Today Avast told me it needed updating, so I let it (it’s now 2015.10.2.2215). After it rebooted my laptop I found my fan constantly running and a process called awsfe.exe using around 40% CPU. This continued for a good half an hour until I started investigating.
I read some threads on here that suggested it was a feature called “Avast NG”. I followed some instructions to remove it from Control Panel, except there was no feature called “NG” in the list. I assume it’s now been rebranded as the “Secure virtual machines” feature. I removed all items under the “tools” heading, and the nuisance is now gone.
My question is not so much “what happened?” as “why?”. Why is it necessary to install new and obviously unreliable features by stealth, without asking the user, when they apparently perform no useful function, other than to make life more awkward for them. Most of us don’t want to dedicate half the processing power of our computers to fancy AV features that the developers thought would be “cool”, we just want to avoid infection with viruses and malware that come from external sources. It’d be really nice if AV software would just get on with that job, unobtrusively, with the smallest possible footprint.
I realise this reads like a rant. It isn’t meant to. If there was any sensible information about what “NG” or “DeepScan” do within a structured help file, I would be better able to read about them and decide if I want these features. Similarly with all the other items in the “tools” list. Clicking the ? icon on the top of the “change” dialog under the control panel → change / uninstall dialog merely brings up an 8 line HTML page which explains the basic functions of the change / uninstall etc. options, no detailed information. It seems the obfuscation must be deliberate - scare the user into thinking they need every tool, because they don’t know what each one is for.
I’m much happier now that I have a leaner installation. I wish I had been guided more proactively by the vendor to choose the right options, rather than having to do so to preserve the usefulness of my system, and my own sanity.
Today Avast told me it needed updating, so I let it (it's now 2015.10.2.2215).
Best is to perform a clean installation of the latest version.
https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=169255.msg1203279#msg1203279
Why is it necessary to install new and obviously unreliable features by stealth, without asking the user
Only if you perform a default installation. You could have chosen for the custom installation. Which is advised to always.
to fancy AV features that the developers thought would be "cool", we just want to avoid infection with viruses and malware that come from external sources
That is what the NG is helping with.
If there was any sensible information about what "NG" or "DeepScan"
There is a lot of information on this webboard as well as on the avast blog website.
I wish I had been guided more proactively by the vendor to choose the right options
This isn’t a new installation. I’ve had Avast installed for 2 years. Today, for reasons best known to the designers, they decided to install an additional feature which trashed my computer.
I’ve been unable to find any easy to read information that describes how, and why it’s better than what went before.
Actually, there isn’t, at least on here. I’ve not found the “avast blog website”. This is my first venture onto this forum, and I found it by a google search. Interestingly, there appears to be no link to either site from the Avast UI. If you can point me to the blog website, I’ll be very grateful.
I did. The results were very unsatisfactory. Hence this post.
I think maybe I’ll rip Avast out and re-install. I’m not sure what the abortive installation of NG will have left behind. I’m not keen on the idea of there being half-installed virtual machines lying around. Obviously either this solution doesn’t install cleanly, or my hardware is not really up to running it. Either way, I’m going to continue to live without it. I’ll make use of your link, thanks.
