Scanning gets stuck on a random file

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Windows XP Pro 64 bit, Avast 4.7 home edition (Build 4.7.942), registered. Celeron D EM64T processor, 1 Gig ram, ECS motherboard RC410L/800-M with BIOS updated to support Celeron D of my stepping code.

Installed Avast, rebooted, logged in again and launched Avast. Memory scan is acceptable. Avast updates its database, main UI appears.

I select my local hard disk, begin the scan.
Scan makes progress up to file #100, then file names stop incrementing, file count stops incrementing. I waited 5 minutes, no change, still on file #100.

I press crl-alt-delete, taks manager shows avast is running. I wait 5 more minutes, Avast is not making any progress. The active graphic is still changing, but file #100 is still there, still shows the same filename.
I ended Avast.

I re-launched Avast. I update the virus database (was updated @ install, but maybe it needs normal update?) virus database was already current.

I checked settings, nothing seems overly strict… in fact, settings seem too relaxed, but I leave them for the time being. I select my local hard disk, start the scan… stops on file #79, similar to first attempt. Killed Avast using the task manager. Relaunched Avast, selected my hard disk, started scanning, Avast stops on #53.

I have reviewed my log, the only entry in the 7 categories is that my virus database was updated.

I searched here for help, searched for ‘stopped’. I found a user was advised to enable report generation, including good files. I enabled that feature as per those instructions, restarted scanning, again, scanning stops, this time on #40 something. Note that each time, the number gets lower and lower.

I believe the attached file is the proper file, but if it is incorrect, please advise.

HTH.

2

Yes, the report file is a good option; the progress/count shown in the user interface is updated after fixed time periods, i.e. it doesn’t have to display the same each time.
If you repeat the scan a few more times - is the report file always the same (i.e. with the same file at the bottom), or does it keep changing?

Do you start the scans with “Scan archive files” option enabled?
When avast! is stuck (doesn’t update the display anymore) - do you still see any hard disk activity? Does Task Manager show any CPU usage for the ashSimpl.exe process?

3

Ah. Interestingly enough, the display did update very rapidly until the random stop file was scanned.

If you repeat the scan a few more times - is the report file always the same (i.e. with the same file at the bottom), or does it keep changing?
Don’t know which file to use; not sure that I included the proper file, in my first post (you didn’t mention the file I included in my first post).
I am confused because “Avast control panel → menu → settings → report file” shows this path:

C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\report

but that is a path to a folder, that path does not refer to a file and that folder contains several files. Asking more directly: did I include the correct file in my first post, above? If I included the correct file, then I know which file to read…

Do you start the scans with “Scan archive files” option enabled?
I changed that option after the first failure, so I have tried each option.
When avast! is stuck (doesn’t update the display anymore) - do you still see any hard disk activity? Does Task Manager show any CPU usage for the ashSimpl.exe process?
Didn’t look… will get that info for you in a moment…

Scan Archive files is now off, I will perform a quick scan.

4

Ok… first of all… I have the answer to whether I’m reading the correct file.

Comment to ALWIL developers: this user had no idea where to find the report file until Avast successfully completed a scan. My first 3 attempts at scanning were deemed to have failed and Avast was stopped via task manager. Because of this, I never knew for certain the name of the file. Once a scan completed successfully, I was shown the name of the report file in the UI for the first time.

Second matter: Quick scan completed successfully:

*
* avast! Report
* This file is generated automatically
*
* Task 'Simple user interface' used
* Started on Friday, February 02, 2007 12:47:19 PM
* VPS: 000709-2, 02/01/2007
*

0 [+] is OK
Disk C: Boot Record [+] is OK
C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT [+] is OK
C:\CONFIG.SYS [+] is OK

>user snipped the long file list<

Infected files: 0
Total files: 11840
Total folders: 2853
Total size: 3.0 GB

*
* Task stopped: Friday, February 02, 2007 12:55:04 PM
* Run-time was 7 minute(s), 45 second(s)
*

(From reading the above report file, how can I tell what scan method was used?? How would support people know?).

Now performing a standard scan, Archives still disabled. Stuck at file 80.
Hard disk activity: not lit (LED does work).
CPU usage: 100%… oops, scan resumed, after Avast! being on that one file for well over 3 minutes!!! On a 3.33 GHz Celeron!!

Ok, I guess I need to accept that Avast! is working, despite looking like it is stuck on a single file for long periods of time…

Thanks, igor, for the assistance!!

5

Is there a particularly large file that it might be taking this time over ?

I have disk imaging software and I exclude the back-up image files folder on my 2nd HDD as they are in the region of 2GB, I do a scan prior to taking an image, so the risk of not scanning the image isn’t great. Perhaps a large media file, video edit, etc. which can be very large.

6

umm, no… the percieved ‘stopping’ was stopping on random files, not a single particular file… and I’ve posted that the issue was resolved in that the quick scan took almost no time AND fully completed, and I also mentioned the standard scan was able to complete.

I was impatient.

There is no issue here. (Jedi waves his hand in front of Imperial Storm Troopers… “These aren’t the 'droids you are looking for. Move along”). :wink:

Thanks for the pointer, though!

7

No problem, welcome to the forums.