Hi,
my Windows XP PC is running Avast 4.8 (version 5 makes no difference here).
After resuming from standby or hibernate, the PC keeps accessing the harddrive for minutes. If looks like Avast is responsible for this - after disabling Avast, this problem is gone…
What is Avast doing here with its hard drive scan after every resume from standby/hibernate?
How can I disable this, because sometimes my PC is blocked for minutes thanks to this constand hard disk access.
I also am interested in the answer to the question.
Also, each time I reboot, ashServ.exe runs at 1-3% of my fast cpu, spins its little icon, and busy’s the hard drive for 3-4 minutes. I assume Avast is scanning some files - but what files? Since rebooting 10 minutes ago, Avast shows that it has scanned over 3,000 files. On the Standard Shield, the slider is set to “normal”.
Yes, avast! is responsible for it, specifically the File System Shield. You’ll notice this happens when you turn on your PC or when it resumes from standby/hibernation.
What is avast! doing, you ask? The File System Shield is the main part of avast!'s real-time scanner, and it scans every file/program/process on your computer as they start running (i.e. when you log on after starting up your computer, or when it resumes activity). avast! does this to detect viruses and prevent them from running at startup.
For the most part, avast! is scanning necessary Windows files, things needed during startup, explorer.exe and other system processes. It also scans every other non-essential process that runs during startup, perhaps an instant messaging client or what have you. If you click the avast! icon on the toolbar and go to “File System Shield” under “Real-Time Shields” it will even tell you what the last file was it scanned along with a timeline of files scanned in the past few (I don’t know how many) minutes.
(Also: I’m guessing by “Standard Shield” you mean “File System Shield”.
(Also: Yay my first post!)
Hell! This blocks the PC, sometimes for minutes! McAffee, Norton AV etc. are not showing this undesired behaviour…
Of course I like protection, but a scan after each wakeup is not necessary at all.
How can I disable in Avast this scan after every PC wakeup? Maybe with an .ini switch?
Ummmm…you would not happen to have those also installed on this pc now, do you?
That would be bad.
Did you run the tools to fully uninstall those AV before installing avast?
Most of the times, just Add/Remove is not enough. Revo Uninstaller will be even problematic…
Of course. It applies to various physical and virtual PCs, clean Avast only (no other AV software was installed there previously).
Unfortunately, the problem occurs on plain PC with only Avast installed…
Hence, the questions still is: How can I disable the scan Avast performs automatically after resuming from standby or hibernate? Maybe there is an .ini switch?
Looking desperately for help 
Just change (or add) AlwaysConnectedWaitSeconds value into the [InetWD] section of avast5.ini file.
You could set the number of seconds to wait before attempting to update. The default is 30 but it may not be enough in some DSL systems. In this case, you can try increasing this e.g. to 60 (1 minute). That should be enough.
Sorry, now I’m confused: Is this Avast problem caused by the automatic execution of the File System Shield with its Real-Time Shields, or is it caused by the automatic signature update process?
From what I read here, I thought, this problem is caused by the File System Shield / Real-Time Shields behaviour after resuming from standby/hibernate…
Does your entry fix this issue?
Thanks a lot for support!
My fault. I’ve messed avast shields with avast updates.
There is no way to stop auto execution of the shields (if they’re ON). This will turn off the shields.
I use standby/sleep state a lot of times per day and haven’t noticed delays of avast.
Check the folder C:\ProgramData\Alwil Software\Avast5\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).
It occurs on every physical and virtual Windows XP and Windows Vista PC I use. On slower computers it can stop the system for minutes.
Why there is no option NOT to perform a real-time scan after waking up from standby/hibernate?
I definitely wan’t to block this, because it slows down or even freezes my PC for several minutes.
Check the folder C:\ProgramData\Alwil Software\Avast5\log Are there any files called unpXXXX (where XXXX is a random number) or *.mdmp there? If so, send them to vlk (at) avast.comOn my Avast 4.8 system, there is a folder C:\Program\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\log. It contains one unpXXXX file from 04/2009 with a size of 0.
Your computer has a problem. It should take 1-2 seconds… Never several minutes.
Are you talking about on access scanning (resident) or a scheduled on demand scanning (Windows Task)?
Anyway, it’s difficult to troubleshoot the old 4.8 version as nobody of us has it anymore.
Either that, or it doesn’t have enough resources to deal with running avast! while also resuming from standby/hibernation.
I’m relatively certain he means the File System resident shield. The one that scans every active file on his computer as they become active.
If I remember correctly, 4.8 is what I have on my laptop. It doesn’t freeze or even really react slowly when resuming from hibernation, or at least no slower than it did before I had avast! running.
Could be a conflict with other program.
The support for version 4.8 will end in the next months.
I’m pretty sure the problem is caused by Avast. AshServ.exe for example seems to produce a lot of activity. If I disable Avast, the problem is gone.
A conflict with what? It occurs on every XP, Vista and Seven PC I have, Originally I thought, the massive amount of hard disc activity a few minutes after waking up from standby or hibernate is caused by the Windows Search process, but this is already disabled.
There must be something Avast is performing on the hard disc a few minutes after resumung from sleep. I cannot image I am one only one that has this problem (on several, totally different PC)…
What is Avast doing a few minutes after getting back from standby/hibernate - and how can I stop this massive hard disk activity caused by Avast?
How many systems do you have?, It is virtually impossible to troubleshoot as you are not giving enough info to make a real pin-point judgement. And even if you did, if you have as many systems as you claim, it would take up a huge amount of space, and many users will simply pass by such a daunting task as trouble shooting at least 3 system types, hardware and virtual.
Summarize each system, including OS, service packs, Security programs, ram, disc space, …you see how much that would total? Each of your systems would need its own individual thread, with specs and separate setup logs or dumps for each.
Alternative; clean install on all of your many varied systems.
How 2?>>1. Get the Avast! uninstall tool>>
http://www.avast.com/eng/avast-uninstall-utility.html
2. Go get appropriate Avast! setup again,
3. Uninstall avast normally. reboot.
4. Use the removal tool. reboot.
5. Run Avast! setup. reboot (yes, again)
No, not at all. Because the problem occurs on so many diffent systems with diffent Windows OS versions, it is not a conflict with a certain 3rd party hardware or software that I may have installed as well.
Instead, it is a general behaviour of Avast. And I just like to know how I can tell Avast NOT to perform this massive hard disc access a few minutes after the PCs wakes up from standby/hibernate. What option or switch do I have to disable to get rid of this silly hard disc access-mania after every wakeup?
It is NOT a general behavior, sorry. There would be many(many) more people here with the same problem, especially across OS’s from XP to 7, heck even one sweeping bug across a single OS would be quickly evident.
My Win7 w/ AIS has not any problem coming back from sleep like you describe, i.e. “massive HDD activity that locks you from accessing disc”. Nor has anyone else I have seen post here recently.
Have you maybe changed any of the file system shields expert settings, i.e. the Sensitivity or Packers sub-sections?
In other words, do this on one of your systems:
Don’t skip any steps. Then, once you are absolutely certain that all remnants of previous avast! versions are gone, and you have nothing left but a clean install, see if you still have the same problem.
If not, you know then that the problem was due to not properly uninstalling previous versions, or perhaps a faulty installation altogether.
If you still are having problems, try to figure out what things all of your systems have in common. Installed programs and whatnot. Perhaps there’s one program you installed on all three systems that is causing a conflict, or perhaps on all three systems you just have so many programs that startup at the same time, that when avast! attempts to scan all of them as they start running, it causes lots of lag.