The old suggestion box (Feature Improvement / Request)

[WindAndRain]

Avast! is certainly improving, so thanks for putting out a such a nice free version of this anti-virus program.   

I have a product suggestion that would probably improve all versions of Avast.  It involves engine and signature updates:  Would you mind adding a checkbox that would allow users to choose to spawn updates on a lower priority thread?  Right now (even on my powerful gaming machine) when Avast! finds an update and begins its work; it causes a "brown out" of all other programs running.  Obviously, updates are on a high-priority thread, or higher.  Updates are obviously important, but think it would be great to get them without actually noticing them by a lack of processor power.  If not, maybe you can allow us to choose processor affinity on multi-core machines?

Thanks! 

(I am running Avast! Free 5.0.418, but every version prior has been affected in this way)

[Lisandro]

Obviously, updates are on a high-priority thread, or higher.

Indeed not. Automatic updates run at lower priority. The manual ones, obviously, run at high priority. Afik.

[WindAndRain]

Obviously, updates are on a high-priority thread, or higher.

Indeed not. Automatic updates run at lower priority. The manual ones, obviously, run at high priority. Afik.

Thank you for your response.

For what it is worth, I just launched the manual update and the thread priority is set to Below Normal.  I do not seem to experience the slowdowns with manual updates, anyway.  While I do acknowledge seeing that Avast! Service and UI are both running at a thread priority of Normal, emperically speaking; I experience a slowdown with the automatic updates (when there is an actual signature update being installed). 

Do you not see any slowdown when your system updates automatically? 

[Lisandro]

For what it is worth, I just launched the manual update and the thread priority is set to Below Normal.

Which is the name of the thread you're checking?
Maybe they've changed the behavior.

Do you not see any slowdown when your system updates automatically? 

Not noticeable.

[WindAndRain]

For what it is worth, I just launched the manual update and the thread priority is set to Below Normal.

Which is the name of the thread you're checking?
Maybe they've changed the behavior.

Do you not see any slowdown when your system updates automatically? 

Not noticeable.

The process is called avast.setup and is a child process of AvastSvc.exe.  The thread is launched with a priority of Below Normal.

If it is helpful, the command line launched looks like this:
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast5\setup\avast.setup" /downloadpkgs /noreboot /updatevps /silent /session "14"

I have not looked deeply into it, but as a theory; perhaps when a new signature is found it is eventually installed in a hidden console window.  Console windows always seem to suck up processor power despite their thread priority, I have noticed.  I make this guess this because the program called ashUpd.exe would seem to be console based (DOS Window).  Again, it is just conjecture.  I have not had the time to look into this theory.

Is this the information you needed?

[Hally]

Hi  

I've never noticed any slowdown or anything with my laptop or desktop when Avast 5 updates  

In Fact!
The first I usually know of an update.. When It's Over!  
The pop up pops up - & - The woman's voice says.. " Your Virus Database Has Been Updated "

Sometimes I might notice that an update is coming in by looking at my Firewall Icon in the Taskbar  
Only because the icon animates when something is coming in and out of the computer.

But... I've Never Noticed!  - Avast Updates Causing Computer Slowdown  



Hally



PS.
My son couldn't have noticed any slowdowns either.. Coz he would have complained by now  

When We Had MSE .. Just for a week before Avast 5 came out.
My son fell out with MSE after just a few days  
Coz...
He had about 3 IE8 open
And 5 IE8 Tabs open
His online Game
Plus You Tube
When MSE decided to update  
Java Crashed
IE8 Crashed
And... MSE Turned RED  

MSE was immediately replaced by Avast 5  

[WindAndRain]

Hi  
  But... I've Never Noticed!  - Avast Updates Causing Computer Slowdown  

Thank you for the reply.

I have tested Avast! on various systems, mostly Windows XP based, and I notice a minor "brown out" on all of them during updates.  But I also have an ancient system that just checks mail all day, and does nothing else.  It runs Windows 98SE.  When Avast! updates on that system, you cannot even type an e-mail since all the keystrokes begin to buffer.  Now thats a pretty heavy load considering all you are doing is typing into a text box, but of course, it is not so easy to set thread priority in 98SE (and SE uses an early version of preemptive multitasking).  XP is not impacted that badly, but I still see it on this system (the one I am using to post this message), and it is a powerful game machine.  I personally think that what I am seeing is real, but my original post was only a feature suggestion.  I can live with the issue.