I just ran across this thread → http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=29709.0 ← and as I have been having an intermittent problem with ashServ.exe hogging up anywhere from 95 to 100 % of my CPU I wanted to get into the conversation but as my problem doesn’t seem to have anything to do with my browser I decided to open a new thread.
Over the past several months I have been experiencing some severe slowdowns with my PC. Most of the time if I open task manager I’ll find that ashServe.exe is using up all of my CPU stuff and I’ve been wondering what would be causing this to happen.
I saw where Tech posted this link → http://public.avast.com/~rypacek/userdump.exe ← and was wondering if it might be of any help to me in figuring out what is going on that causes ashServ.exe to get so greedy at times.
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.
OK, that will allow me to see which files that Avast is scanning, right?, but how will that help lower the CPU usage of ashServ.exe?
I don’t think that P2P Shield or IM Shield has anything to do with it in my case because I don’t use any P2P programs and I’ve never noticed my CPU maxing out on any of the few times that I ever use IM.
What would be helpful is saying what it was that you were doing when this high CPU activity occurred ?
Knowing what is being scanned can point to an application responsible for the activity. Remember avast doesn’t scan anything unless something wants to access that file. Finding that reason may help with a course of action.
Well it doesn’t seem to matter what I’m doing and I can’t say that it happens when I’m using anything in particular when it happens either.
I can be working on a document in MS Word or just browsing the Internet or doing nothing at all when I notice something wrong, open task manager and find ashServe.exe maxed out.
Once in awhile IE will be the culprit of the 100% CPU usage but most times it is ashServe,exe.
I mean like it just now happened and all I was doing was checking my Email, and none of the files being scanned seemed to have anything to do with IE or my Email provider either one.
I knew that something wasn’t right as I have the “Avast! On-Access Scanner Message” animation turned on and it was starting to kind of hang up. I looked at the blue ball and it was spinning erratically and kind of backing up a little on each revolution.
Does any of this make any sense to you? I have no problem in terminating IE through task manager whenever I catch it being a hog…but I don’t want to be doing that to me Anti-Virus stuff.
There have been a lot of times that ashServe.exe will max out my CPU and Avast! won’t be scanning anything at all.
Hey, are there any known issues with running ‘a-squared anti dialer guard’ with Avast!?
OK I have that box checked, that’s the one that causes all of the animation on the monitor screen that most people find annoying…right?
Those “Avast! On-Access Scanner Message” things normally fly by so fast that I can’t really keep up with what their saying. Is there anyway to get Avast to log all of that so that I can read it at a later date?
I’ll try to pay closer attention next time it happens, maybe I’ll be able to catch a file or program name as it runs.
Avast! is also doing this on a fully patched (microsoft update) Windows 98SE system with the 4.7.1029 version. It’s only a 500 Mhz AMD Duron with 256 MB of RAM, but It still seems unreasonable that it should lock up the system at 100% CPU usage. I found that avast! is causing the CPU to be used at 100% in many circumstances and appearing to lock up the computer until finished. Closing the Avast processes recovers the CPU.
Several points during the installation when it shows 100% bars completing.
The entire time during a scan, regardless of the file it is on. Sending the scan to the background immediately reduces CPU usage to about 15%, however clicking on the scan in the task bar immediately freezes the system up at 100% again.
Test of memory and Startup.
When generating a VRDB.
When updating.
When the webshield is active while using Internet Explorer 6 SP1.
Even when clicking the About Avast! menu selection it spikes the CPU up to nearly 100% for a moment.
There are probably other circumstances, but it seems that any time avast! is active it uses any and all CPU time that is available.
Killing the process you recover the CPU, it’s normal… but you’re unprotected, the scanner (on demand) is the same of the resident protection (on access).
Seems normal… a lot of installations do it, stressing the computer with Windows Installer service/process.
Well… it’s normal again, sending to background reduces the process priority.
Seems ok… this is how it works.
Oops… here not, the priority of updates in Windows XP is lower nowadays…
Of course, scanning takes resources and avast tries to release the computer for the user as soon as possible, so scans at high CPU usage.
[quote="avastuo post:10, topic:613729"]
Closing the Avast processes recovers the CPU.
[/quote]
Killing the process you recover the CPU, it's normal... but you're unprotected, the scanner (on demand) is the same of the resident protection (on access).
Obviously that is not a solution then, huh?
[quote="avastuo post:10, topic:613729"]
1. Several points during the installation when it shows 100% bars completing.
[/quote]
Seems normal... a lot of installations do it, stressing the computer with Windows Installer service/process.
No, it’s not normal. I’ve never used a virus scanner that freezed up the system just from installation; nor any other program for that matter. It does not just run at 100% but freezes for a while apparently doing nothing except for freezing up the machine (to the user).
[quote="avastuo post:10, topic:613729"]
2. The entire time during a scan, regardless of the file it is on. Sending the scan to the background immediately reduces CPU usage to about 15%, however clicking on the scan in the task bar immediately freezes the system up at 100% again.
[/quote]
Well... it's normal again, sending to background reduces the process priority.
Sure, it’s normal that sending a program to the background reduces CPU usage, but it’s not normal for a virus scanner to freeze the computer by hogging all the resources.
[quote="avastuo post:10, topic:613729"]
3. Test of memory and Startup.
4. When generating a VRDB.
[/quote]
Seems ok... this is how it works.
Not at all. These simple tasks also drive the computer to freezing up with the CPU at 100% use.
[quote="avastuo post:10, topic:613729"]
5. When updating.
[/quote]
Oops... here not, the priority of updates in Windows XP is lower nowadays...
Again, a simple update to the avast! program froze the computer - not normal at all.
[quote="avastuo post:10, topic:613729"]
6. When the webshield is active while using Internet Explorer 6 SP1.
[/quote]
Of course, scanning takes resources and avast tries to release the computer for the user as soon as possible, so scans at high CPU usage.
Freezing up the computer at 100% usage is not going to get this program far. I already uninstalled it; neither is starting line by line arguments in the forums with potential customers posting their concerns. :
[quote="avastuo post:10, topic:613729"]
7. Even when clicking the About Avast! menu selection it spikes the CPU up to nearly 100% for a moment.
[/quote]
Seems normal, again.
Not! Clicking the about button for info should not spike the computer to 100%
You just lost a customer, not because of the faulty program, but because of your defensive ignorant response.
in this forum … unless the user identification explicitly states that a person is part of avast then you simply talking to another user of avast. That is most of us responding in this forum, users helping other users.
If you want to desert a good free product because you dislike a response that it, of course, your choice.
But discussion always beats hasty response in the end. I do not use Wwindows 98 but I do have a couple of old laptops still running Windows ME (a very close relative of Windows 98) and with less memory than you and I am not seeing the same issues.
There are others here on older operating systems too. You may want to see if they chime in.
Hi avastuo, I don’t know if I want to thank you for your reply on this thread or see if I can figure out how to ban you from commenting on any of my posts in the future.
Please tell me that you were using the paid version of Avast! and not the FREE version when you told Tech that Avast had just lost a customer.
I don’t know what kind of bovine scat you’re use to getting away with at home but you need to grow up and stop accusing people who are trying to help you of being defensive and ignorant, at least here on my thread Boo.
Heck, if I grab IE at the top with my mouse and shake it around my CPU usage will max out and stay at 100% as long as I’m shaking it. While it is true that clicking on “About Avast!” will max out my CPU usage at 100%…it only stays at 100% for about a tenth of a second.
You said → Freezing up the computer at 100% usage is not going to get this program far. I already uninstalled it; neither is starting line by line arguments in the forums with potential customers posting their concerns. ← you, my friend, are the one who appears to be spoiling for a fight… not Tech.
Tech was simply addressing your concerns point by point and you took offense to being made to look like a fool. Tell me …“Are you a Democrat Boo?”
Hi!
On my program setting on my avast, I clicked on show avast tray icon and clicked on Animate icon when scanning. I know that avast is scanning email by it flicking, but the icon will not spin, is it working properly, can you help me. Thank you and take care.
Which icon isn’t spinning ?
The email icon doesn’t rotate and is just there during the email check, the avast ’ a ’ icon rotates when anything is being scanned by any provider, HDD files, email, web sites, etc.
You need onl;y hover your mouse pointer ofer the icon for a tooltip to show what is happening.
Wendy