AvastSvc.exe using 60% CPU

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Hi,

This problem started yesterday…AvastSvc.exe is taking between 50% and 60% of CPU cycles…turning my machine into a slug. I am using Win XP-Pro service pack 2. Avast ver. 6.0.1367. Any suggestions appreciated.

2

Hmmm… The guidelines for solving of the problem of using too much CPU has always been the same:

  1. Check if the avast tray icon is spinning (while CPU usage is high)
  2. If it is, click it (wait for the dialog box to open), and check which file is being scanned (spinning icon means a scan is in progress)
  3. Find out which of the providers is scanning the file for each of the Shields.

Please download: http://download.sysinternals.com/Files/ProcessExplorer.zip
Run it as administrator, find “AvastSvc.exe” process (avast! service) and when it’ll use high CPU, right-click it and choose “Create dump > Full dump”. Then compress the dump file and upload it to ftp://ftp.avast.com/incoming/.

You can also use http://public.avast.com/~vlk/hangrep.exe to generate a manual dump of the application (in this case, avastSvc.exe

3

Hi,

Thanks for the quick reply. The icon is spinning but when I open the interface it does not indicate that a scan is happening. I tried to create the dump file but was denied permission even though I am administrator. This is becoming wat too much of a pain. Thanks anyways, I am removing avast form my system.

4

I suggest an installation from scratch:

  1. Download the latest version of avast! Uninstall Utility and save it.
  2. Download the latest avast! version and save it.
  3. Uninstall avast from Control Panel (if possible). If, for any reason, you can’t run it, try booting in Safe Mode and doing it from there. Anyway, boot after that.
  4. Run the avast! Uninstall Utility saved on 1 in Safe Mode. Boot after you’ve run it. Repeat this for any major avast! version you have ever installed/upgraded in your computer.
  5. Install avast! using the setup saved on 2. Boot.
  6. Register your free copy or add the license key for Pro. Or even upgrade your key from old versions.
  7. Check and post the results. If, for any reason, you did not solve, try doing the step 3 in Safe Mode anyway.
5

Hi, I have the same problem, on a brand new installation (well, two days since I reformatted the hard disk). Didn’t notice a problem yesterday. Today, machine very unresponsive, and when I checked task manager, avastsvc is taking 20-90% of CPU at any give time, and has been doing so for at least 30 minutes now. System tray icon is spinning some of the time but by no means all. Can I try the Process Explorer suggestion too, please? I have been using Avast for a couple of years now and this is new to me.

6

sparge, it won’t hurt to test.
But, did you install Windows from the DVD or you’ve restored a system image (backup)?

7

I installed Windows SP2 from CD, then installed Avast and Malwarebytes AntiMalware from software archive, then updated to SP3 via Internet.

I have some new information. I realised that Windows was installing 8 updates when Avast was gobbling up so much CPU. To do with .NET SP4 from what I could see when I peeked once or twice. (Not that I think that is a good reason for Avast to be using so much CPU constantly for so long, but I can see that it is almost certainly implicated). Since the reboot, it has been OK, so far. I will keep an eye on it and try to obtain a dump as per instructions if it starts to get greedy again.

8

I have exact same problem, just started today, I have a 4core cpu but it is maxing out 1 core, PC has slowed to a crawl,avast icon is not animated,and have rebooted twice.

9

Here as well, seeing one core pegged at near 100%. Additional data:
WinXP Pro, SP3, Avast! Pro with definitions (120210-0) and program (6.0.1367) up to date. Comodo (5.9.221665.2197) running as the system firewall.

  1. Stopping the Avast! Antivirus service brings CPU usage back to normal (as expected).
  2. After a boot or after re-starting the service, CPU usage is normal for the first eight minutes.
  3. Eight minutes after boot or starting the service, one core is pegged again.
  4. Stopping the real-time shields has no effect. No events are logged with the shields.

From what I can gather, the “eight minutes after boot” symptom indicates that the issue is related to a rootkit scan and that the scan typically takes a minute or two to complete. Apparently, however, it is getting stuck in an endless loop since it never seems to come out of the “full CPU load” mode.

10

Problem resolved with the latest definitions file 120211-0.

Now, on with your regularly scheduled Saturday!

11

I still have this problem, and I have faced it in most of the computers I fixed in this month. I have created a minidump, but how can I upload it to the FTP?
This has happen to computers brought back to life via Norton Ghost, and they are different chips and companies, some are AMD, some are Intel, but all of them are Windows 7 x86. Avast was 200 days or more out of date, and after updating the program this started to happen. The Ghost images are different dates and different sub versions of windows 7, I have tried a clean update as well, but the problem remains, as many have stated above, CPU goes to 100% for long time out of nowhere, no scan is being carried out and no shield seems to be responsible for the issue. the Dump has been made with Process Explorer.

EDIT: I learnt how to upload to FTP, I am in process of uploading the fulldumps to the FTP stated above.

12

Hi, I had that problem too on a Windows 7 Home Premium, latest version of avast: 8.0.1483

FOUND A SOLUTION

In my case it is related to avast screensaver, which seems to continue the scan even though the the screen saver is not running any more. Though it doesn’t happen consistently, but often enough, guessing like 50% of the times screen saver goes on.

It won’t show in the avast Interface. I found it only by chance… close to give up on avast…

Here is how i deactivated the untamed screensaver:
Scan any file through the context menue with avast.
In the scan result window you will get a list of currently running scans, including the screensaver scan (if it is the culprit), with a stop button.

Good luck

13

http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/screenshots/u/Lh/1363794531997-76106.png

Where exactly do you see the “list of currently running scanners” ???

14

Hi Bob
As you don’t see the screensaver in the avast scan window I would assume that your problem is not the screensaver… Good luck in finding it.

For me it doesn’t reoccur anymore. It seems with the last update the problem was solved…