How to Stop Avast from Running in the Background

Avast has been taking care of users’ security for over 3 decades now. Avast has won multiple awards like multiple Top PC and Mac security awards for their service. But sometimes, it can take quite a blow on a PC’s performance. This is why some users want to know how to stop Avast from running in the background.

Some users want to stop it from working in the background completely, while others prefer to stop only certain actions. Aside from that, some users also find it annoying to hear notifications from it. We’re going to discuss how you can do all of these things.

Finally, stopping Avast from working in the background has its advantages and disadvantages. Let’s discuss all of these down below.  

Table of Contents

1. How to Stop Avast from Running in the Background – Determined Time Duration
2. How to Stop Avast from Running in the Background – On Startup
3. How to Stop a Specific Avast Shield
4. How to Stop Avast Pop-Ups
5. Advantage of Stopping Avast from Running in the Background
6. Disadvantage of Stopping Avast from Running in the Background
7. High Performance, Low Security

How to Stop Avast from Running in the Background – Determined Time Duration

1. Locate the Avast icon on your taskbar. It’s usually located in the bottom right of the screen. Sometimes, these icons can be hidden away to limit the number of icons on the taskbar. In this case, you’ll find an arrow-up icon. Click on that and you should be able to find the Avast icon in the selection.

2. Once you’ve located the icon, right-click on it to open the options. 

3. Select Avast shields control and this will open up further options for you.

4. The options include disabling your Avast for various time durations. It will also give you the option to disable the program permanently. Click on the one that you need. 
5. Avast will then ask for confirmation regarding the action. Click on Yes to proceed.

To verify whether the process was completed successfully, open your Avast program. Once it starts, it will show you a notification that says “All antivirus shields are off.” This means that Avast really is disabled. 

How to Stop Avast from Running in the Background – On Startup

1. Right-click on your taskbar. 

2. This will open up multiple options for you. Click on the Task Manager.

3. Once you’re in the Startup tab, you’ll be able to see all the apps that automatically start when you turn on your PC. Find Avast from the list and right-click on it.

4. This will then show you an option to disable the program. Just click on Disable.

Because of this configuration, your Avast won’t automatically start once your PC turns on. This prevents the program from running in your background while you work. 

How to Stop a Specific Avast Shield

1. Look for the Avast icon on your taskbar. Right-click on this and select the option “Open Avast user interface.”

2. On the left, you will see an icon of a lock that is tagged as “Protection.” Click on this to open the Protection tab. 

3. In the options inside the Protection Tab, you’ll be able to see “Core Shields.” Click on this one to further explore the options.

4. Once Core Shields is open, you’ll be able to see multiple shields that you are able to disable. Each of the options is labeled to the corresponding areas that they protect. It also has a description of what the shield protects and what it does in case of a breach. You’ll also see green tabs that indicate that the shields are on.

5. Once you choose which shields to disable, Avast will ask you the duration of how long should it be kept turned off. If you want to permanently disable the shield, just click on the “Stop indefinitely” option. 

6. To complete the whole process, you need to close the antivirus and reboot your PC.

How to Stop Avast Pop-Ups

1. Look for the Avast icon on your taskbar and right-click it.

2. Once you see the options, click on the Open Avast user interface.

3. Click on the Menu tab. You should be able to see this on the top right corner of your screen. It has 3 lines beside the word Menu.

4. In the options in the Menu tab, click on the Settings.

5. In the Settings menu, click on the General tab. This is located on the left side of your screen with a shield as an icon.

6. Click on the Notifications among the options that will appear.

7. In the Notifications tab, just tick the check on the “Use silent mode and turn off all pop-ups, alerts and messages.” This will prevent any notifications from Avast from appearing on your PC.

Advantage of Stopping Avast from Running in the Background

Avast observes and scrutinizes all of the processes that happen on your computer. To make sure that your system is safe and protected, it has to oversee everything that happens. From the content of your files, the movement of your files, your browsing history, and even malware posing as an installer, everything is taken into account.

Because of this, it may affect the performance of your computer or laptop. In most cases, the whole process shouldn’t be too heavy on your computer. But throughout the years of accumulating lots of data, your computer is going to run out of space. When this happens, Avast can heavily impact the performance of your PC.

Disabling Avast from running in the background can save up RAM space. It helps your PC or laptop run faster and smoother. 

Disadvantage of Stopping Avast from Running in the Background

When you decide to stop Avast from running in the background, the program won’t be able to closely guard your actions. Therefore there is always the threat of getting malware from browsing or having viruses creeping inside your files. 

As with most viruses, it’s better if you get to detect them once they get into your system. This will reduce the amount of damage they do to your files. So disabling your antivirus may not be the best move but if it’s affecting the performance of your PC, then it’s understandable.

High Performance, Low Security

Avast is an award-winning antivirus program that has been downloaded by millions of users worldwide. They have been delivering the highest quality of service for decades now and have been established as an industry authority. Avast is one of the best of the best when it comes to antiviruses. 

In learning how to stop Avast from running in the background, you must also understand that it’s a double-edged sword. On one end, this process will boost the performance of your PC. On another end, it will leave you vulnerable to attacks. You must understand these advantages and disadvantages so you can prepare ahead of time to mitigate them.