Since updating from 4.x to 5.x, IE8 is very slow to load when Avast shields running.
Using WinXP, Avast 5.0.418, Internet Explorer 8
No other security apps running other than HostsServer from abelhadigital
Default IE8 home web page is simple www.google.com
After much experimenting with separate Avast shields settings, result is:
Time to launch IE8 to default google page:
With all Avast shields active (using install defaults) - ~15 seconds
With all Avast shields active EXCEPT Behavior Shield disabled: ~4 seconds
What kind of protection risk am I adding by enabling all shields, except the Behavior Shield?
Did you Update from… Avast 4.8 - to - Avast 5 ? ( Avast 5 went in over the top of Avast 4.8 )
OR
Did you do a Clean Install of… Avast 5 ? ( You uninstalled Avast 4.8 before installing Avast 5 )
If you did just update from… Avast 4.8 - to - Avast 5
Then I really think you need to start a fresh
Uninstall - Avast 5
Run the Avast Uninstall Utility from Safe Mode for both… Avast 4.8 - & - Avast 5
Check computer is clean of all traces of both
Reinstall… Avast 5
Coz…
I have Avast 5 Free on my Laptop and Desktop computers 8)
However!
I do Not have the problem that you have.
I don’t see any vestiges from Avast4 (just empty dirs), so I think it was completely uninstalled.
Yes, I’ve rebooted a number of times since Avast5 install (which was actually weeks ago… just now started experimenting to determine why the slow IE8 loads).
I’ll probably experiment with killing some other resident programs to see what it is that slows down the behavior shield during IE8 loads…
After incrementally eliminating resident programs (inlcuding using Process Explorer to kill various services & tasks), disabling IE8 add-ons to no avail (IE8 still slow to launch), I rebooted and voila, now IE8 launches at the normal (fast) speed.
So Hally you were right… when all else fails, reboot!
Root cause is still a mystery, since I know I had rebooted since installing Avast5 weeks ago, but perhaps I hadn’t since some incremental Avast update since then.
