My computer is theoretically very clean and efficient. I haven’t changed or added anything in months, but all of a sudden my keyboard and mouse inputs started lagging at times. Now I go to investigate the issue and I realize that Avast full scan is going suuuuuuuuuuuuper slow (scanning at 10% after almost an hour now). Everything else about my computer seems to be loading quite well, but at times when I start typing the letters don’t immediately appear and the mouse thing too…what can this be? I’m using a desktop, 3.0ghz dual core, 2gb ram, XP home
Did you actually schedule or start this Full System Scan ?
If so I would question the requirement for a regular Full scan and certainly not run it when you would be using the computer.
- With a resident on-access antivirus like avast, the need for frequent on-demand scans is much depreciated. For the most part the on-demand scan is going to be scanning files that would be otherwise be dormant or inert. If they were active files then the on-access file system shield would be scanning them before being created, modified, opened or executed.
I have avast set to do a scheduled weekly Quick scan, set at a time and day that I know the computer will be on, but I’m not likely to be using it for anything intensive. If for some reason my system wasn’t on, no big deal I will catch up on the next scheduled scan.
Is this actually the default Full System Scan, with no changes to the settings or a custom scan with additional settings (scan all files and or scan archives, etc.) ?
It’s the default scan. Anyway it finally finished after about 80 minutes and didn’t find anything. Any ideas anyone? My keyboard/mouse are still lagging. I’ve tried the standard moves: clearing cookies and rebooting.
There is insufficient information to compute, sorry couldn’t help myself ;D
The key factors like amount of data being scanned, what other processes are running (especially other security applications, anti-spyware,etc.), what you were actually doing at the time (any torrents, etc. running in the background) ?
Clearing cookies won’t make any difference as they are essentially inert unless you are browsing the site specific to them. Clearing temp files is always worthwhile before a scan, but the Full System Scan, shouldn’t be scanning many of these anyway.
When was the last time you defragged your hard drive ?
How long does it normally take, check the Scan Computer, Scan Logs ?
But I would certainly take notice of my comment about scheduling at a more convenient time and use the Quick scan.