I noticed that in the “Full System Scan”-----“Scan” one of the pre-set scans is something called “QuickStartupMem”
This is a preselected area to scan.
I don’t believe that “QuickStartupMem” is available as a scan area in any of the other Default Scans or Custom Scans.
True, but unrelated.
Seems like I’m still missing some key information… if I just knew what it might be.
If (anybody who had the problem) you schedule a new (well, doesn’t have to be a new, but simply some) a task again - does the same problem appear again?
Thanks 
Mine was monthly scan set for the first of the month
Was full system scan
Computer was turned on during DST change but that change was last week for me.
Avast 6.0.1000 on XP sp3
Maybe since the problem scan started on 3/29/2011 rather than 4/1/2011 (as scheduled), there is some bug related to the fact that Feb. has 28 days and for some reason the day after 1 month later than 2/28/11 is being seen as 3/29/11.
Hmm, interesting idea…
Since when was the computer running (i.e. when was the last time Windows booted - before the problem appeared) - approximately?
That is kind of what I was thinking that the problem might be related to Feb having only 28 calendar days.
Maybe the scan goes into a loop because of how the program handles the monthly day count.
It may not be exactly the same thing but along the same lines
Just a thought
Well yes, it does just skip that - but it doesn’t explain why it should start looping on the next month…
(And most of all, why even a reboot wouldn’t help; nothing pre-computed is persisted on disk, it’s recomputed on the next boot again… - like if you’d just create a new schedule) ???
computer has been running pretty continuously; don’t reboot very often. I tried to recreate the problem by scheduling various scans but i can’t get it to start a scheduled scan with schedule set for daily and time set a few minutes in advance (i.e. its 7:35pm now so I scheduled a daily quickscan to start at 19:37 but nothing started.
I will reschedule the full system scan, but I don’t know how much use that will be considering I messed the default full system scan up by deleting the task in avast5.ini, Whilst I have recreated the scan (was just named ???) after I deleted it in avast5.ini and rebooted.
So I doubt it is now considered a default pre-defined Full System scan. I will reschedule my win7 one as I only changed the SchedulerEnabled=1 to SchedulerEnabled=0 so it should be the pre-defined scan as it was.
Well that was a very short test, as soon as I rescheduled the scan, boom it was off and running on my XP Pro system avast 6.0.1044.
Off to modify my avast5.ini again and change the SchedulerEnabled=1 back to SchedulerEnabled=0 as I can’t get back into the settings after I stop it, to quick to restart the scan within a couple of seconds.
Add me to the list. I’ve been trying all day to get this scan to stop, but as with previous posters, I’ve been unsuccessful.
As far as I know, this just started last night. The only ray of light I might be able to shed is that I left the computer on over night, and when I went to use it this morning, the infinite scan was running. In my case though, there was a dialog box that said “FULL / Running” (I think my scan was titled “Full”) and it had a stop and a pause button. But when I click stop, it restarts immediately.
Also unrelated - I found the Avast sidebar gadget annoying, so I went through the Control Panel process to uninstall it recently, but that was well before the infinite scan started.
Off to try the INI edit.
I was finally able to simulate the behavior somehow (even though I am unsure about the necessary conditions) - and noticed a strange behavior on one line of code…
I’ll pass it to other developers for now, I’m mostly sleeping already.
Thanks, much like I was at 4:45am yesterday morning when I was fighting this and trying to gather as much info as possible ;D
Boy, I am sort of glad that I found this posting. Glad at least that I am not the only one experiencing this issue. Mine starting the endless looping of full system scan at 9:30 AM when the system was waken (from hibernation) by the server for a daily incremental backup. I don’t use this computer during the daytime so didn’t really pick up on the issue until later this afternoon. I should have checked the forum but instead called for support which was a futile, exasperating waste of time. All that they could think of doing was to uninstall and then re-install. And they had the audacity to think that it was fixed when upon rebooting there was Avast in all its glory running a full scan that no one had called for.
I will do the manual edit to the ini file as was identified earlier in this posting (THANK-YOU!).
For those of you keeping score on this matter, this is a dual core Athlon running Vista SP2. Paid version of Avast Security Suite running without prior issues since 12/25/2010. Current version is 6.0.1000 with engine and definitions 110329-1.
1.all were “monthly” schedules for the 1st day of the month, or some were different? YES - first of the month at 12:00 PM
2.was it always the full system scan? (even though I don’t think this is relevant)YES
3.was your computer turned on during the DST change? was it turned off ever since that?
Hibernated at the time of the DST change but has been rebooted since that time without negative affect on Avast until today.
4.- all were avast! 6? YES
Quick update - I just tried this route, unfortunately, it was not successful. Opened Avast UI while in Safe Mode, got to the settings, unchecked the “schedule this scan”, ok’d the change and then rebooted normally. Avast full scan was happily cranking along.
If you aren’t quick enough to stop the scan and open the scan settings before the next scan starts to cancel the Schedule, you are going to have to try modifying the avast5.ini file.
As I mentioned in my Reply #30 above.
If you did an update from avast 5 to avast 6 - avast5.ini file locations, Windows 2000, Windows XP - C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Alwil Software\Avast5\avast5.ini
If you did a clean install to avast 6 - avast5.ini file locations C:\Documents And Settings\All Users\Application Data\Avast Software\Avast\avast5.ini(Windows 2000, Windows XP). Or C:\ProgramData\Avast Software\Avast\avast5.ini(windows Vista, windows 7).
Before you can edit the avast5.ini file you have to disable the avast self-defence module, avastUI, Settings, Troubleshooting. You should only use notepad to edit avast5.ini. You will need to reboot after editing the avast5.ini file for the changes to come into effect.
Last update for the day… did the manual edit to the avast.ini file as DavidR prescribed. Actually had to do this in Protected Mode too since Avast wouldn’t let me shut down the process that was holding onto the ini file. Finally, I can get some work done on here since Avast isn’t hogging 60% of CPU anymore.
I’ll just call this a temporary workaround until the developers get to the bottom of this.
Thanks again to DavidR and the other contributors.
You’re welcome.
You should be able to disable the self-defence module as I mentioned, if you can’t then notepad is the one exception to the self-defence module. When you complete the edit, on saving it, the self-defence module should ask for confirmation about the edit.
Hi total technophobe here - I have had the same problem since 29.03.11 - 9.42 am - so no apparent connection to BST.
I am running paid version 5.1.889 - all help appreciated.
Remember advice to be given in numpty terms. 