Avast causes delays?

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Hello there,

at first I have to apologize,
My English is not the best, but I hope,
I’ll be able to express me and my problem.

Thank you for trying to understand me ;D

My PC “works” with:
OS: Windows XP Home SP2
CPU: Intel Celron 2.8 GHz
RAM: 1GB

I am using Avast 4.7.892 Home
My VPS-file is from… today.

The problem started this evening.
I have started a download an my PC begans to slow down.
It wasn’t much, just an upstream with about 50kbps and a download with around 120kbps.
Not 10% of my bandwidth was in use.

I checked the Task-Manager and “ashServ.exe” was causing more than 80% (varying) CPU-usage.

Where is the fault?
Had there been an update of Avast, that makes it hypersensitive?
Do I have changed a setting, which makes Avast checking everything twice?
Or did I just cached a Server who’s contend is better be checked?

I don’t know, I like Avast. I love how easy it works, but why is it so slow last time?

2

What were you downloading and how (P2P, Download Manager, etc.) ?
The ashServ.exe is the main scanning engine and during scanning will have a high priority and CPU usage to be able to quickly scan the file and hand back CPU cycles.

The avast icon should be rotating if the ashServ.exe is in use (CPU use), is it ?

3

Thank you for trying to help me.

Yes, it does rotate.

And I’m using P2P-Networks for downloading.

I know, that scanning files needs much CPU power,
but I can’t remember that it has been so much in the past.

Why now?

4

No trouble with your English… we can understand each other perfectly :wink:

Seems that the problem won’t be on WebShield… ::slight_smile:

How much time does that level (80%) take?

Which firewall do you use?

I don’t think so…

Which is your standard shield sensitivity level? High or Normal? The ‘Normal’ level should be the better balance between protection and performance.

5

Sorry I don’t use P2P, so is P2P-Networks an actual p2p application or what p2p application are you using ?

There are a few who have reported similar problems with one particular p2p application, but I can’t remember if that was uTorrent or not.

6

I thought torrent was torrent and p2p was p2p. :stuck_out_tongue:
Like Limewire or Bearshare is p2p while uTorrent, Bit torrent, azureus is bot torrent. hehe.

Anyways. I have this problem with ashServ.exe to.

Every now and then it starts using 80% cpu out of the blue. I’m just surfing on the web pages I allways surf on with no problem. and then it suddenly for 5 seconds takes all my cpu making the machine hang. Then it goes away, and maby 5 minutes later. it happens again. I dont even have to be surfing. My DL and UL is constantly at 0. I know this because DUmeter tells me. hehe.

Anyone know whats wrong?

I had this problem a while ago to.
Then I changed to a new program because I was sick of it.

And a couple of weeks ago I formated my pc, and decided to try out Avast again. And no problem.
Then some stuff happened sp I had to re install, and now the issue is back.

7

I’m using uTorrent and eMule
Just in order to find out if it works, not for personal reasons :wink:

Which firewall do you use?
I'm using the firewall, which is included in Avast. If there is no firewall... er...well, than I don't use a firewall ;D But I have a webshield in Avast, and a P2P shiled, Instant Messaging Shiled and so on. So I think, Avast has an firewall and I'm using it.
Which is your standard shield sensitivity level?
It is at "high", all of my shields are "high"
How much time does that level (80%) take?
I don't exactly know what you mean. I can move my mouse, but the mouse-pointer doesn't react, music stops, the PC doesn't do anything recognizable. (Would you please be so nice as to tell me how this is called in English? :) ) Afer a few minutes, everything becomes normal, but not for a long time.

Now, the download is closed and the Problem disappeared.
I hope that there was just somebody trying to send me a worm
and nothing serious is wrong. :smiley:

8

avast is an antivirus. It does not have a firewall. If you’re talking about NetShield, well it’s not a full firewall, just a way to avoid some worm infections.

Normal is the best balance… why don’t you try this on Standard Shield?

You’re describing the problem very good. It’s ok, delays are these symptoms.

9

I have a WebShield, a P2P Shield, a Network Shield, an Instant Messaging Shild
And you tell me, Avast has no Firewall?
Now I’m confused ;D

I’ve never found a single Virus, Troian, Worm or other funny stuff, by checking my HDD.
And this without firewall?

If Avast does all this without firewall, I’ll marry it ;D

If I’ll meet a delay, caused by Avast again, I’ll change the settings to normal.
So far, I just met one. Hope to never see him again :slight_smile:

Thank you for praising my English, my teacher would be glad to hear about it ;D
And thank you for yor suggestion, I will stick it at my screen.

Have a nice weekend, problem solved.

10

Better safe than sorry… at least, use Windows XP SP2 firewall (I suppose you’re using it…).
But, seriously, avast is not a suite, it is not a firewall :slight_smile: