Btw: I just went updating to program version 2208 (it was the latest version before).
The latest version before had as update settings:
0 update automatically
X ask as soon as an update is available
0 update manually
X means: that was selected before updating
Now after update there are 4 setting possibilities, and the setting before are automatically set to:
0 update automatically
X ask after update is downloaded
0 ask as soon as an update is available
0 update manually
That’s what I really hate with updates: if you update, your settings are changed!!!
The setting should have been automatically set to “ask BEFORE downloading an update”; it was changed to “aks AFTER having downloaded that update”.
This is specially not acceptable if you are on thin lines and if you have to pay for every byte you download (then you can do the download somewhere, where you don’t have to pay for the bytes downloaded).
Btw: the new setting is not translated (at least not into german language); you have there three settings described in german, and one in english. That looks as follows:
0 Automatische Aktualisierung
0 Ask when update is downloaded
X Nachfragen, wenn eine aktualisierung verfügbar ist
0 Manuelle Aktualisierung
PLEASE ADAPT YOUR UPDATER ASAP IN THE WAY THAT IT DOES NOT CHANGE THAT SETTING!
Seems something has gone wrong in your case. Or you have found a bug specific to the German version. Here it did not alter any setting (English version).
Yep; that’s how it was after updating! But it should have been set to “ask when an update is available” and NOT to “ask when an update is downloaded”!
Btw: I consinder this as an ugly bug: in the old version you had 3 possible settings; Nr. 2 was for “ask before an update is available” … you then add the option “ask when an update is downloaded” – and keep setting numbering, so that the use of setting Nr. 2 now does no longer stand for “ask before an update is available”, but “immediately download an available update and ask only before installing it”.
The “ask when an update is downloaded” is a new option, which wasn’t in previous avast versions.
I’m not sure if it is now the default setting as mine remained as it was when I did an install over the top of earlier beta versions.
Even after a clean reinstall of 10.0.2007 after a hiccup with streaming updates, I still have Program Updates set to “Ask when an update is available” in 10.0.2208.
As a high tech troubleshooter with decent skills, my spider sense is telling me that Avast may not have a good, solid policy on how to handle upgrades where settings remain in place from the previous version. That’s a SWAG.
All Scientific Wild Assed Guesses aside, a clean install might not be as clean as it might be.
I have previously made changes to the avast5.ini file delaying the auto update check - and I still have those settings in my C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Avast Software\Avast\avast5.ini file.
I have just done some digging and found a setting in the avast5.ini where mine is set to Ask (did a search on update as the avast5.ini file is getting big) - so A) it must be retaining the avast5.ini file and B) its original settings.
Now would I want the avast5.ini file deleted - not really - otherwise I may have lost many customisations.
However, I did export my settings before doing the clean install and imported them after the clean install - so it might be that the avast5.ini is removed, but updated when the settings are imported.
Yes, this setting “ask when update is downloaded” was set by default after GUI update from 10.2006
I had it set to "ask when an update is available
It just never ends with this software.
Didn’t used to be this way!!!
Before update, you have 3 options: a), b) and c)
After update, you have 4 options: a), b), c) and d)
But:
old option a) is new option a)
old option b) is new option c)
old option c) is new option d)
new is option b) (and not option d)
What seems to happen here is that old option b) is kept to be set as option b) after update, but it should have been set to option c) instead …
I have no idea how it was programmed; but that seems to be a logical pattern that could have happened … and this could theoretically also happen when saving all the options before update and putting them back after it … So be aware of something like that!
Yes, I can confirm that “Ask when update is downloaded” is now the default option for program updates. The only difference is that this makes Avast to show the popup after the bits are downloaded – and not before – so that once you allow the update the actual process will be much faster.
I understand that this may not work in your specific scenario (e.g. very expensive / limited Internet connection) but in reality, Avast product updates are released maybe 4-6x a year, and each update is typically just 10-30MB in size, which made us think that for the vast majority of Internet population this would be absolutely not an issue, and a welcome change.
Of course, YMMV and in this case there’s no better advice than to change the setting to anything else you find appropriate.
Things like this boil down to the philosophical approach the company takes with its software.
Avast clearly has the stance that since you’ve invited them into your computer, by gosh they’re going to use EVERY resource available to keep you safe. They certainly never want new people to be able to say “I installed Avast but it didn’t protect me”.
That doesn’t mean everyone NEEDS everything they install.
The product is, of course, still fully configurable - and from what I can see everyone knowledgeable about its use DOES reconfigure at least something. Some of us quite a lot.
So the issue here is no more than, “Gee, I see that they now opt for download first, ask questions later; here’s the option to change that”. It really doesn’t require a two+ page thread to express that.
