how do I shut off Avast?

I have XP with dial-up, and free Avast.
Avast continually downloads and uploads stuff making my Internet browsing totally frozen.

I want to shut off Avast when I go to news sites, Flickr and Facebook.

How do I do that?

Avast continually downloads and uploads stuff
What is making you believe that avast is doing so? avast only downloads updates if there are any and that can take from a few seconds to a few minutes, depending on the size of the update(s) and only send a small report if there is something to report. avast does not download/upload continually things.

I suggest re-reading my post: DIAL-UP. (Hello.)
And I see what’s being download via my firewall program.

The main culprit is “Avast Service” which can take several
hours to complete.

Thanks for your help.

What you likely see is avast webshield scanning the pages that you visit.
I strongly suggest not to disable avast.
Even trusted sites can be infected.

But if you want to try something,
disable only the webshield and see if it makes a difference.
You can do it in the shield settings.

So how do I do that? Hello.
Every time I log on it starts scanning and making my Internet experience bogged.

///
And why I have to do this each time I try to post for help here?
(Type the letters shown in the picture:
XVBVVX)

I’m on an old 'puter with dial-up. I can’t afford a new one nor can I afford highspeed because I have no legs, blood cancer and on kidney medication.

And why I have to do this each time I try to post for help here? (Type the letters shown in the picture:
You only have to do it the first 3 posts. It is to prevent spamming and keeping bots out.
So how do I do that? Hello.
I already told you. Do it in the shield settings. open the avast ui > settings > shields

What is avast ui?

I went to settings but there is nothing about shields there.

ui = user interface
The shields (settings) sure are there.

In my AVAST version it is not there.

It is there in every avast pc version.

It’s not under settings. Hello.

You are most likely unfamiliar with the free version that I am using.

Granit2,
I’m guessing you’re having a tough time seeing the images Eddy has provided.
Do you have an Avast icon down in the right hand corner of your computer, down by the clock, we call it the system tray, or systray?

If you right click on the Avast icon (Orange round circle with a white a in the center of it), you should see an option for “Open Avast User Interface” click on that, and you should have an option for

“Settings” (depending on what version you are running (what Version are you running -besides the Free version - My version is 2015.10.0.2208 - you can find this if you right click the Icon in the systray and select “About Avast”))
Click on the Settings - you should now have an option called “Active Protection”
That is where you can disable any Shield that you want - simply turn it to Off from On. As Eddy suggested - Strictly for testing purposes right now - turn OFF Web Shield. And see if that helps. It May, but it’s not the safest or you, but it may help.

If you are running a Much Older version, we may have to provide different instructions for disabling Web Shield, although if I remember correctly, it’s even easier in the old versions, simply right click on the icon in the Systray and select “Disable->Web Shield” straight from there, but that was quite some time ago, so it would have to be a really old version.

Hope this helps,

Marc

8.0.1506

I double-left-clicked the little ball to open it and then clicked on settings on the top right.

Those instructions are incorrect.

However. I tried your suggestion with singe-right-clicking the little ball and from there I see options to disable shields.

What are these shields anyway? I never had these severe AVAST bogging problems before. It is really stupid for dial-up.

8.0.1506, released on 2014-01-27
Support version for migration to Avast 2014(!)

You really should update to version 2015.10.0.2208

Granit2

I have the latest version of Avast…2015.10.0.2208.

Web Shield Settings…

I’m on dial-up and downloading takes forever.

Will the latest AVAST version STOP is crazy AVAST SERVICE downloading? I doubt it.

And when I shut off shields (which I more or less discovered myself), I discovered that it shuts off AVAST.

So far my original question/concern has not been addressed.

I may try Spybot’s new virus program because AVAST is BLOGGING my Internet experience, and posting here asking for help is useless.

Spybot… :o

And when I shut off shields (which I more or less discovered myself), I discovered that it shuts off AVAST.
We told you several times how/where you can disable the shields.
I'm on dial-up and downloading takes forever.
Download the complete version in a place where they have a faster connection, put it on a usb stick, cd, dvd or whatever you want and install it on your own system.
So far my original question/concern has not been addressed.
It sure has, but we can't help it if your reading fails.

Obviously posting here is a waste of time.
Firstly, with the Avast Service running updating will take several hours unless my connection fails. Secondly, my computer has a problem with it’s 2 floppy drives.

A real waste of time is trying to help you since you don’t seem to read and follow instructions.

We can’t help it that you are on dial-up. That is your own choice. Nothing we can do about it.

We can’t help it that you have problems with the floppy drives.
We even never mentioned using a floppy!