Hi,
I just discovered that ashServ.exe is using a huge chunk of memory around 400+ MB. I don’t think this is normal. Please advise. By the way, I am using version 4.8.1351.
Thanks
Check the folder \data\log
Are there any files called unpXXXX (where XXXX is a random number) or *.mdmp there?
If so, send them to vlk (at) avast.com
They may contain more information about the problem (maybe a link to this thread).
Vlk explains how to create a dump file here: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=22636.msg187340#msg187340 and here: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=23283.msg193594#msg193594 
To create the dump, download and run http://public.avast.com/~vlk/hangrep.exe . In the list of processes select it and use the Save button. This generates a file which you can either send to his email address vlk (at) avast.com (if it’s smaller than e.g. 1 MB, ZIPed), or upload to ftp://ftp.avast.com/incoming
Please note that prior to taking it, you’ll have to temporarily disable avast self defense - otherwise, the program responsible for creation of the dump won’t be able to open the process.
Hi,
I am using Avast 4.8.1351 on Windows XP SP3, and I have seen the same problem. ashServ.exe is using about 1GB about virtual memory slowing down my PC. I have only empty unpxxxx files in the log folder.
I wanted to restart AVAST to try solving the problem but I couldn’t find any option to do it. I then tried to stop the Avast service but after a while it came back with an error that the service couldn’t not be stopped. If I try to kill the ashServ.exe from the task manager it fails with the error “Access Denied” and the kill.exe utility from cygwin returns “couldn’t open pid xxxx”.
The only way to fix that is restart the computer 
Is there a way to restart avast without restarting the computer or to revert to the previous version of avast ?
Thanks
Do you have any other antivirus in this computer? Had in the past?
Any other security program that could interfere?
I suggest an installation from the scratch:
- Download the latest version of avast! Uninstall Utility and save it.
- Download the latest avast! version and save it.
- Uninstall avast from Control Panel (if possible). If, for any reason, you can’t run it, try booting in Safe Mode and doing it from there. Anyway, boot after that.
- Use (run) the avast! Uninstall Utility saved on 1. If, for any reason, you can’t run it, try booting in Safe Mode and doing it from there. Anyway, boot after you’ve run it.
- Install avast! using the setup saved on 2. It will be good to accept the boot time scanning. Boot.
- Check and post the results.
Add me to the list - same version, same OS, 900MB
The extra size shows in Task Manager under “VM size” but not under “Mem Usage” - why is that ?
Had to boot because everything was stuck. That was yesterday, I am waiting for it to happen again.
No dumps, no special logs except the usual db update about 3 hours before I noticed that there is a problem.
I had Avast for several years, it never happened before.
Are you going to tell ALL YOUR USERS to reinstall ?
How many more complaints do you need before you check it out ?
Remember that most users don’t open the task manager to check on the memory, they just boot when things don’t work, so there are probably a lot of others it happened to.
Hi, …
From Avast beta section = http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=47790.0
It's not a memory bug = It's only to report ram used before, and after installing the latest beta version, ...I have [tested again] with Avast v4.8 August version.
Windows Vista x64 sp2, French Canada, 8 gig ram.
v.4.8 vs v.[5.0.70] memory left, …
After boot of Windows Vista x64 sp2 with Avast v[4.8] = the computer memory left = [available], is ~6.38 gig.
[Real Ram Available = after using several(s) software = ~6.08 gig. ram.]After boot of Windows Vista x64 sp2 with Avastv [5.0.70] = the computer memory left = [available], is ~6.60 gig.
[Real Ram Available = after using several(s) software = ~6.38 gig. ram.]This test is not perfect, but with [Avast v4.8, it only have ~6.08 gig. ram. available] vs. [Avast v5.0.70, it only have ~6.38 gig. ram. available].
Beta Testor(s) of Avast 5.x = Can you test the memory left before and after the installation of v5.x beta, and write your testing memory available value ?
Respond = I also see that with “ashServ.exe” inside avast 4.8.x [memory usage is higher than normal], vs v. 5.x beta.
But the V5.x beta dont use the same amount of memory.
(I think that it not use the same way, with “ashServ.exe”, inside Avast 5.x Beta).
Sylvain St-Amand (sst)
Same problem here, already for one week now I think.
ashServ is definitely leaking.
The virtual memory allocation keeps growing slowly.
It has been growing steadily over the last 2 days since I booted when it was over 900M.
Tell me how to help you debug this. Because I will have to boot soon, it is now at 260M, and I can feel the effects already.
The guidelines for solving of the problem “ashServ.exe using too much CPU” has always been the same:
- Check if the avast tray icon is spinning (while CPU usage is high)
- If it is, click it (wait for the dialog box to open), and check which file is being scanned (the Last Scanned field); the Scanned Count value should be increasing (spinning icon means a scan is in progress)
- Find out which of the providers is scanning the file (click “Details” button and check out the Last Scanned value for each of the providers). The most common providers that may cause this are Standard Shield, P2P Shield and IM Shield.
Hi Tech.
I don’t think that you have read my post or the previous ones.
WE ARE TALKING MEMORY USAGE NOT CPU
memory
leaking
Process explorer says private bytes = 277M Virtual Size = 395M after about 2 days
Can you explain it - why it keeps going up ?
It is not using much CPU at all. Just chewing up the memory. 452,000 page faults.
I’d recommend turning off the self defense, turning off Standard and Network Shields, and creating a memory dump of the ashServ.exe process. Then ziping it and uploading it to our FTP server (ftp://ftp.avast.com/incoming).
(Then reenabling self-defense and the Shields).
Thanks much
Vlk
What is “self defense”, and how do you off it ?
I have got just 3 shields running - network, standard, web. You wanted just the first 2 to be off, is that right ?
How do you produce a dump in WinXP ?
Self defence stops you disabling avast processes, right click the avast ‘a’ icon, select Program Settings, Troubleshooting and disable the self-defence module.
See reply #1.
I tried to make a dump.
I says Failed. Failure Code: 13.
BTW mine was 1.5GB after a while and then I disabled Avast.
Windows XP, SP3, v4.8.1351
During the expansion of ashServ.exe, the browsers Google Chrome, Opera and Firefox were open with some tabs.
EDIT:
Now I see I can make a dump with the command line version.
But the dump will be 1.5GB and I can’t upload that (upload volume limit is 1GB). Can I somehow have a look at the file myself?
Try compressing (zip) the dump file as I believe it should compress reasonably well.
I did something wrong.
I thought maybe I can restart and make a new smaller one. But the old one is overwritten and I don’t have it anymore (and I can’t make it again of course).
But can’t it just be the newer browser Google Chrome?
It is not the browser, I tried with both IE and FireFox.
Every action of the either browser causes the “private bytes” to go up. Even a refresh. And it is never released.
Had to boot, now watching the numbers go up again.
I terminated the “web shield” and it stopped going up, but the space was not released.
Why is the web shield affecting ashServ.exe and not ashWebSv.exe ?
Ok, I restarted, did a few refreshes in a browser, made a dump, and uploaded it. It isn’t that big but maybe you can find already the problem. It’s named ashServ_Joost.zip
Me too ;D
Dump of ashServ process created with userdump.exe because hangrep.exe failed.
Uploaded to your ftp server - ashServ_mem_2post47965.zip
(note - the first attempt failed so you may find half a file with a similar name).
Thanks