avast is a Resident on-access scanner so it checks files before they are opened, depending on, a) the file type and b) the Standard Shield sensitivity, Normal is the default, High will obviously scan more files. What is your Standard Shield sensitivity ?
Can this behavior if it is associated with avast be controlled? I am not really worried about some virus with Quicken.
Left click the ‘a’ blue icon.
Click ‘Details’ button to expand the options.
Set the Standard Shield sensibility to Normal level and check the performance.
Performance and protection will always be a balancing act and avast’s default sensitivity of Normal for the shields is a good compromise between performance and protection.
Outpost when loaded for the first time may take a little longer as it has the additional avast plug-in (outpost/exchange). There may also be some scanning going on if you have a lot of email in your Inbox, it may be scanning old emails and or message bodies (see image).
It isn’t advisable to use the inbox for general storage but like a pending tray as the inbox is the one most likely to suffer corruption or deletion, once read/actioned it should be filed in a folder more appropriate to that email content.