I wonder if simply delaying Avast service wouldn't be enough to delay the update also enough so the problems would disappear anyway.
That would be Avast main GUI -> settings -> troubleshooting -> "load Avast services only after other system services".
It has a "con": the service is loaded later on, not only the download of updates. The "pro" is it's easier to configure (directly in the main GUI, instead of editing the ini).
Of course, if the user is able to correctly edit the ini, that is much better, since it performs the exact action needed, and no other unwanted / undesirable collateral consequences are suffered.