Let me guess your using Sygate?
If you are then check out this thread.
Sygate ProbsNot all updates need restart, the same is true of windows.update, some patches don't require reboot.
If you are not using Sygate, but another firewall, the action is correct if you have just updated your avast program then your firewall recognises it has changed and asks for confirmation that it is ok to access the internet.
This is a good thing to stop virus infection effectively hijacking (changing) a program file that has permission to access the internet. If you have just upgraded a program and you get this warning, then click allow, etc. If you have not just upgraded the program (it could be infected), then click deny, etc.
Different firewalls have different levels of sensitivity, from:
Totally ignorant, having once given permission to a program access even if that program changes it is still allowed access. This leaves you vulnerable and is BAD.
Sensitive to change - Many programs will wait until the program upgrade has completed, and wait until the next use of the program and not challenge each and every sub section of the upgrade (see sygate below).
Over sensitive - Sygate, it seems for a single update, this can generat tens of permission warnings. There are many posts on these forums relatint to the sensitivity of sygate, a search for 'sygate probs' )without quotes) will return many.
I am runing W XP and since a few days now, I keep getting a full desktop of shortcuts (to documents, pictures ...) when starting the computer.
Sorry I can't help you with that, there is insufficient information. Where does the shortcut path point, view the shortcuts properties.
HTH David