Avast UI hangs on Home screen

twentyjazzfunkgreats · 2024-09-29T18:40:20.000Z

On first opening Avast Free after installing, I declined to do the ‘Smart Scan’. Now the nag screen for that is still there, and it can’t be banished (except via the task manager) ((nor can it be selected to be done after all)), and neither can the UI. It’s all frozen completely. So The settings can’t be accessed to be adjusted.

It’s also very slow to open in the first place.

Is there a fix for this?

DavidR · 2024-09-29T19:08:06.000Z

AVSTUSR post:1:

On first opening Avast Free after installing, I declined to do the ‘Smart Scan’. Now the nag screen for that is still there, but it can’t be banished (except via the task manager), and neither can the UI. It’s all frozen completely. So The settings can’t be accessed to be adjusted.

It’s also very slow to open in the first place.

Is there a fix for this?

Start by doing a system restart, hopefully that will remove the hang you speak of (presumably you uninstalled your previous AV before installing Avast) ?.

From the screenshot you posted Click the Menu > Settings > Protection > Smart Scan and set to Manual.
See my attached image, click to expand.

twentyjazzfunkgreats · 2024-09-30T01:17:41.000Z

Thanks for your reply.

Restarting hasn’t fixed the issue.

The previous AV was Windows Defender. As Avast was installed, it turned itself off and accommodated Avast.

There is no way even to get to the frozen Avast window except by Alt+ Tabbing. It’s in the foreground, and it’s there to stay until you agree to the ‘smart’ scan, which it won’t let you do.

I guess it just expected me to ‘choose’ that option. But I wanted to configure it before running it- which should be normal.

DavidR · 2024-09-30T01:38:22.000Z

That is strange.

Personally I would let the Smart Scan run, ignore any of the stuff at the end (third section of the scan) it is promoting other Avast paid products, some of which you may already have covered.

After it has run hopefully you can then get back in to the UI and reset the Smart Scan to Manual as in my reply #1

twentyjazzfunkgreats · 2024-09-30T04:12:29.000Z

Thanks again.

As I meant to say earlier, it doesn’t let me do the scan now. It’s completely hung, even after the reboot.

Repairing the installation didn’t help at all either so for now I have had to uninstall. When less flat knackers I’ll try again.

In closing I’ll just note that it’s important to me to have a choice. I do not wish to do that scan after first installing this software. It offered a ‘choice’, which I took in good faith. I expect that choice to exist. I don’t like being led by the nose like a blind mule.

DavidR · 2024-09-30T10:06:34.000Z

You’re welcome.
I too believe in user choice - personally I don’t feel on-demand scans are absolutely necessary in an on-access antivirus.

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.

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