I first installed Avast Antivirus a week ago. I noticed that my computer slowed down whenever I launch a new program. To find out what’s wrong, I found a previous post similar to my issue (from Aug 2006) here and downloaded Filemon. Filemon showed that avast4.ini polled every 30 seconds. Following the instructions on that post, I removed Avast and reinstalled it, now avast4.ini polls every 6 seconds! Wow, instead of fixing the problem, reinstalling actually made it worst! ??? Can someone help me? I am running Win XP Home edition. Thanks.
The .ini file reading will be checked - but in any case, it certainly cannot slow down the computer, no matter how slow the machine would be (i.e. the avast4.ini file access has absolutely nothing to do with any slowdown).
What computer do you have? How big is the slowdown, if you should estimate?
The slowdown may be a second, but it happens constantly–when I launch a new program, when I use Excel to make simple calculations, when I switch from one program to another, etc. Is it normal for Avast to be polled every 6 seconds? When I use the “Windows Task Manager” to view my CPU usage chart, I see a 2% CPS usage every few seconds even when I don’t have anything else running on the computer. When I disable Avast, that usage flattens. I didn’t notice these problems before installing Avast. Is there any settings I need to change on Avast to stop this? I remember this used to be a problem when I used Norton long ago. Thanks.
I actually had to uninstall Avast to see a difference. If I just select “Stop On-Access Protection,” Avast4.ini still polls every 6 seconds. After I reinstall Avast4.ini, I have File Monitor and Windows Task Manager running at the same time. Everytime there is a spike at Task Manager, File Monitor shows the followings (I’ve included 2 cycles of activities:)
1:10:47 PM ashServ.exe:1584 OPEN C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS Options: Open Access: Read
1:10:47 PM ashServ.exe:1584 LOCK C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS Excl: No Offset: 0 Length: -1
1:10:47 PM ashServ.exe:1584 QUERY INFORMATION C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS Length: 9533
1:10:47 PM ashServ.exe:1584 READ C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS Offset: 0 Length: 9533
1:10:47 PM ashServ.exe:1584 UNLOCK C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini RANGE NOT LOCKED Offset: 0 Length: -1
1:10:47 PM ashServ.exe:1584 CLOSE C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS
1:10:47 PM ashServ.exe:1584 OPEN C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS Options: Open Access: Read
1:10:47 PM ashServ.exe:1584 LOCK C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS Excl: No Offset: 0 Length: -1
1:10:47 PM ashServ.exe:1584 QUERY INFORMATION C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS Length: 9533
1:10:47 PM ashServ.exe:1584 READ C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS Offset: 0 Length: 9533
1:10:47 PM ashServ.exe:1584 UNLOCK C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini RANGE NOT LOCKED Offset: 0 Length: -1
1:10:47 PM ashServ.exe:1584 CLOSE C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS
1:10:47 PM ashServ.exe:1584 OPEN C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS Options: Open Access: Read
1:10:47 PM ashServ.exe:1584 LOCK C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS Excl: No Offset: 0 Length: -1
1:10:47 PM ashServ.exe:1584 QUERY INFORMATION C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS Length: 9533
1:10:47 PM ashServ.exe:1584 READ C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS Offset: 0 Length: 9533
1:10:47 PM ashServ.exe:1584 UNLOCK C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini RANGE NOT LOCKED Offset: 0 Length: -1
1:10:47 PM ashServ.exe:1584 CLOSE C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS
1:10:50 PM iexplore.exe:2760 QUERY INFORMATION C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\index.dat SUCCESS Length: 9928704
1:10:50 PM iexplore.exe:2760 QUERY INFORMATION C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\index.dat SUCCESS Length: 9928704
1:10:52 PM ashDisp.exe:388 OPEN C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS Options: Open Access: Read
1:10:52 PM ashDisp.exe:388 LOCK C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS Excl: No Offset: 0 Length: -1
1:10:52 PM ashDisp.exe:388 QUERY INFORMATION C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS Length: 9533
1:10:52 PM ashDisp.exe:388 READ C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS Offset: 0 Length: 9533
1:10:52 PM ashDisp.exe:388 UNLOCK C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini RANGE NOT LOCKED Offset: 0 Length: -1
1:10:52 PM ashDisp.exe:388 CLOSE C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS
1:10:53 PM ashServ.exe:1584 OPEN C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS Options: Open Access: Read
1:10:53 PM ashServ.exe:1584 LOCK C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS Excl: No Offset: 0 Length: -1
1:10:53 PM ashServ.exe:1584 QUERY INFORMATION C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS Length: 9533
1:10:53 PM ashServ.exe:1584 READ C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS Offset: 0 Length: 9533
1:10:53 PM ashServ.exe:1584 UNLOCK C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini RANGE NOT LOCKED Offset: 0 Length: -1
1:10:53 PM ashServ.exe:1584 CLOSE C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS
1:10:53 PM ashServ.exe:1584 OPEN C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS Options: Open Access: Read
1:10:53 PM ashServ.exe:1584 LOCK C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS Excl: No Offset: 0 Length: -1
1:10:53 PM ashServ.exe:1584 QUERY INFORMATION C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS Length: 9533
1:10:53 PM ashServ.exe:1584 READ C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS Offset: 0 Length: 9533
1:10:53 PM ashServ.exe:1584 UNLOCK C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini RANGE NOT LOCKED Offset: 0 Length: -1
1:10:53 PM ashServ.exe:1584 CLOSE C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS
1:10:53 PM ashServ.exe:1584 OPEN C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS Options: Open Access: Read
1:10:53 PM ashServ.exe:1584 LOCK C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS Excl: No Offset: 0 Length: -1
1:10:53 PM ashServ.exe:1584 QUERY INFORMATION C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS Length: 9533
1:10:53 PM ashServ.exe:1584 READ C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS Offset: 0 Length: 9533
1:10:53 PM ashServ.exe:1584 UNLOCK C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini RANGE NOT LOCKED Offset: 0 Length: -1
1:10:53 PM ashServ.exe:1584 CLOSE C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Avast4.ini SUCCESS
1:10:55 PM iexplore.exe:2760 QUERY INFORMATION C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\index.dat SUCCESS Length: 9928704
1:10:55 PM iexplore.exe:2760 QUERY INFORMATION C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\index.dat SUCCESS Length: 9928704
1:10:58 PM explorer.exe:1304 QUERY INFORMATION C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe SUCCESS Attributes: A
Well, you didn’t have to post the log - I have pretty good idea how it looks like. I repeat, however - the avast4.ini file access wouldn’t slow down your computer even if you had 386 running on 40MHz. So, if you’re saying that your programs are starting slowly, it doesn’t have anything to do with this.
Igor, I am still not getting an answer whether it is normal for Avast to poll every 6 seconds. I read on other posts that it is NOT. You’re telling me that Avast does not affect the performance on my computer, yet it is obviously doing something to it. My other computer running another anti-virus program does NOT have spikes in CPU Usage every few seconds as this one running Avast does, nor does this computer have spikes when Avast is removed. I have isolated, as much as possible, all the possible causes that can affect my computer, Avast is the only one that comes up as a suspect. I’ll install another anti-virus program on this computer to see whether this still occurs (I doubt it, unless it is Norton.) I don’t know what else to say b/c I am not getting any help from Avast at this point. Thank you.
Igor didn’t say avast is not causing the slowdowns. All he said is that the slowdowns are hardly caused by the avast4.ini file access…
It is much more likely that the slowdowns are caused e.g. by the actual on-access scanning. That’s why he asked if the avast tray icon ball is spinning or not.
Try stopping the avast on-access scanner. Does it resolve the slowdowns? (this is not a work around, of course - it’s just to find out the root of the problem).
Something that hasn’t been asked:
Have (or did) you have another AV installed in this system, if so what and how did you get rid of it ?
What other resident security based software do you have that might have an effect, e.g. Spybot S&D (TeaTimer), AdAware (AdWatch), SpySweeper, Spyware Doctor, PrevX, WinPatrol, etc. ?
No, I do not have other AV running. I had CA’s etrust before this and I removed it completely from my computer, even in the Registry. Stopping the scanning does not stop the polling of avast4.ini, only completely removing Avast does. I just removed Avast (2nd time today) and installed BitDefender. The problem went away. Filemon shows that BidDefender runs only when I access a file, not polling like Avast did every few seconds. Task Manager does not show the periodic spikes anymore either. A previous post in this forum (Aug) also mentioned that Avast had this problem with selected machines, but should have been fixed by now. So I don’t think it is on my end. I don’t want to spend any more time at this as BitDefender seems to be working. So thanks for your attempts, I wish you luck in identifying the problem.
Man, I’m sorry, but I really have to ask - did you ever read what I wrote in this thread? Or is my English that hard to understand for you?
The periodic access to avast4.ini file has nothing to do with slowing down the starting of programs. I did not say that the startup slowdown is unrelated to avast!; but if it is related, the real cause is elsewhere - the access to the ini file is just a “cosmetical issue”. That’s why I asked the additional questions - trying to pinpoint the problem. You, however, only kept going on about the ini file access…