Is it normal for the Avast window to appear/pop-up everytime you downld a file?

Hello folks,
I have Avast free edition version 5.0.594 running on my computer. I would like to know if it is normal that the Avast window appears/pops up after every time I download a file to my computer?

It doesn’t show scan results of the file that was just downloaded - the Avast window that appears just displays whatever it was displaying the last time it was closed.

If this isn’t normal, is there a way to stop it from happening? I thought I’d found a way (I found a solution through googling the problem of ‘avast, annoying, pop-ups’) but all I’ve done is stop the upgrade promo/notice from displaying at the bottom of the Avast window- not the occurrence of the Avast window popping up/appearing :frowning: .

I would much prefer it if it only came up if it actually detected a virus rather than for no apparent reason every time I download a file.

Thanks :slight_smile:
Damian.

Have you configured your browser and/or downloader to use avast to check all downloads?
If so, how exactly?

Thanks
Vlk

Hi Vlk,
I haven’t configured my browser (Firefox) but I have ‘Scan documents when opening’ and ‘Scan documents when writing’ under the File System Shield tab ticked.

So I assumed that scans each file I download as it is written to my harddrive?

Damian :).

The FSS would scan new files, but it does this without opening the avastUI to do this, all you would see is the rotation of the avast icon. Not all files would be scanned by default as many of them don’t present an immediate risk and that is why it is advisable to scan downloads.

Do you use a download manager ?
Many have an option to have your AV scan the downloaded file. If so then the file to be used is path to \ashQuick.exe, if you use the wrong command line path to \avastUI.exe this would open the avastUI.

This is what Vlk is getting at.

Firefox default is for browser.download.manager.scanWhenDone set to true. I don’t get an Avast popup with that setting, nor when I’m using GetRight download manager set to use “C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast5\ashQuick.exe”. I would only get a popup if the download was infected.

OTOH, Avast 4 would show a popup with the result whether clean or not with GetRight.

Thanks David and Gopher for your replies :slight_smile:

The problem was only occurring with firefox. I looked up browser.download.manager.scanWhenDone figured out how to open the firefox configuration file (typing about:config in the location/url box & hitting enter), searched for and found Avast referenced under ‘downbar.function.virusLoc’.

So I reset that and it now says:
downbar.function.virusLoc;C:/Program Files/myAnti-VirusProgram.exe

I downloaded a file and Avast didn’t come up! ;D but I got message about the virus program not being listed properly in the download settings.

I have the ‘Download Status Bar’ addon, so I unticked the ‘Manually scan downloads’ box in the option settings for that and now I don’t get an error notification or Avast window so I am very happy!

Thanks again :slight_smile:

You’re welcome.

Could you/someone tell me how to stop the promo/upgrade advertisement at the bottom of the Main Avast Free AV GUI window.
Thanks. 8)

You could buy the Pro or AIS version is one way of removing it.

It is the cost of the free version an innocuous promotion in the one area of the GUI (Summary section), it isn’t in the other areas.