Avast interferes with Windows 7 Power Management

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Situation: Fresh install of Windows 7 Professional SP1 on my Lenovo Thinkpad SL510. Followed by installing Avast Free Antivirus.

Problem 1: Trying to install the Lenovo Thinkpad Power Manager. PM installs, but creating new power schemes doesn’t work, i.e. they aren’t saved.

Problem 2: After uninstalling Lenovo Power Manager, I try to work with the built-in Windows Power Manager. Goal: Restore the default Windows Power Schemes. To do so, I open a command line interface with admin privileges, and enter ‘powercfg -restoredefaultschemes’. Error: “You do not have the permissions required to perform this action.”

Solution: Uninstalling Avast. After uninstalling Avast, both Problem 1 and Problem 2 disappear. ‘Powercfg -restoredefaultschemes’ works as intended, and I am also able to properly install and use the Lenovo Powermanager.

Conclusion: Avast somehow prevents changes to the power managment settings.

Additional information: Turning Avast Shields off does not solve the problem. Only after completely removing Avast were the two problems solved.

2

And with what exact version of avast does this happen?

3

Eddy,
This is a known and reported problem that hasn’t been fixed. :cry:

4

2014.9.0.2007

5

Interesting, thanks.

Can you give some additionals information what the problem is exactly?

I mean, if this problem is limited to Avast protecting the creation/modification of power schemes, I can live with it (since I know it now). But I would hate to run into problems with installing new software only to discover that Avast is overprotective of Windows settings on a regular basis.

6

I use the program just like you. I don’t work for Avast. I also have no inside information.
I therefore know as much as you. :slight_smile:

7

Haha, okay. The title “Ueberevangelist” tricked me :smiley:

8
Haha, okay. The title "Ueberevangelist" tricked me
That only means that I've been around for a while and open my mouth quite often. :)
9

Same problem on both Computers I have the latest Avast installed on (one is a desktop the other a laptop). both have Windows 7 X64 bit.

It also interferes with CCleaner (blocks editing of start-up and scheduled tasks), so it will likely have issues with other safe programs too.

This problem has been present since the release of ‘2014’ so it’s been known about for enough time for them to have fixed it, surely?

10

Yes, you’re right! I noticed the ccleaner problem as well, but didn’t think it would be related to Avast as well.

So it appears to be a more general problem of Avast blocking modifying Windows settings by the user when it really shouldn’t… I hope this can be fixed soon.