Question for someone from Avast… it seems that in the new version 6.0.1000 that scanning of PDF files especially in the boot scan are very slow compared to prior versions. Did anything change in this area in the new version?
Ref:
I scanned some PDF files and no problem there
Scanned 6 PDF files (about 81mb) and it took 2 seconds.
What are your computer specs? + Try to run some cleaning tools like ccleaner (http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner) and If this will not work then install avast! from scratch
XP SP3 2Gb memory. This issue ONLY happens on Boot Scan… regular scan is fine.
I run CCleaner regularly as well as Puran defrag.
This just started happening with V6
So It happens only in boot-time scan? Then try to repair avast! and if no help then reinstall avast! from scratch
Yes, only Boot Scan … fine otherwise.
I will completely uninstall Avast using the Avast uninstall tool and re-install tonight and see if anything changes.
Thanks
OK I completely uninstalled Avast and then ran ASWCLEAR.EXE to make sure everything was gone and rebooted. I downloaded and reinstalled a fresh new copy of Avast v6(free) and ran a new boot scan. Same very slow results and I did watch and get a couple of files that took 5 minutes each to scan. I let it run for 45 minutes and it was still on 1%. Again very slow on PDF files and I can send one (700k so I cant attach it).
I thought Avast would want to know about this and that it appears to have changed in V6.
Let me know if you want me to FTP these files along with the others I FTPd yesterday.
OK, looks like an issue. Hope that It’ll be fixed in future versions
Well, as I said elsewhere, nothing has changed in version 6 - because the boot-time scanner is exactly the same executable in avast! 5 and 6.
But yes, it’s possible that something has changed in the scanning engine (affecting both avast! 5 and 6 in the same way).
We’ll see what can be done about it.
Between 5 a 6 was changed only: settings for BT scan + 64bit support BT scan
Provided the behavior of the boot-time scan in avast! 5 and 6 is being compared, it’s obviously performed on a 32bit system - which is identical in both versions.
The settings are just a GUI stuff, the handling is present in the (identical) binary in both versions (and actually has been there even before) - and the default parameters passed there when scheduling the boot-time scan are the same.
How did you add new parameters to the boot scan in version 6 without changing the program? The new parameters allow for unpacking of archive files and scanning for pups.
I am not the only one having issues with PDFs…
The parameter for unpacking archives has always been there, and PUP scanning… probably as well? (it’s basically just a negative switch - PUPs are detected whether it’s set or not, just when it’s not set, the detection is later ignored).
Anyway, the parameter processing is in that one common executable - present now even in avast! 5.
As a comparison,I am running a full scan right now (not boot scan just regular full scan) and 30 minutes into the scan it is 21% complete.
When I ran the boot scan last night, at 45 minutes into the scan it was only 1% complete.
Why is the boot scan so much slower than a full scan that is running along with other things running on the PC ?
It uses a direct disk access (to find even rootkits hidden from the usual OS API) - and Windows disk caching doesn’t work for that, so file operations are slower.
Or, Windows disk cache is not yet initialized at the moment the boot-time scan is running, I’m not sure - but the result is the same.
I’m having the same issue in boot scan. It now takes over 2 1/2 hours to complete but the earlier version of 6 was just over an hour and half or so. My scan ran the last time for about 45 minutes and was only at 3%. This did not happen even in the prior versions of 6.
Igor, I would suspect something is not right in the V6 version… I am not alone… here is another PDF issue…
Yeah, I agree. Seems to be some kind of an issue with pdf scans on x64 systems. Maybe this: “Use “Process Monitor” i found that in such cases, the operation of the “IRP_MJ_CLEANUP” consume an unusually longer time.” is a hint as where to look at?
Hello,
try current VPS 110401-2. It maybe fixes the slow scan of PDF files during boot time scan.
Milos
I just did a boot scan and it as back to 1:38:00 again. What it was before.
Thanks!
Looks like my problem was resolved by virus definition version 110401-2.
I now run like before
My thanks to whoever found and fixed this issue