AVAST running 60% CPU, can't stop, can't uninstall, can't modify

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

For the last several days by AVAST Free Antivirus has been running at just under 60% CPU. If I shut the computer down it goes right back to doing it when I start it up.

Version 18.6.2349
Updated 8/22/2018

all according to Control Panel listing.

If I attempt to shut down the process through Task Manager it tells me that access is denied.

If I attempt to Modify from the CP in order to do a repair it did nothing the first time and now tells me that Setup is already running but doesn’t give me any other options except to view a Log file (which is blank).

If I attempt to Uninstall ditto ditto.

I downloaded the latest Offline setup file and ran it. The dark blue popup window with the thin blue timer scrolling back and forth is now running in the nmiddle of my screen but otherwise doing nothing.

I sure would like to get this to stop. I can hear it from my bedroom, running away all night if I don’t shut the computer down, running away now as I sit and try to work on my computer. It is distracting and presumably causing other issues since it is using two thirds of my CPU.

Any help would be appreciated.

PS Image verification on this message board is almost impossible to read. Tried it on two browsers, then went to “Listen” and could barely make out what the voice was saying on one letter.

2

I would suggest a ‘Clean Install’ of the Latest Version.

Clean Install of Avast:
https://goo.gl/4Ptzkf

Do you have any other Security Software Installed on the system?
If so, what?

3

I had CC Cleaner installed and running in the background but I uninstalled it before I posted. Didn’t seem to make any difference.

Did the clean install including removal from Safe Mode. Seems to have worked. Thanks very much.

4

You’re welcome, glad it works properly now. :slight_smile:

5

Hi Heresolong,
can you please capture a xpeft log and upload it to analysis ?

  1. Download xperf or wpa package it is win dependent so if you have win 7 download xperf for win 7 !

  2. Start cmd as admin and type to start profiling:
    xperf.exe -on DiagEasy+DISPATCHER+Profile -stackwalk profile+CSwitch+ReadyThread -start user -on 72AA3505-D4D6-4527-A088-92534DA1082C

  3. Stop profiling
    xperf.exe -stop user -stop -d heresolong_xperf_merged.etl

  4. Upload heresolong_xperf_merged.etl to ftp://ftp.avast.com/incoming

6

This started happening to me as well about a week ago. Tried doing the repair, disabled various components, but none of it helped.

Finally did a clean reinstall last night and so far, so good.

The interesting thing is that, while searching for info on this problem, I found posts 7-8 years old describing the same problem. Why is this such a frequent issue with Avast?

Someone could say “hey, it’s free so what are you complaining about”, but I pay for a 3 seat license. Expect that a product I pay for wouldn’t have the same issue happen over and over again for at least last 7 years.

7

Hi pantichd,

Welcome.

Much has changed in the malware landscape since 7-8 years ago. And Avast has changed greatly to meet these challenges since then.

  • Comparing issues (even if similar) would be like comparing apples to oranges; latest versions do so much more than the ones from 2012 and are more complex. Sometimes issues are created when an update is performed via internet where Avast announces a new version is available and some new/old files do not change as they are designed/supposed to on install and you choose that route to update.
  • Sometimes using the stub installer (online installer = 6.0 MB) does not work out as the customer’s internet connection may break at times or be a bit flakey.

Glad you worked it out. :wink:

What was posted is something to keep in mind. Personally, I prefer to do a clean install every time Avast announces a new build and make it a point to use the full downloaded installer instead of the online installer. I’ve found it saves time and aggravation. What’s called a clean install.

8

Does that mean you manually uninstall your existing AVAST version first? If so sounds like a lot of hassle just to update a program, any program, safely.

9

Yep.

Sounding like is not the same as struggling with an issue for hours/days when the real hassle can be avoided in as little as 10 minutes.

Avast is too mission critical to have running incorrectly.

10

+1
I agree and Mchain makes a valid and often overlooked point.
From my perspective Updating Security Programs with improvement code/components is always better done via ‘Clean Install’. It’s not like your updating Skype or something that has a minimal level entry.
I’ve always ‘clean installed’ any/all security software on my systems because of the depth they are inputted into the OS

11

Updating from last version to the next newer version is fine to simply update.
If what’s on your system is an old version of Avast and you now want to update it to the current version then I suggest
doing a Clean Install of Avast:
https://goo.gl/4Ptzkf
If you need additional help with the Clean Install, watch this:
https://youtu.be/p-h3myRD51A