6.0.1000 update, massive CPU usage

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Test setup: 2GHz AMD Sempron, 1GB, Win XP SP3, Comodo firewall 5.3.181415.1237, (builtin Realtek RTL8139/810x Family Fast Ethernet NIC)
Browsers: Firefox 4.0, Opera 11.01, Chrome 10.0.648.204
Webpages: Yahoo webmail, Fastmail webmail, Gmail webmail, and two large Google Docs files. This is a standard working set of webpages which I use.
Reference: With the previous “update” version of Avast(?), there were no occurrences of persistent 100% CPU usage.

  1. I performed a standard Avast update, received version 6.0.1000, virus definitions 110328-0. During and following this update, CPU usage spiked to 80%-95% (avastsvc.exe) and never subsided.
    2(a). After a forced powerdown, restart and chkdsk, CPU usage remained low. (b) After any browser with the above pages was started again, CPU usage pegged again. Avast UI was unresponsive, so could not disable protection.
  2. Repeated all of (2) twice more.
  3. Repeated (2a). After disabling WebShield, and starting a browser, CPU usage remained low.

It seems that the only way to avoid excessive CPU usage, in the case of browser access to AJAX-rich webpages, is to disable WebShield.

Any suggestions for other versions which address this? Or should I downgrade to fix this temporarily with WebShield enabled? Where can I DL the prior version?

2

Have you tried the Pre-release 6.0.1044 http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=74515.0

3

Well I use 6.0.1044 but this problem is still for me… ???

4

That’s because you only have 2GB RAM and are running Outpost Firewall Pro 7.5 beta

5

Never mind that he is using TuneUp Utilities which sucks a pc dry. TuneUp is not need since 95% of what is does you can do yourself. But even if he got more ram a 32 bit OS does not recognize it. Should have purchased Windows 7 64 bit…Sorry off topic.

6

I have 64 bit OS. But does TuneUp really suck up PC Ram???

7

Of course it does. Its 3 processes 24/7. Tell me what you need TU for and I will tell you a free alternative.

8

How can we manually defragment a disk??? or deactivate a program??? It will be grately helpful if I get this knowledge and how to defrg registry? find and clean unwanted shortcuts. Any help will be highly appreciated

Thanks

9

This is getting way off topic now but there is no general area in this forum. Smart Defrag 2 is one of the best defraggers out there. Deactivating in TU is a commercial hype. You can just go into msconfig and disable any unneeded start ups yourself. You can also use Process Hacker to kill any uneeded processes. You can tweak your services by visiting BlackVipres web site. And a good free registry defrag is WinMend Registry Defrag or Simnet Registry Defrag.

CCleaner is a good way to remove unnecessary start up items. Explain to me how a product like TU can speed up your pc and free up ram when it uses more ram then most other processes? Its cant. Want better performance…Add more ram. Everything TU does you can do yourself for free.

10

Quicksys RegDefrag is also pretty good. Link includes multiple reviews of the software.

http://download.cnet.com/Quicksys-RegDefrag/3000-2094_4-11004252.html

Always backup the Registry first before defragging it even though a Registry Defrag does not delete or change any Registry entries.

11

As this thread has been completely hijacked by Ashish Singh and we never got any reply from the OP, perhaps time to put it to the rest.

@OP:

  • Try with the 1044 prerelease or newer.
  • Try without Comodo firewall 5.3.181415.1237
12

Ooops Sorry… ;D

13

@ lexein and any others with High CPU % activity.

If the avast tray icon isn’t rotating, do you have any avast on-demand scans (Full System scan, etc.) scheduled ?

If you have open the avastUI, Scan Computer section and see if there happens to be a scan running.

14

Don’t you think that this problem and http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=74914.0 are related?

15

I don’t know as there is no information to base that on, which is why I’m asking the questions. If it were, based on the answers given, then and only then would the other topic that I started be related.