Avast updated today to 8.0.1489 asked fo AvastEmUpdate to be allowed to access internet, assumed this was a special but since then it just sits in services using 10-30% of cpu slowing the whole pc. (XP and not a power box!) Cannot kill the process either! So have put a block in firewall so it cannot start again.
This is a scheduled task and it should only be there for a very short time, as its file name implies it is the avast emergency update. Its task is to check if there is an avast emergency update availableand if so to apply it.
I think that in trying to block it may well keep it there longer than would be normal, as it may try a few times to connect.
I don’t know what causing the problem, but if you disable the Self Defense Module under settings and troubleshooting, you should be able to stop the process.
Attachment below:
Have not rebooted yet, so no blocking attempts, it has been running for hours with at least one reboot since the upgrade. I had assumed that is was vital as it is called Emergency but googling cleared that up, not much the wiser as to why it is needed though.
My other xp box wants to upgrade to same version now too. Will let that update tomorrow and see if it behaves the same way.
Overlpped post: Will try Johnny advice
Yup that worked and pc noticeably faster again.
You should enable the self defense module again.
Should there be instances where avast can’t update, corrupt setup, etc. it is possible to download the emergency updater to resolve the issue. But for the most part this check will find no emergency update present, so should be an exception rather than the rule, that is why it shouldn’t be there long.
If I’m very quick I can open the task manager and see it there, for me it is usually only there for a few seconds and you can see my XP system spec in my signature. As I said I don’t know if the act of having blocked it may well keep it hanging around trying to check.
To me it sounds like your system could do with delaying the auto update check and leave the emergency update check alone.
Delay Auto Update - In avast8 you need to edit (using notepad) avast5.ini the [InetWD] section of the, C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\AVAST Software\Avast\avast5.ini (XP file location)
- Broadband connections, add this line:
AlwaysConnectedWaitSeconds=300 and
AssumeAlwaysConnected=1 if not present (or edit AssumeAlwaysConnected=0 to AssumeAlwaysConnected=1)
[InetWD] AssumeAlwaysConnected=1 AlwaysConnectedWaitSeconds=300When complete save the changes, avast's self-defence module will ask for confirmation, etc. answer Yes. You can extend this duration if required.
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This would save resources close to boot and the emergency update check shouldn’t be such an additional issue.
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Whilst the disabling of the avast self-defence modules allows you to stop the process, it doesn’t resolve the problem as it is likely to be back again on boot. Once you enable it again it will be back and leaving the self-defence module off leaves avast at risk of being disabled by malware.