Jontalk I have been griping about this same problem since Avast 8 came out. I am running the latest free version of Avast 8. I have an AMD quad core CPU running at 3.84, 8 GB of DDR3 PC1600, an AMD Radeon HD7950 with a Sata HDD. Windows 7 64bit with very minimal items loading on boot up. All previous versions of Avast were quick to load. And I could use my computer as soon as the desktop loaded. Ever since Avast 8 Free came out I have a longer boot up time. And after the desktop loads I can not use my computer for about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes until Avast releases it from whatever it does.
The Avast supporters here have claimed that their systems all boot fast and they don’t have this problem. They claim it’s not Avast. However I have tested this theory and have used Avast’s uninstall program and have installed MSE just to see. My system boots much faster and is not held hostage for minutes after it boots to desktop. I then uninstalled MSE and reinstalled Avast 8 Free and the problem returned. So yes it is a problem with Avast. I feel the program is just getting too bloated. I used AVG years ago until it became bloatware. Once Avast 8 Free does its thing and releases my computer I can do what I want to for days, even weeks without any slow downs. But a cold boot causes the problem all over again. I just wish I knew why Avast 8 free hogs computers like it does so I can turn that “feature” off.