Avast tries to access the internet in 'manual update' mode

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Hi,

I am using the Avast Home Edition and despite having selected manual update, my firewall asks me if Avast may access the internet each time I dial up.

Even when I am not connected to the internet and additionally disable Avast in the system tray, there still seems to be activity in the background: I just tried to defragment my C-drive and after a few seconds the defragmentation process would start all over again because the disk content had changed (according to the Windows message). Only when I disable Avast from starting up with Windows in the first place does the Defrag program work properly.

2

Hi Thomas:
Welcome to the forums.
Is avast! checking your e-mail?

3

Use NTFS filesystem instead FAT32. If possible of course.
That way you can defrag disk while you work.

4

What Operating System are you using?
What Processor? How much RAM

If not XP, it has always been recommended to shut-down all non-essential processes before a defrag.

If XP, you could download a great little program Power Defragmentor from RejZor’s Website - Security.Ops.tk you could also download his avast! External Control program

5

No it is not checking my e-mail. I have only the Standard Shield active (I am downloading my emails from a web-account for which I have a separate virus filter)

6

I am running Windows 98 and have a 233MHz, 224 MB processor.
Before defragmenting, I stopped all programs I could including Avast from the System Tray (Stop On-Access Protection and Exit). Still Avast appeared to be doing something. Only when I remove Avast from the Autostart list and reboot it seems to be really inactive.

Also, as mentioned, when enabled, Avast tries to access the internet in the ‘manual update’ mode as soon as I dial up.

7

It is always recommended to run defrag while in safe mode. That way a minimum of applications/drivers are loaded. This will makes sure that there is no disk activity unless really needed.

8

Is both program update and virus DB update set to “manual”?
I mean, isn’t it set to “Ask”? Because “ask” of course implies network activity (the program has to query for the new version).

Cheers
Vlk

9

It is as I thought (win98) and the processor is a little underpowered, so the defrag will take up most of the systems resources, so it is important to shutdown non-essential programs (as you though you had) and as Eddy mentioned Safe Mode does this well. You could be able to shut down avast (some of the functions only work with XP) completely using RejZor’s AEC tool.

When you click on the ‘Stop On-Access Protection and Exit,’ the providers are stopped but are still loaded) it doesn’t fully exit (the wording could do with modification) because you wouldn’t be able to use your email program which is setup to interface with avast.

As Vlk mentioned, the program does check for updates when it is set to Ask, perhaps changing the settings to Ask for a time and after a reboot then change it back and see if that changes the setting.

I use dial-up as well and have no problem using the Ask to update setting, you only have to accept it if asked by your firewall (you do have a firewall?).

10

I have selected ‘manual’ both for the virus-db- as well as for the program update. At the very moment Avast does actually not try to connect automatically anymore, but I am sure it did until yesterday (with the settings being the same). I don’t know what the reason is, but it may have something to do that I ran the Spybot program in the meanwhile and deleted a couple of Windows-Registry entries in the process. In this context, it may be interesting that the Avast entries in my firewall-log always appeared in company with the Windows system program ‘Distributed COM Services’ (which is a well known security risk) before I partially disabled the latter in my firewall

PE,2004/09/30,14:23:49 +1:00 GMT,Distributed COM Services,0.0.0.0:0,N/A PE,2004/09/30,14:23:56 +1:00 GMT,Distributed COM Services,0.0.0.0:0,N/A PE,2004/09/30,14:26:59 +1:00 GMT,avast! antivirus service,194.168.4.100:53,N/A

PE,2004/10/01,09:45:55 +1:00 GMT,Distributed COM Services,0.0.0.0:0,N/A
PE,2004/10/01,09:46:08 +1:00 GMT,Distributed COM Services,0.0.0.0:0,N/A
PE,2004/10/01,09:50:29 +1:00 GMT,avast! antivirus service,194.168.4.100:53,N/A

PE,2004/10/01,14:44:51 +1:00 GMT,Distributed COM Services,0.0.0.0:0,N/A
PE,2004/10/01,14:45:09 +1:00 GMT,Distributed COM Services,0.0.0.0:0,N/A
PE,2004/10/01,14:47:04 +1:00 GMT,avast! antivirus service,194.168.4.100:53,N/A

PE,2004/10/02,14:37:37 +1:00 GMT,Distributed COM Services,0.0.0.0:0,N/A
PE,2004/10/02,14:37:56 +1:00 GMT,Distributed COM Services,0.0.0.0:0,N/A
PE,2004/10/02,14:43:36 +1:00 GMT,avast! antivirus service,194.168.4.100:53,N/A

and also

PE,2004/10/02,20:24:44 +1:00 GMT,Registry Checker,0.0.0.0:0,N/A
PE,2004/10/02,20:24:47 +1:00 GMT,Registry Checker,0.0.0.0:0,N/A
PE,2004/10/02,20:27:10 +1:00 GMT,avast! antivirus service,194.168.4.100:53,N/A

As I said, at the moment Avast seems to behave as it should, but I’ll keep you posted if any further irregularities occur.