When my Windows XP with SP2 starts,
Avast takes around 1 (ONE) minute to get ready.
During this time, a red circle appears in the “a” icon and other functions in Windows (like opening a txt file in notepad) don’t work properly… so I always have to wait until the red circle dissapears to use the computer.
My computer is a Pentium 4 HT 2.8 Ghz, 1,5 Gb RAM, I don’t have any other antivirus…
I have uninstalled and reinstalled Avast but the problem persists.
I know it is not the right behavior because I saw other computers starting avast as soon as Windows starts.
This computer is at home, if I connect, it connects to the Internet.
It is really configured to automatic detection but I enable and disable my network connection only when I want to use the Internet…
So, I believe it is not the problem because when Windows starts the connetion is disabled. What do you think?
Which is your Standard Shield sensitivity level? High or Normal?
Which firewall do you use?
Which programs you have allowed to start automatically with Windows?
I avoid setting programs to start automatically.
The program that appear in my Start folder is only the Acrobat Reader. On the sysbar, when Windows starts, there is only the clock, Avast and sound icon.
Middle? Look at the screenshot, did you click on Details buttom?
Middle seems High, which is not good. The best balance between resources and protection is NORMAL.
But did you use in the past any antivirus besides avast?
I changed it to “Normal” now.
It seems that it loads a bit faster but I still have to wait for more than 30 seconds until avast finish starting (with the same red circle on the icon).
I had Norton last year and I read that it is too heavy and we need an extra tool to remove everything Norton leaves in the computer. I found one “Norton ALL Removal” and then I’ve installed Avast. (My machine became 3 times faster after that… hehehe)
Do you think I should try another Norton removal anyway? Any suggestion?
This same problem is happening to me. Avast never used to do this before, but it started one or two months ago. I can’t remember changing anything at the time.
I did all that configuration changes and also run the Norton Removal Tool as you suggested.
Unfortunately I still have the same behavior… The red circle for almost one minute.
I don’t get why it is happening.
I don’t fill my computer with bullshits, I searched for spyware and found nothing.
Everything is normal after Avast starts.
I don’t want to have to format my computer and reinstall everything.
Thanks for your help… and do you have another idea?
I’m on cable and I get the red circle on boot but it doesn’t take very long for it to go away. I don’t view this as a problem. It takes a moment for Avast to come online along with everything else that is booting up at the same time. Enabling and disabling your connection rather than being online all the time is something that can be selected in the Avast menu settings.
Guys, what if you wait for a while (e.g. a minute) before logging on? (i.e. before pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del and typing your username/password). Does it then still take so long for the red circle to go away?
I moved the “avast Antivirus” folder from the Programs folder to the Accessories subfolder. But I don’t see why it would influence.
… and I don’t have any Avast icon in the Startup submenu, but it starts automatically. (When I run “msconfig” I see Avast is set to startup)
(just curiosity, I see you have a Brazilian flag in your profile. I’m from São Paulo)
Vlk,
As I use this computer at home, my exclusive use, I set Windows to automatic log on with an administration account so I don’t pass through that Ctrl+Alt+Del screen.
I could wait for one minute until Avast finishes starting, but I see that in other computers Avast opens already loaded and running. I’d like to have the same behavior.
Well, the problem could be that avast needs to scan the files where the icons of all Start Menu are placed (not only avast folder).
It won’t help moving the avast links folder to another subdirectory…
That is EXACTLY what seems to be happening.
Windows needs to start a lot of services and drivers before you can logon.
Automatically logon bring to you a false impression: the boot time (loading services and drivers) has not finished and you have already start to logon (automatically logon).
What’s making the logon slower could be the non-finished boot-time.
Hope I make myself (Vlk and Igor) clear 8)
The higher the standard shield sensitivity, the longer the boot as it will scan more files. If you have any other security based programs that also scan on boot, this can cause duplication of scans and also prolong the boot.
I used to have long boot times with earlier versions of avast (much improved in the latest versions) and that was caused by my firewall being very active on boot and standard shield on High, but never once did it result in the red circle.
For me it takes about 25-30 seconds before the log on screen appears, I log on and it takes a further 30 seconds before all boot activity is complete (no avast icon rotating), overall about 1 minute but no red circle.
I don’t consider it a big deal. I guess I could take the time to review a boot log but I don’t think anything is wrong with avast scanning files during boot up while everything else is booting up at the same time. It just takes time. It still doesn’t take as as long as a Linux distro to boot up. I’m going to reboot and time the red circle if it appears again…
16 seconds. And the red circle disappears after everything is through booting up. In fact, I don’t even think it is slowing down the boot up. The first system tray icon to appear is Avast and the last system tray icon to appear is the firewall and after that the Avast red circle goes away. For appearances sake it appears to be normal. Let me know if I’m incorrect on my assumption.
My boot takes 30 seconds until the Desktop screen appears and almost ONE minute MORE until Avast run.
So, you think that it is normal?
Well, now I have to check with the people I saw it running right when windows starts and check if they have automatic logon and how long their boot takes.