After installing Avast!4 Build 4.1.396, ashServ has been running continuously at 20% CPU usage. When I turn off VRDB the usage stops. I know VRDG is to back up files, but this has been going on for several days now. Do I need to reinstall or is this normal? I just ran HouseCall and I show no virus problem. I also have ZoneAlarm, Ad-aware6.0, Spybot and Spyguard. I uninstalled my PC-cillin before loading Avast!. Thanks for your assistance.
Windows XP
CPU Intel 1.8GHz
Ram 256MB
Hi Gene and welcome to the forums,
There are different ways to generate the VRDB, at idle, at screensaver and now. For some reason something is slowing down the scan it should only take a few minutes.
I would suggest that you close down all programs that you don’t need (Spybot and Spyguard may have an effect, you could temp disable them) and select generate VDRB now.
Right click the [b]i /b icon and select ‘Generate VRDB Now!’
Let me know how you get on.
David
David:
If I disable VRDB generation and then click “Generate VRDB Now”, it runs for a minute or two at 50% usage and the drops off to idle. If I allow generate at idle and click “Generate VRDB Now”, it runs at 50% for a minute or so then drops back to running at about 20% continuously.
What is the file name of the VRDB so I can check what is there?
I appreciate your assistance.
Gene
What is the file name of the VRDB so I can check what is there?I have no idea what the file name might be, but to check it out follow the information below.
If you right click the avast icon and select the, ‘Start avast! Antivirus.’
When the simple user interface is displayed, you should be able to see Virus Recovery database (VRDB) and the date and time when it was last run. If you can see that it hasn’t been run sucessfully or completed. If there is no date then you need to ‘Generate VRDB Now.’
By default after you have run it once, it doesn’t run for 21 days and then only according to the selection you made, ‘Generate VDRB when computer is idle’ would be your best bet.
According to the Simple User Interface:
Date of last scan: Not done yet
Virus recovery database(VRDB): Not done yet
Since I have done both several times, I must assume I have a download error. Unless someone has a better idea I am going to:
Uninstall Avast!4
Disable my security programs temporarily
Reinstall Avast!4
Re-enable security programs
That won’t hurt, I ran a generate VRDB now and without doing anything other than minimising all windows, it took 5 minutes where ashserv was at between 33-57% and when complete back to zero.
For some reason something is slowing/stopping your generation.
Keep in mind, with regard to the scan date, that that only gets updated when you’ve run a “local drives” scan. If you scan using “folders”, the scan-date doesn’t get updated even if you’ve selected the whole C (or whichever) drive.
Maybe that’s something the Alwil team could look into for future versions, getting avast to treat a “folders” scan for the entire drive the same as a “local drives” scan.
Best,
Mike
Gene, if I’m not wrong, probably, C:\Program files\Alwil Software\Avast4\Data\Avast4.mdb
Mike, I’m not that sure, for me scanning the entire drive is the same as a “local drives” scan and the date is updated :-\
Technical:
I found the Avast4.mdb file. It shows file was modified today and is 208Kb, but I don’t know what program to use to open an .mdb file. Thanks to all in this thread, I am enjopying learning how to control my destiny on my computer. Keeping this puppy safe and clean is not easy and takes time, but appears to be worth the effort.
Gene
The mdb file is not a file that you would want to open, it is not a regular file where you can view text, it looks like it is a compiled/machine code file that you wouldn’t want to corrupt.
David
As David said, you may not have to open it but, if you really want, Microcrosf Access will do the job (mdb = microsoft database).
Well folks: I uninstalled and reinstalled Avast!4 Home and I still have the same problem as originally stated. AshServ runs at about 20% anytime the machine is idle. If I disable VRDB generation it stops. The simple Interface Screen still says
Date of last scan: Not done yet
Virus recovery database: Not done yet
I get a pop-up after completing a scan:
Scan completed with error
3=The system cannot find the path specified
Is there a solution to this problem, or do I need to get my security elsewhere.
Gene
Gene Im sure you will get a soultion as soon as the avast programmers see this. I will notify them.
I sent a message to igor for you.
OK, a little clarification:
I get a pop-up after completing a scan: Scan completed with error 3=The system cannot find the path specified
Do you have some kind of unformatted (or inaccessible) partition in your system?
Hi,
Well, I have about the same problem here. I have Avast Home installed on 3 computers, but the only one running Win XP gets incredibly slow when Avast is doing his thing. Don’t exactly know what it’s doing, but the A-icon in the systemtray is spinning. Well, ‘spinning’ is a big word…it very slowly turns the A around in fractions of millimeters at a time. This takes about 3 to 6 minuts I guess, before it is finally done.
During those 3 to 6 minuts, I can’t do anything with my computer. It is SO incredibly slow. Keyboard and mouse do respond, but very slowly too. I can type a couple of lines before I can see the characters appear on the screen. Some programs even generate “not responding” errors, which I ignore, because I know when Avast is done doing what he does, everything will turn back to normal.
Well, to make a long story short…it’s beginning to annoy me.
Is there some way to fix this problem? Does it have something to do with Windows XP perhaps?
My computer is a P4 2Ghz with 1GB of memory.
Apart from this little problem, I just love avast and recomment it to anyone I know.
Thanks in advance for the advice.
Henny
It doesn’t sound like the same problem - the “a”-icon is not VRDB-related, it’s just avast! scanning.
What exactly are your settings of the Standard Shield resident provider?
Hello, Henny, like Igor said, your problem does not seem to be related to VRDB.
I can make a guess:
Did you install any other antivirus in your computer?
Do you use a firewall? Which one?
Wellcome to forums 
True, it’s probably not a VRDB error, but I was refering to the topic header “ashServ.exe problem” and the fact that it uses up way to much CPU time/power. Sorry for the confiusion.
My settings of the Standard Shield resident provider are…basicly the way Avast installed itself. I didn’t customize it in any way. Only checked the ‘protect any emailaccount I will create in the future’ box while installing.
Sensitivity is high. Anything else you want to know?
I have no other antivirus products installed. The one in the BIOS is switched off too. I use Sygate Personal Firewall. Settings of Avast and Sygate are all the same on all three computers. Only the XP computer has this problem.