First of all, i’m glad Avast is not easily turned off. That’s good to know.
However…i’m trying to download and install WinXP SP3, and it cannot be done unless the virus scanner is turned off. I cannot seem to turn it off. I right-click the icon in the taskbar, and i can stop the on-access protection, but cannot turn off the anti-virus. ash.Disp.exe always gives me an ‘access is denied’, even in task manager.
I’m on dial-up, which is a major pain in itself, because it takes forever for something to download. The SP updates are long, and i don’t want to be out on the net unprotected for hours. Oh well, right ?
I’ve uninstalled Avast twice, only to go to Microsoft Updates and be told that i’ve got a 5 hr download waiting for me. Funny how it says 26 minutes (which is a lie anyway) otherwise…
Task Killer cannot even turn the virus scanner off. Can someone please tell me how to turn this thing off without uninstalling it ?
Bonus question: Is the Win XP SP3 download for IT Pros really not good for home users ? If i get the IT version, i can download it with the scanner on, burn it to disc, and install it later. One of the Microsoft Pros told me to do that with SP2, and it’s a beautiful thing. I hope i can do the same with SP3, cause this is on my nerves already.
You can prevent the access denied messages (at least for the duration of your SP3 update) by:
Right click on the avast icon in the system tray > Program Settings > Check the “Disable avast self-defense module” > OK
This does not turn off the antivirus just its (new in avast 4.8 and a bit paranoid) self protection feature.
Once you have completed your SP3 update and rebooted with SP3 up and running please remember to reverse the above procedure to turn on the self-protection feature again.
I, too, want to temporarily turn off the scanner so I can download a service pack. Am I correct in thinking that this posting I found means that to turn off Avast temporarily, I just right click on the Avast icon and click “Stop on-access protection”? Thanks.
Posting in a topic that is over two years old isn’t advisable as it isn’t for the current version. There is no way I would disable avast to ‘download’ an SP, depending on your connection you could be on-line long enough to get infected having your digital trousers round your ankles.
I don’t disable avast for windows updates, so I certainly wouldn’t do it just to ‘download’ the SP to install off-line.
I’ve downloaded tons of updates from Microsoft (though not SP3 specifically) and it’s never told me I need to disable avast! for it to work. If it tells you that, I’d try to figure out why because it shouldn’t.
If you’re worried about download speed being effected by avast! I wouldn’t. It shouldn’t slow you down. Anyway, Microsoft Updates has resume support so you can download a little at a time for six months if that’s what it takes.
I’ve downloaded all the MS Updates for several XP SP3, and on another machine for Vista…and I never disable Avast because there is no need to. Speed is not affected and you are protected keeping Avast ON. And I use dial-up on 2 machines and BB on the other.
