When I run avast home edition 4.8 on full scan it is locking up after about 35% complete, not always at the same file. I uninstalled avast and then redownloaded it but it still now occurs. It had been working perfectly for nearly 2 months and still appears to work in real time security. Do I have a virus? My computer knowledge is not great so I may be missing something obvious. My anti-spyware tells me there is no infection.
Thanks for any help :
The same thing happened to me just now, first time ever. I normally run the program with Thorough Scan at Medium Sensitivity but today I decided to run it with High Sensitivity. However, I don’t know if this is the cause of the freeze up. It blocked at 40%
I’d also like to know what the cause of the problem is!!
Florio
Ensure that you have the latest VPS as a similar issue has been rectified by this update VPS version 090110-0. I don’t know if that will resolve your problem but it is a good start point.
How exactly does it freeze? Does it happen always approximately at the same place/folder of the scan?
Do you see a hard disk activity (when it freezes)? Is only the program frozen, or the whole computer (possibly with mouse cursor)?
Additionally, you can go to the program settings and turn on the creation of the report file (with “OK files” to be included as well in the report). This way, you can find out where the scan really stopped (it’s going to be close to the end of the report).
After avast! disappears, check the end of the report file - the “troublesome” file is likely to be close to the end (close in the sense that this particular file will probably not be written in the report, but the previous one will be the last line, so it shouldn’t be hard to guess). We would certainly like to have this file - if it really causes problems to avast! - so that we could fix the problem.
The report file created (if you turned it on in program settings) will be (default location) at \Data\Report\Simple User Interface.txt
If it is the same “freeze” that I was reporting then avast just goes into a continuous loop, it reports nothing and it performed no more disk accesses.
Cleaned a load of stuff off the drives then ran Avast 4.8 again (and again). Both times it now worked O.K. I have no idea why it was acting up before but since it now works I am minded to let sleeping dogs lie.
The symptoms, for the record , appeared as described by Alanrf the computer itself did not lock up.
Thanks for your replies.
Sometimes, checking the CPU cycles into Process Manager (from Microsoft) can show which process is being a resource hog and, maybe, affecting the scanning performance (and even freeze). Other times, the problem is, indeed, into avast scanning itself.
Hi,
I am a new user, however, I cannot perform even a single virus scan eversince installation 2 days ago. It freezes whether quick, medium or thorough scan (6%, 2% and 1% respectively)…It is only the program frozen, the computer’s other functions seemed fine. I’ve got the latest VPS but the problem remains. I am not sure whether re-installation will solve the problem because the blue “a ball” indicates everything is running in order and up to date…Like Higenicdrive, I am wondering what is the problem?
TomT1
Then your problem is likely to be unrelated to the original poster problem which was resolved by the latest VPS update.
Have (or did) you another AV installed in this system, if so what was it and how did you get rid of it ?
What other security based software do you have installed ?
You can go to the program settings and turn on the creation of the report file (with “OK files” to be included as well in the report). This way, you can find out where the scan really stopped (it’s going to be close to the end of the report).
After avast! disappears, check the end of the report file - the “troublesome” file is likely to be close to the end (close in the sense that this particular file will probably not be written in the report, but the previous one will be the last line, so it shouldn’t be hard to guess). We would certainly like to have this file - if it really causes problems to avast! - so that we could fix the problem.
The report file created (if you turned it on in program settings) will be (default location) at \Data\Report\Simple User Interface.txt
Yes, previous AV is Norton Internet Security 2008 and got rid of through the control panel and then ccleaner. Other security based software are spyware doctor, windows firewall and defender.
Norton can be an absolute pig to remove, and I fear ccleaner may not be up to the task.
A link worth looking at, which is a program removal tool that can remove the remnants of a number of different Norton Programs:
Removing your Norton program using SymNRT
Spyware Doctor and Windows Defender shouldn’t be an issue. Though these two programs, don’t they do the same thing, anti-spyware, with resident protection ?
So I don’t know if they might have an interaction between one and other, likewise I don’t know if that might have an impact on avast scans.
There are some that don’t rate defender very highly (personally I have never used it) and if you have Spyware Doctor, perhaps you could remove Defender and install another on-demand anti-spyware/malware, like either of the ones below.
You could try disabling first one and run another avast scan, if the same happens, disable the other and try again.
Although avast is not perfect and can miss something, I think Spyware Doctor will be an extra overkill of the system performance.
Thanks for your replies. Sorry for not mentioning previously that I did use the Norton Uninstall utility (following your advice to other forum users), however, the problem remain…Windows Defender comes with the Vista OS for the new notebook and Spyware Doctor was recommended by a friend. The 2 anti-spyware did not cause any problem so far. Also, Avast was recommended as an alternative av and I was surprised that the new version also offer anti-spyware function. I will consider your valuable advice and see what happens…
No problem, glad I could help.
Welcome to the forums.