avast.setup rant

[BTaz]

This process likes to randomly access the net.  Makes sense because it serves as updater, right?  Am I wrong in thinking an Anti-virus program should follow preferences set by the user?  This file doesn't seem to do that.  When I setup Avast, I specifically made it ask if I wanted to download database updates and manually download program updates.  So why is this file randomly accessing the net and downloading for a very long time (I still use dial-up)?  I obviously have set it up so that it only downloads what I accept (I just did a database update, it was 22 kb, took about 9 seconds).  It is neither supposed to bug me about downloading program updates nor do so in the background, yet it has been trying to do so for a few days now.  I now have program control in ZoneAlarm (free) firewall set to ask if this program can access the net.  No more bandwidth being hogged.  Anti-virus software is meant to give control and security to the user, not secretly do whatever it wants despite being told otherwise.  That makes it seem more like the programs it is intended to stop.  My main problem with this is that I use dial-up and every thing makes a big diff in how I surf.  So I don't want programs doing things on the net without my knowledge or consent because of this.  I'll  download the stupid program update (31 MB, that's three or so hours for me) when I'm good and ready.  My avast is only a few months old anyway.  Imagine having no way of controlling Automatic Updates from Microsoft.  Would you or would you not go all ballistic (I'm sure some love to set and forget with their hi-speed access)?  This is the same thing.  Just because it comes from an anti-virus company doesn't excuse the intrusiveness of it all.

[igor]

What's the exact build of avast! you have installed?

[DavidR]

There is nothing random about it, when you first connect to the internet it will check for updates and if there is one will download it (if set to Auto VPS update). If you remain connected it will check again every 4 hours.

For those of us like you and I on dial-up it will check each time we connect.

In order for it to ask you it will first have to check to see if an update exists to be able to Ask you.

The Program updates are set to Ask by default so shouldn't install, but notify/Ask, just ignore it and carry one and download when you are good and ready.

[BTaz]

Build Dec2008 (4.8.1296).  I'm gonna laugh if you tell me to install the latest release.  That's what the program has been trying to do without my consent.  I'll probably download it tonight.  I'm just not liking Avast basically hijacking my connection at will.

I know exactly what it's doing DavidR.  The complaint is that once it finds the update, it is supposed to ask me if I want to download it.  This works fine.  The last few days though, it has tried to download the PROGRAM update (31 MB) without question or consent.  I have program updates set to manual in the settings.  That SHOULD mean that I have to download the program myself or go into the tray icon and do it there, which would mean Avast won't even try on its own.

[igor]

I don't see a reason why 4.8.1296 should download a program update automatically. Besides, a program update would be a few megabytes in size, not 31MB. My guess is that your installation got somehow corrupted... and setup is downloading the packages again...
Please post/attach a few last pages of <avast4>\Setup\Setup.log file - that may contain more info.

[BTaz]

Well, I'm downloading the new version of Avast.  The last time I let Avast download a program update, it was 12 MB or so.  That's an hour or more for me.  Does this update resume if disconnected, or does it restart from the beginning?  Anyway, I looked through the Setup.log and found two entries out of the ordinary, mainly because of the timespan listed, and they fit the timing of the mysterious downloading.  Also, noticed in the first one a registry discrepency.  The two entries in the middle seem normal overall to this nontech, although the times in the second entry seems to be longer than normal (usually 30 seconds or less, mostly just a few seconds like the third entry).  File is attached.  If this isn't it, then I find it awefully coincidental, seeing as I found no other entries with this kind of timespan.

[DavidR]

It depends on how you download it, ordinarily downloads don't resume unless you are using a download manager to download the full program.

[BTaz]

I was just going to post about that.  I use GetRight.  I also have an Actiontec Callwaiting modem (no longer made) which helps with only having one phone line.  I can still get calls when online.  It kicks me off, but at least I don't miss calls.  I already got kicked off once so far since I started the download.  Love resume!  I'd rather waste 3 hours downloading than who knows how long with their software.  I seem to remember not knowing how large the program update was until it finished, but I am fuzzy on that.  My question about that was whether Avast resumes their downloads if disconnected.  In other words, If I update through their software (like through the tray icon) will it resume if disconnected, or will it restart from the beginning?

BTW, DavidR, point taken on the "RANDOM" thing.  I read my response back, and it sounded kind of mean, so sorry if it came off that way.  Sounded that way to me, so it probably did to you, as well.

[Lisandro]

If everything fails, 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.
7. Check and post the results.

[DavidR]

<snip>
My question about that was whether Avast resumes their downloads if disconnected.  In other words, If I update through their software (like through the tray icon) will it resume if disconnected, or will it restart from the beginning?

As far as I'm aware it doesn't resume, as an avast user I don't know the answer to that but I suspect that to be the case.

It isn't something that I have had happen as I don't have any callwaiting modem, etc. so it would only be with a dropped internet connection (happens on dial-up). So all I could suggest if doing a program update via the tray icon is if you can temporarily disable the callwaiting function until it completes.

The program updates are normally well short of the full manual download, but that depends on how out of date your version is and you are only one release version back so I would imagine it would be in the order of 3-5MB if my memory serves me right.

[BTaz]

Okay, maybe it's my computer.  I installed Avast 4.8.1335 Sunday night.  Updates were fine.  I went on today and the green square pop-up stated there was a database update on the net.  I clicked to install.  The file (vps-9040200.vpu) was 23+MB.  I tried through tray icon to update each type, both tried to download the same file.  I decided to restart the computer.  I went back online, the green square popped up again, I clicked to install.  This time the file (vps-9040100-9033100.vpu) was 176kb.  Then I went through tray icon and found no database update (just downloaded) and the program update was 2.4kb.  That is normal, I assume.  So I guess something is screwing with the program after it runs for awhile.  Could it be Standby mode?  I haven't noticed anything else wrong with my computer other than AVG doing the same thing the last year, which is why I switched to Avast in the first place.  AVG started trying to download 20+MB files over and over for a few days then would just stop and download normal updates (none of the 20+MB files were ever downloaded).  I think I restarted with AVG also, but it didn't fix anything.  So I'm lost.  Oh,well.  I've been meaning to reinstall Windows anyway.

Can anyone screen-capture the green square pop-up?  I can't with Purrint Capture and nvidia 8600gt.  I guess it uses transparency or something.  I don't need it, just wondering if there is a free app that can.

[DavidR]

I have an Nvidia 8600GT and use SnagIt version 9.1 and no problems, that however, is a paid option, there are frre ones that should be able to do it too.

- WinSnap screen capture - version 1 is FREE for personal - http://www.filehippo.com/download_winsnap/?2173

There are others.

[BTaz]

Sorry off topic.  Just a quick reply.  Thanks for WinSnap suggestion.  Fits the bill nicely.  Now I can capture all those alpha/transparency doohickeys.  And it has many useful file format options.  Although I find the Blending and Canvas tabs utterly useless for me, but luvin it all the same.  Thanks again.

[RejZoR]

For screenshots just use "PrtScr" button on keyboard and paste the image to some image editor.
This will capture even these popups.

[RejZoR]

I don't see any problem. I mean why are ppl making such a big deal out of it? Update check takes few bytes of transfers, updates are usually few 10 kilobytes (~25-30KB).
Considering transfers on 56k are around 4-5KB/s it'll take like 5 seconds for that.
I used to have way bigger updates with Norton when i was on dialup and it worked just fine.