Avast4.ini continually polled

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Just installed Avast and noticed HD access continually … where there was none before.

Using FileMon (www.sysinternals.com), I noticed that ashServ polls avast4.ini 3 times every 6 seconds, continually.

AshDIsp polls avast4.ini every minute.

Why? Can’t this INI file polling be event driven so that when they are modified … each application is told that there is a modification and they can be read then.

This could also be placed in the registry and an event could be used there as well.

2

And what about if you add the avast4.ini file in the Standard Shield exclusion list?
Will the HDD be polled?
In fact, I haven’t experienced a trouble with avast4.ini file ::slight_smile:

Oh, please, don’t set all that info in the Windows Registry :-[ :-\ :cry:
If you want more info and tweaks about that file, just click ‘Settings’ in my signature :wink:

3

Well, since I have Standard Shield off, I really don’t think that is the problem.

Anyway, I turned it on, then checked. Still the same.

This has to do with the internal operations of each Application, not on WHAT they check. For some reason ashServ deems it necessary to lock the file, query it for the size, read the entire file in, close the file and unlock it, every 6 secs … three times each.

Even if it was Standard Shield, it wouldn’t be doing this 3 times every 6 seconds.

You can easily verify this by using FileMon and seeing for yourself.

I also have read Settings … being a 30 year programmer/designer … how do you expect the normal user/customer to understand that … it is very cryptic. Plus it is spread over multiple posts. Is this included in the download? Or in the help file?

4

This is purely the work of Tech, an avast user to help other avast users, otherwise there is no information on manually editing the avast4.ini file. So in these forums it is limited by the forums software so it is spread over many posts and pages, because there is such a lot of it.

Tech doesn’t work for Alwil so please don’t confuse what he does as that of Alwil staff, he gives of his time freely on these forums to try and help other avast users.

5

And what about the other providers?

Did you change the Blocker settings?
ashServ won’t lock the file… as far I know…

I see that but there isn’t any trouble on that actions, I mean, the system isn’t harmed, the resources aren’t empty…

Well, it took me a lot of my FREE time to do it… of course, I can’t expect that everyone like it. At least, some of the avast forum users respect it as you can see by the number of views of that thread :wink:

6

Same problem here. Extremely annoying. Has a solution been found?

7

Well… more info is needed to help.

  • Which OS are you using? Is it up to date?
  • What avast! version and VPS file (virus database) number?
  • Did you change avast default settings? Which ones?
8

Thanks for the fast reply.

OS: Vista RC2
Avast: 4.7 Home Edition
VPS: 0643-6 10/26/2006
Changed settings - only disabled all providers except Outlook, Standard, and Web.

It is the exactly same thing - ashServe.exe polls Avast4.ini three times every six seconds. I tried specifying the ini file in the ignore list, but it did not help.

9

What’s your VRDB setting?

10

Besides Igor’s question, as a workaround, maybe you can add avast4.ini file to the Exclusion list of Standard Shield:
Left click the ‘a’ blue icon, click on the provider icon at left and then Customize.
Go to Advanced tab and click on Add button…

11

“Generate VRDB only when screen-saver is running.”

Update: Adding the file to the exclusion list did not help. I even restarted the computer, just in case.

12

What software firewall are you running? The reason I ask is I had a similar problem with Norton AntiVirus (when I used it years ago). It was continually opening and closing its definition file. The cause was my firewall. I don’t know why.

13

Thanks for the suggestion. The standard Vista firewall is off, and I have no other.

14

FYI, I just monitored Filemon for over 10 minutes and Ashserv.exe NEVER polled the avast4.ini file. Maybe a bad installation?

15

I have another old computer with Win2k, and the problem does not show up there, either. It seems it only affects some people. In any case, I do not see how this can possibly be caused by a bad install. Especially considering that another person had the exact same symptoms.

16

There have been some changes in this direction in one of the most recent avast program updates… Are you sure you’re using the latest avast build? (4.7.892)

Thanks
Vlk

17

Definetely. In fact, I have only installed Avast on this machine three days ago. Maybe those changes do not work in Vista?

18

Why don’t you try?

  1. Uninstall avast from Control Panel first.
  2. Boot
  3. Use Avast Uninstall for complete uninstallation (read http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_uninstall_util.html)
  4. Boot
  5. Install again
  6. Boot
19

Just went through your list. It did not help.

In response to the (rhetoric) question, reinstalling is normally a last resort, because if I reinstall and the problem goes away, I can not help you find the cause. Of course, now that Vlk has said that this is a known issue that the team has been working on, I could reinstall with a clean conscience. :slight_smile:

20

I think this was an issue in the past and was corrected (apparently). Vlk is saying (as far I understand) that the last version should have no problems at all…