I have avast in silent mode just due to the sheer amount of popups and interruptions it generates, this has worked well for many years, at some point it has been decided to ignore the users preferences and still display scareware popups. I’m not sure who approved this change but please ensure they are not put in a position of authority again. I do doubt that my posting here will generate any meaningful action from Avast, but I do like to be pleasantly surprised on occasions.
Avast free 25.8.10387a (build 25.8.10387.947)
Windows 10
Scroll down to Stop offers for other products. - If you use Avast Premium Security, you can additionally stop seeing offers for other Avast products and Personalised Discounts. ** Avast UI > Menu > Settings > General > Personal Privacy.
Also check the AvastUI > Menu > Settings > General - Notifications, I would suggest using the Pop-up Notifications treatment - Limited Mode.
No internal settings have changed, it’s been configured pretty much the same way since the computer was built, however silent mode should be silent mode regardless of settings.
The computer had booted up and had been idle for a few minutes Computer booted at 5:28PM and popup occurred at ~5:40pm) When I returned to the computer to begin using it, that’s when I noticed the avast popup, so sometime between 5:28 and 5:40 it appeared with the computer not being actively used.)
I checked the settings you mentioned and it is set to silent mode, as per the tick on the task tray icon.
I do think Avast is deliberately bypassing silent mode to deliver ads to users, I don’t believe this to be a bug. The reason I say this, is that popup I received telling me Avast found cookies can’t be real as all web browsers on this system are configured to clear cookies on exit and no browsers we running, there is no way Avast detected cookies that don’t exist.
It’s still doing it no matter which one of those 3 settings I choose. This seems to be something Avast has deliberately rolled out, the behavior isn’t often, but it is against the options I have set.
Hello DavidR
This is unrelated to any settings on the PC. I have verified this new behavior occurs on my laptop as well. There is a an application icon on the task bar that when clicked has a scareware warning in it as per the screenshot posted previously.
I guess Avast management don’t like Silent mode suppressing the advertising.
We are a long way in and I still really don’t know if you have tried the options suggested as I’m not getting this on Avast Free.
My screenshots don’t shoe silent mode, but Limited mode which specifically mentions ‘but blocks pop-up offers’. As I have mentioned I don’t think Silent Mode is working for Offers.
If you aren’t going to try what is suggested, I can’t really help any more than that.
I have tried everything you have suggested and more, including repairing the installation and trying a second PC. The trouble is there isn’t instant feedback if the change was successful or not. Limited mode appeared to be working then the popup happened.
If there is a magic tick box that prevents these windows from popping up Avast sure are making it difficult to find, and have changed the applications behavior.
I assume official tech support for the free version is out of the question?
You know, if you use alt-printscreen, you’ll only take a screenshot of the window itself. No cropping needed.
It does the same thing here: popping up front and center regardless of what you’re doing. I was typing something and all of a sudden Avast force took focus. No alert or nothing.
@user3343
The first screenshot shows the results of a “Smart Scan”.
I guess you didn’t manually run a Smart Scan, but the display was due to conclusion of a scheduled Smart Scan run.
To stop that, you need to go to Menu>Settings>Protection>Smart Scan>Frequency
set to “run manually”.
The second screenshot show the result of a program update.
I assume you may have Program Updates set to Automatic, not Manual.
Again this can be changed in settings if you wish to do program updates manually when convenient.
Menu>Settings>Update
Second item program update. > more options.
Then choose “Manual update”.
(leave definitions updates set to “Automatic…”)
This screenshot is typically at the end of running a Smart Scan, essentially it is reporting potential issues and will offer a paid solution.
I don’t run Smart Scans.
With a resident (on-access) scanner the need for on-demand scans is much depreciated.
For the most part dormant/inert files are being scanned, the other active files are going to be scanned by the resident shields when they are activated.
It is a vehicle for promoting paid solutions to the issues. So check your setting as rocksteady mentioned and disable it from running automatically.
@rocksteady Hello, I haven’t changed the smart scan settings and personally I like them set to automatic as they have been for years previously, the same with the automatic application updates, both of these settings has been unchanged from the defaults I installed the computer all those years ago. What seems to have changed is the behavior of silent mode. I don’t believe disabling automatic scans and application updates is the correct method for preventing a popup that shouldn’t be displayed during silent mode.
I’m sure tomorrow I’ll get a popup for Avast VPN that says my “IP address is visible” what then? disable network scanning?
I believe this needs to be raised with Avast tech support but there does not seem to be a way to do that with the free version. Is there any way to do that?
