The default is 240 minutes (every 4 hours after boot). Change the value in settings → updates, or set it to “ask”, or to “manual”, according to what you want to achieve.
If you have more questions, please open a “new topic”, as this is an old one.
I don’t agree that because a topic is a few months old, that’s reason to close a thread and force opening a new one. That rule is imposed by moderators at a lot of forums and it only impedes proper discussion IMHO. Some problems continue for 5-10 years (or more) before a solution is found.
As for whether this is a continued problem (bug), I don’t know for sure. I have too many other things to do to pay much attention. I looked in the log file mentioned above and didn’t find clear information either way. I reboot my computer fairly often, usually every day or so, so there’s not much time to test it.
Avast releases new program versions, engine updates and more. BulmaSoft can’t say he has the “same” bug / problem, situation. It is MUCH simpler to open a new topic, clearly presenting his particular case with all the relevant information for his particular situation. It is not about some forum rule, but about a practical / pragmatical reason.
Here is may take on the logic of this, given the comment by Igor that he doesn’t see there being an upper limit.
How frequently do you reboot as every time you reboot that timing would be reset after avast had done its first update check of that session. So it wouldn’t matter what update interval was set if you reboot that interval would effectively start again.
Explain why Avast continues to perform every four hour automatic update (which I do not allow it to do!) after I clearly typed the value of 10080 (in minutes) or once every 7 days in the Avast’s Settings/Updates/Auto-update option!?
This IS a bug in Avast and no one from it’s company does not want to address!
Here is my suggestion regarding the matter:
Either fix it so the end-user can have use of this feature (Auto-update interval) either remove it from your antivirus user interface program!
Avast maybe releases new program versions but some bug remains the same! :((
And maybe you all just don’t want to hear about it???
Maybe there’s a limit(?) and your 7 days setting is too long(?).
You might try my 3 days (4320 minutes) update interval setting and see if it works for you. I’m not sure. I reboot my computer frequently which resets all timers, and never seem to find the time to test it carefully.
The above is the most probable reason. Start by changing 240 minutes to 300. This means:
“Attempt to check if there is a definitions’ update available every 5 hours, starting from reboot. If the system is rebooted, the timer starts again from zero.”
With that setting, if you don’t restart your system for, say, 16 hours, then avast will attempt to verify if there is an update available 3 times (once every 5 hours from your last reboot). If that works, change it again from 300 to 360, save the setting and test again (starting from a reboot after saving the new setting). You get the point.
Free time? Tests? All you have to do is set a number and use your system as usual. The info about “when” the attempt was performed last time is in avast main GUI → maintenance → update → “last update attempt”, and the applied updates are notified over the tray area.
Avast definitions updates are much less than 1MB. You took the time to ask here, but you don’t have the “time to test” it? ISTM then that you can live with 240 minutes for updates or whatever you have set it to be.
Funny. Being a simple user of avast, helping for free in my free time, I don’t feel I have enough free time to keep posting in this topic (which, the way I see it, it’s solved).
I don’t understand why the OP would not want the latest protection available? I would seriously switch back to the default settings for Auto Definitions Update at least. Otherwise, based on what the OP has said, he could have an infected computer that could be prevented with proper daily updates.
If the OP works for a company, and finds the voice distracting when an update occurs, a virus, or suspicious file is found, why not just disable Sounds in Avast settings? If the OP finds the update pop-up distracting, you can also disable the pop-up from occurring in Avast Settings, but still stay protected.
The OP is putting his security at risk with his settings as he currently has them.
Jack,
I don’t want frequent avast updates because it interrupts various sensitive software which I run frequently such as burning DVDs. Also I’m not always online and don’t want interruptions when I’m working offline. I’m not so worried about viruses as some because I practice safe hex. I’ve never had a virus in the 30+ years I’ve been computing, insofar as I’m aware. So I believe that it is only a remote possibility that I’ll catch a virus, and am confident that updating avast every few days is more than sufficient for my protection. But if it happens, it happens, which is not the end of the world. I’ll deal with it then.
I did for awhile but it got to be too much trouble, and I sometimes forgot. So I appreciate having autoupdates as long as they’re reliable as set. The time interval varies somewhat depending on how I use a particular computer. Something in the 1-3 days range is usually OK. I don’t mind more frequent updates on peripheral computers in my network, where I can just set it and forget it. But I want it much less frequently on my master network control computer where I do all the sensitive-software kind of work which shouldn’t be interrupted.
Alas I don’t always observe a traditional daily calendar. I’m always aware of the seasons (Spring Summer Autumn Winter) and the equinoxes, which are most important to me. But that doesn’t seem quite often enough, updating just 4x per year.
I didn’t know that restarting or rebooting the computer would matter in this subject!
I thought that Avast keeps record of time (time and date) of it’s last successful update, and then “counts” the time interval in minutes until the next time for update…
So I didn’t expect that a restart or power-off would “reset” that “timer”!
Thank You for Your answer, I get the point now!
Best regards!
P.S. In addition to previous discussion - here is how I worked my way around the “problem”:
I switched Avast from “Auto” to “Manual” update.
Now it just pops-up to tell me that a new definition is available.
And when my computer is free (in CPU resources that is) then I click for it to perform an update.
Please note:
I too had no problems with viruses, and I run an old Pentium with 300Mhz CPU (!)
so the need of “saving the last free CPU resources” is the main reason why I was interested in this matter.
Same here, I have an older computer where resources are always stretched thin. Those with slow connections to the internet may also want to minimize downloads.