5 on: January 13, 2009, 02:45:41 AM »
Perhaps you can give us a little more information also on your environment ...

Operating system
Processor type
System memory

This may help us interpret your experience with more certainty.

anothermack

  • Guest
Re: Updating taking over my computer usage
« Reply #6 on: January 18, 2009, 07:05:45 PM »
hello,

i assume the advice to poster will be to upgrade his/her RAM?  Come on guys, let's face it, since quite some time Avast has become increasingly resource hungry at update and boot...(but also detection capabilities became even better then before, it has to be said)  I face the same issue, this until the slider tells me update has finished.  And at boot startup time to get all 6 or 7 services running takes up to 5min or more.
Would not be a bad to change min requirements on website to 256Mb min instead of 64Mb.  I have 128Mb RAM, and...well as poster explained...

brgds,
mack

Offline DavidR

  • Avast Überevangelist
  • Certainly Bot
  • *****
  • Posts: 88895
  • No support PMs thanks
Re: Updating taking over my computer usage
« Reply #7 on: January 18, 2009, 08:01:51 PM »
Lets not jump the gun on possible advise to be offered, we simply don't know anything about the users system.

So if it was found that there is adequate RAM and CPU then obviously it indicates other factors in the mix, such as:
a) what version of avast is the OP using earlier versions were more CPU intensive
b) if this was a manual or auto update (they react differently), the auto update in this case is less CPU intensive, this uses a CPU restriction hack which is OS dependant another reason to ask.
c) other security software and or AV are installed, etc.
d) the users connection method, and if it connects automatically, which avast detects and starts the update check and download (likely to be your problem).

So we simply don't know, so we ask questions and we wait for feedback from the OP before we jump to any conclusions.

You could delay the avast update check so it doesn't check 30 seconds after a connection is detected.
« Last Edit: January 18, 2009, 08:03:41 PM by DavidR »
Windows 10 Home 64bit/ Acer Aspire F15/ Intel Core i5 7200U 2.5GHz, 8GB DDR4 memory, 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD/ avast! free 24.2.6105 (build 24.2.8918.824) UI 1.0.799/ Firefox, uBlock Origin, uMatrix/ MailWasher Pro/ Avast! Mobile Security

Offline Lisandro

  • Avast team
  • Certainly Bot
  • *
  • Posts: 67195
Re: Updating taking over my computer usage
« Reply #8 on: January 18, 2009, 10:02:02 PM »
since quite some time Avast has become increasingly resource hungry at update and boot...
On contrary... avast is becoming better in both aspects, increasing it performance and allow configuration.

And at boot startup time to get all 6 or 7 services running takes up to 5min or more.
Wow... Did you delay avast services to load in the Troubleshooting tab of settings? Maybe this help...

Would not be a bad to change min requirements on website to 256Mb min instead of 64Mb. 
Fully agree.
The best things in life are free.

CharleyO

  • Guest
Re: Updating taking over my computer usage
« Reply #9 on: January 19, 2009, 08:14:19 AM »
***

I am sorry to say this but, in today's computer world, even 256 mbs is a very minimal amount of RAM for a computer to operate. Even on my last computer (W98SE) when I stopped using it daily 4 years ago, 512 mb was becoming to be not enough RAM. Sure, 512 mb, or even 256 mb, is enough to run the OS and avast but you must consider the other programs and services running in the background. Some of these might even be malware/spyware related which could also use up precious RAM.

As Alan & David have suggested, we know far too little about the OP's system at this point to begin to advise what needs to be done to rectify the problem.


***
« Last Edit: January 19, 2009, 08:16:47 AM by CharleyO »

hiyanett

  • Guest
Re: Updating taking over my computer usage
« Reply #10 on: January 19, 2009, 09:54:43 AM »
Well, I did what you said about taking out and adding avast in the comodo firewall and it really didn't change anything. I am using windows xp, 80GB hard drive, 448 MB RAM. Avast version is 4.8. I keep everything up to date. I never manually update, it updates itself. Comodo Firewall is the only other thing on the computer. I am connected by DSL. Processor is Intel(R) Celeron(R) M CPU 420 @ 1.60GHz. I hope this is all the questions I was supposed to answer. Thanks for any help in advance.

Offline George Yves

  • Avast Überevangelist
  • Massive Poster
  • *****
  • Posts: 4095
  • Help you I can
Re: Updating taking over my computer usage
« Reply #11 on: January 19, 2009, 12:15:07 PM »
... I am using windows xp, 80GB hard drive, 448 MB RAM. Avast version is 4.8. I keep everything up to date. I never manually update, it updates itself. Comodo Firewall is the only other thing on the computer. I am connected by DSL. Processor is Intel(R) Celeron(R) M CPU 420 @ 1.60GHz. I hope this is all the questions I was supposed to answer. Thanks for any help in advance.
Your system resources are insufficient to run WinXP with "everything up to date". You should double your RAM and speed up your CPU for more than 2.00GHz, otherwise you should downgrade to Win98/Me.
May the FOSS be with you!

Offline Lisandro

  • Avast team
  • Certainly Bot
  • *
  • Posts: 67195
Re: Updating taking over my computer usage
« Reply #12 on: January 19, 2009, 12:31:47 PM »
If I were with your configuration, I'll keep Windows XP firewall and not work with Comodo.
Believe me, I have 4Gb RAM and I use Vista Firewall instead a third party one (even do not worrying with outbound protection).
I think I need my system to work, not only for security and protection.
The best things in life are free.

Offline DavidR

  • Avast Überevangelist
  • Certainly Bot
  • *****
  • Posts: 88895
  • No support PMs thanks
Re: Updating taking over my computer usage
« Reply #13 on: January 19, 2009, 03:19:47 PM »
4GB of RAM in a 32bit OS is a bit of a waste and overkill to my mind, since the OS can only physically address in the region of 3GB and to that you also have to add any memory on a dedicated graphics card.

@ hiyanett
Your system spec is well up to the task (much higher than some who don't appear to have this problem you are), whilst having more RAM, 1 or 2 GB would make the system much more responsive overall.

The XP OS I think had a minimum requirement of 256MB RAM (and that minimum IMHO is greatly underestimated) when you start adding other application to your system then that overall minimum RAM would have to increase or there would be much hard disk thrashing as information is transferred to and from the swapfile/pagefile and this also slows your system during memory intensive activity (boot/scans/updates, etc.).

So I would recommend you get at least 1GB and preferably 2GB, not just because of this but to improve overall system performance.

With XP avast is able to restrict the amount of CPU% activity the auto update uses, that would be slightly negated by the amount of RAM. So I would suggest that you delay the auto update check, giving the boot time to finish before putting any more stress on the system, see below.

I would also suggest that you check what is allowed to start on boot, that should be essential applications, normally, system and security applications, to further reduce the load. Many programs when you install them set themselves to run on boot, media players in particular are bad for this when you only need them to run when  you click on a media file, it starts the associated player.

####
You need to edit (using notepad) the [InetWD] section of the C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\Data\avast4.ini file and add the following line the Bold lines below:

Broadband connections, add this line: AlwaysConnectedWaitSeconds=120

Quote
[InetWD]
AlwaysConnectedWaitSeconds=120

When complete save the changes, avast's self-defence module will ask for confirmation, etc. answer Yes.

The above figure is seconds and the above equates to two minutes, you could try that and adjust upwards if required, 180, 240, etc. It may be better based on your system to start of with a figure of 300 (5 minutes), this will give your system plenty of time to stabilise.

Windows 10 Home 64bit/ Acer Aspire F15/ Intel Core i5 7200U 2.5GHz, 8GB DDR4 memory, 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD/ avast! free 24.2.6105 (build 24.2.8918.824) UI 1.0.799/ Firefox, uBlock Origin, uMatrix/ MailWasher Pro/ Avast! Mobile Security

Offline Lisandro

  • Avast team
  • Certainly Bot
  • *
  • Posts: 67195
Re: Updating taking over my computer usage
« Reply #14 on: January 19, 2009, 03:49:50 PM »
4GB of RAM in a 32bit OS is a bit of a waste and overkill to my mind, since the OS can only physically address in the region of 3GB and to that you also have to add any memory on a dedicated graphics card.
In fact it can address 4GB depending of the BIOS and not only 3GB. Mine is handling 4GB.
The best things in life are free.