http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v190/bob3160/ShellFTP/avast!RestartingLoop.png
This seems to have occured sinc the update to the latest version. Evety time avast updates,
it’s asking to reboot. (vps update) ???
It may be a remnant of the last program update.
- First check the contents of the C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\Setup\setup.log file, which should show you why it thinks the reboot is needed.
This could be solved, in some systems, by deleting the file C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\Setup\reboot.txt
Thanks David. I’ve removed the Reboot.txt file 
There is a BUG in the latest Avast, so systems which has the 8.3 tweak installed, will get the reboots dialogs
For some weird reason Avast dont want to fix this bug, stating it will require a reboot with all their users. Which is correct, but ignoring the thousands of users right now, who are getting reboot popups constantly, is just not an option and Avast needs to fix the bugs they have introduced in to their products.
Anyway disable the 8.3 tweak: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=28102.msg229764#msg229764
Hi Erroneus ,
I would have to agree I have the very problem as mentioned above . I have been using Avast since 2005 and been mostly happy with how it performs I may have to reconsider it’s use and move over to a different product as this not satisfactory all for any users affected they should send over a update fix for this .
I don’t know why it has an effect on those who have applied the 8.3 tweak, because earlier updates with those that had the same 8.3 tweak applied didn’t have this problem.
I don’t know what has changed, but what I do know the amount of people who have applied this 8.3 tweak is going to be infinitesimal by comparison the the 10s of millions of avast users and those that don’t have this 8.3 tweak applied. So I can understand where they are coming from when they say they suggest reversing the tweak and even give the .reg to make it easier.
I have never felt it necessary to apply this tweak to stop the conversion to 8.3 short name conversion. There might have been a performance issue when this tweak was first thought of but I doubt that now as many have reported there either appears to be no noticeable impact on performance or none at all. I would tend to believe Igor’s comment in this post http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=28102.msg230206#msg230206 about the Short File Name generation (not its minimal impact). When the impact on the tens of millions not having any problems effectively being forced into another program update IMHO is much greater. These kind of decisions are taken all the time by all program developers (it is called change control, the impact of your changes Vs the impact of not making an immediate change) MS is a good/bad example. It is just that you don’t see them being open an honest and up front about it.
Would abandon avast over this if I had previously applied the tweak, absolutely not, I would apply the .reg reversal on the advice of people who are working at this sort of system level application programming that there really is no performance impact.
Not when you consider the activity of the application programmers in these forums directly responding to problems I have never seen this kind of input by the software developers/programmers. However, it is your system and your choice but you should consider your own personal experience and the support levels with avast.
Avast should be able to push out an silent update, which fixes this problem, only for those running this “tweak”.
[b]Removing the reboot text didn’t help!
As you can see, I’m up-to date:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v190/bob3160/ShellFTP/avastAbout.png
If I now do a manual program update:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v190/bob3160/ShellFTP/avastProgramupdate.png
avast! should just tell me that my system is up-to-date but, it doesn’t. I get the following:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v190/bob3160/ShellFTP/avastInstaltionProgress.png
when this completes, I get the following which only confirms the same information in the first picture:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v190/bob3160/ShellFTP/avastSeptupSummary.png
Once I close this, I then am greeted with the following:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v190/bob3160/ShellFTP/avastRestartingLoop.png
It’s asking me to reboot for a program update that was never updated… ??? ??? ???
[/b]
bob3160 ,
I understand where your coming from this bug is not acceptable and should be sorted but they wont until they send out another program update which may not be for sometime so this leave me little alternative than to review my security arrangements .
Had you tried a repair?
bob did you try to disable the 8.3 tweak?
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=28102.msg229764#msg229764
@ Bob
Have you at some point in the past applied this 8.3 short file name conversion tweak ?
If so apply the reversal:
If not step two:
You can also check this registry entry (right after computer restart):
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager, if it contains “PendingFileRenameOpertaions”.
Check its contents and if there’s only “reboot.txt” from avast4\setup folder, delete PendingFileRenameOperations, don’t delete any other key.
Back-up (export) the registry key before you edit/delete, just in case.
Just tried to update program… Everything seems to be fine
Running away from a problem doesn’t solve it. I’ve been using avast! for many years and don’t intend to leave over a little hick-up… ;D
I just applied the patch and after a reboot, tried another program update.
I still get the same results as outlined in my post. avast! still asks to reboot. ??? 
Obviously the registry patch wasn’t the answer.
Any other suggestions from Alwil would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Anything in that registry key I posted ?
No David that Key doesn’t exist in my registry.
So, you have nothing (or zero value) in
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem : NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation
and after a VPS update (or probably just a check if you manually invoke VPS update - a new version shouldn’t be necessary?) is performed, avast! asks for restart, but there’s no value called PendingFileRenameOpertaions in
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager : PendingFileRenameOpertaions ?
If that’s really the case, please post the last part of setup.log.
This occurred after doing a manual Program update and still does.
16:03:47 min/gen Started: 05.05.2007, 16:03:47
16:03:47 min/gen Running setup_av_pro-3e9 (1001)
16:03:47 nrm/sys Operating system: WindowsXP ver 5.1, build 2600, sp 2.0 [Service Pack 2]
16:03:47 vrb/sys Computer WinName: BOB3160-2426B19
16:03:47 min/sys Windows Net User: SYSTEM
16:03:47 min/gen Cmdline: /stopstat /verysilent /noreboot
16:03:47 vrb/gen Operation set to INST_OP_[16]
16:03:47 min/gen Old version: 3e9 (1001)
16:03:48 nrm/gen SGW32P::CheckIfInstalled set m_bAlreadyInstalled to 1
16:03:52 nrm/int SYNCER: Type: use IE settings
16:03:52 nrm/int SYNCER: Auth: another authentication, use WinInet
16:03:56 vrb/pkg Part prg_av_pro-3e9 is installed
16:03:56 vrb/pkg Part vps-73803 is installed
16:03:57 vrb/pkg Part news-4b is installed
16:03:58 vrb/pkg Part setup_av_pro-3e9 is installed
16:03:59 vrb/pkg Part jrog-3 is installed
16:04:00 min/gen Old version: 3e9 (1001)
16:04:02 nrm/pkg Transferred files: 0
16:04:02 nrm/pkg Transferred bytes: 0
16:04:02 nrm/pkg Transfer time: 0 ms
16:04:02 vrb/fil NeedReboot=false
16:04:02 min/gen Return code: 0x20000001 [Nothing done]
16:04:02 min/gen Stopped: 05.05.2007, 16:04:02
Bob, after reading all the posts, I’m lost… I can’t understand this problem IF you don’t have that Registry key…
A canned solution would be:
Operating system restart needed by avast message could be solved, in some systems, by deleting the file \setup\reboot.txtIf deleting reboot.txt doesn’t stop the requests for reboot check this:
Check this registry entry (right after computer restart):
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager, if it contains “PendingFileRenameOperations”.
Check its contents and if there’s only “reboot.txt” from avast4\setup folder, delete PendingFileRenameOperations, don’t delete any other key.
Back-up (export) the registry key before you edit/delete, just in case.
See for yourself: