There are 2 instances of Avast UI running on one of my computers.
I’m wondering why and how to stop this since this has not happened before.
This is one of two Avast Free problems which have started recently. Possibly the two are related but I’m posting them separately.
This computer is running Windows XP Pro ver 2002 sp3 and Avast Free 17.9.2322 build 17.9.3761.278
Have you actually got the AvastUI open ?
If so depending on what your are viewing there may be two instances of AvastUI.exe in the task manager.
When I open the Avast UI then I have 3 instances running.
OK, given that you are using an old version of Avast, I can recall that this did happen and as far as I can recall it was the way the UI was at a period of time.
I think that if you were running avast version 18 it would only show a single occurrence in the task manager.
However, if you jumped on board the latest version of avast with XP you could have other issues not as minor as this. As you can see from the signature I also have an XP system, but that isn’t the very latest version, I have had to go back to avast version 18.5.2342 because was experiencing issues with CPU spikes (50% or higher) that would only come back down with a restart. Something in avast 18.6.xxxx changed causing a CPU spike (for me), so you would have to find an earlier version.
The problem would be getting a version where this multiple avastUI.exe was resolved but not get to a point where you didn’t get any other issue that could be worse.
Support for XP/Vista OSes ends at the end of this month with avast 18. Whilst there will still be VPS updates will continue there would be no further program updates. So you would have to tread lightly as to what avast 18 you install if you can actually find one that doesn’t have any other issue.
Thank you for your follow-up!
Version 18.5 is just past where I stopped downloading the 18.x updates.
Do you know any place to get that version now? AFAIK even the “Old Apps” sites which claim to provide old versions of Avast just point to the latest version of the on-line or off-line installers.
Would be great if Avast would preserve downloads of previous versions.
I may try 18.8 although your experience with a system very similar to mine suggests this may cause worse problems than 2 instances of the UI.
I’m afraid it is a case of trawling the various file download sites, many of those sites now just download the stub (on-line) installer and it just pulls down the latest version. Unfortunately Avast only deal in the latest versions, I guess if they retained old versions they may be obliged to do retrospective bug fixes if they are distributing them.
I don’t know at what point that this multiple avastUI instances was resolved/changed I thought it was towards the back end of avast 17 or very early on avast 18.
Do you know any place to get that version now?
You can download the full offline installer from https://www.filepuma.com/download/avast_free_antivirus_18.5.2342-19226/
That is a handy link Alan.
For that do use it although it is the off-line installer, they still need to have a connection when installing it.
1: I had, for i was using a special scan for a USB-stick (H:) and wondered having 2 instances.
2: I confirm (see https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=223253.msg1484622#msg1484622 and following) in the German section.
Thx, David.
Edit: grammar.
You’re welcome.
I would think that certainly cause two instances of the UI if you have minimised the running scan. I just tested that and it does show two instances of avastUI.exe in the task manager whilst the scan is running and minimised.
First you would have to have opened the UI to run the scan and the scan itself. I closed both the main UI and then the little toaster popup indicating a scan is in progress and that did remove the second instance of avastUI.exe.
EDIT: The scan did complete (even with the second instance of avastUI.exe not present in the task manager).
1: That’s right. No prob with anything you wrote.
2: My scan completed, too, showing in the little toaster popup. But the the great window didn’t close, because 2x AvastUI.exe were still working for about an hour (afterwards [after the the little toaster popup had told me, that the scan had been finished!!!])!!! For what?
Was I too early with my scan? BTW: Are you still using version 18.5 (your sig)? I used the latest version.
Thx for clearness. Have a nice sunday.
@ =Snake=
You’re welcome.
Yes I’m using avast! free 18.5.2342 (on this XP system), the three updates since then have caused some issues. Namely a CPU Spike where the AvastSVC.exe service runs at 50% (or more) now and again, yet no other CPU/process activity that would warrant avastSvc.exe to be active. Closing down other running programs makes no difference to avastSvc.exe CPU spike, I have to reboot. I lost patience and went back to 18.5 and it hasn’t happened since then.
Thx for your comment. At springtime I lost my ‘duo’-os (XP + W7), caused by svchost.exe (system), which ran about an hour at 99% cpu usage!
When I shut down the machine, a minute later or so a bit smoke got in my nose. After that the CPU was destroyed!
So I’ll go back to 18.5.2342, too and save my XP system as the CPU is turning quite high.
Edit: grammar.
@DavidR
Fortunately I succeeded in downgrading Avast free from 18.8.2356 build 4084.0 to 18.5.2342 build 3931.0!
Seems to be calmer and smoother than 18.8.2356 and the hdd isn’t moving to highest speed!
So thx again for your advice.
You’re welcome, even though I don’t like the idea of having to fall back, as we would be losing any positive changes in the latest version.
There might be something else that you could try with 18.8.2356, but it would mean disabling or uninstalling the Behaviour Shield (would be a reduction in protection though). Not to mention the hassle of flip flopping back and forth with different versions.
It would appear this XP CPU Spike is somewhat linked to the unsecapp.exe, which by all accounts is linked/launched in some way by the behaviour shield. My next summation is since the behaviour shield is like any other shield controlled by the AvastSvc.exe, this is why I think we are seeing the CPU Spike for AvastSvc.exe.
I have yet to test that theory, which would require installing the latest version and either not installing the behaviour shield or disabling it.
So far on 18.5.2342 I don’t see the unsecapp.exe in win XP task manager processes and no CPU Spikes. I think avast really need to follow this up so this relation ship, CPU Spike, unsecapp.exe and behaviour shield so that it doesn’t happen in XP on what is meant to be the last avast version supporting XP/Vista.
1: Would be fine to know the result. ;D
2: I confirm not seeing the unsecapp.exe, but I have no flickering desktop anymore! I won’t miss it, I think.
Concerning unsecapp.exe, which belongs to Windows system (do you agree?), I never saw a cpu usage higher than 2% and only for a few seconds.
Yes it is part of the WMI and used for many purposes and called by another process and my thoughts now from this and other topic is it is called by the behaviour shield.
It would appear that there is something new in the behaviour shield (what I don’t know) that is having an adverse affect and in my case CPU Spikes in AvastSvc.exe.
Please let me know, what you’ll find out.
I can only assume data is going back to avast relating to behaviour shield analysis, etc.
I disabled the options AvastUI > Settings > Privacy - ‘Participate in the community’ and ‘Allow usage data to be shared with 3rd parties analytics’ thinking that may stop any potential data transmission by the behaviour shield.
I don’t know if I will find out much more than my best guess, given that I have rolled back to 18.5.2342 and I’m in no hurry to experience the problems that caused me to roll back.
I see.
Right now Avast wants to restart my XP system. :