What is aswidsagenta.exe and can I disable it?

DavidR · 2017-02-11T10:46:39.000Z

avast472 post:13:

For me as just a user of the software for the last few years

aswidsagenta.exe means as much as AvastBehaviorShield.exe. I have no idea what either of them means.

When I search for the latter it doesn’t seem that new.

Surely it gives you more of a clue - Avast Behaviour Shield - You open the avastUI and go to Components - Behaviour Shield open the settings for it and click on the ? (help) icon. That tells you what it does, but aswidsagenta.exe gives you not one clue as to what it is.

However, a google search for aswidsagenta.exe may tell you it is the Avast Behaviour Shield. It may even lead you back to this topic

So a more meaningful file name can only do so much, we can’t have a paragraph for a file name.

system · 2017-02-11T14:49:36.000Z

I actually wasn’t that interested in the name (after all Windows isn’t exactly transparent) but what it did and like the original poster, could I switch it off.

As for delving into the bowels of Avast :o By the time you have found the UI, Components, Brhavior Shield, Help there are so many windows open, all the same colour scheme and each with its own close button, it’s bewildering.

I wonder how I managed with no interchange before the last (or was it) update…

Asyn · 2017-02-11T14:58:10.000Z

avast472 post:18:

…but what it did and like the original poster, could I switch it off.

→ https://blog.avast.com/the-core-security-components-of-avast-2017

BurnIT · 2017-02-20T01:09:13.000Z

It would have been nice to have been told about it rather than just discovering a new process!!

Hun_Bolt · 2017-02-20T15:50:32.000Z

It is the process for the new Behavior Shield component. In the next update, it will have the appropriate description already. Identity Protection is the legacy name that was left there by accident.

Eddy · 2017-02-20T16:01:54.000Z

avast did tell about it.
In their blog (and other places on their website), in the release history, etc.

bob3160 · 2017-02-21T14:21:36.000Z

Eddy post:22:

avast did tell about it.
In their blog (and other places on their website), in the release history, etc.

https://blog.avast.com/behavior-shield-our-newest-behavioral-analysis-technology

system · 2017-02-24T15:10:48.000Z

RejZoR post:9:

I mean, by using avast!, you’re allowing them to keep it up to date with newest technologies. That’s the whole point of even using antivirus. To have it always fully up to date and ready to combat new threats. Behavior Shield is an amazing tech with outstanding protection capability. Why wouldn’t you want to have that? Aren’t you using avast! to be protected?

As for your heart sinking, why? Wouldn’t you want processes in Task manager to have meaningful name instead of “aswidsagenta.exe” ?

T SOMEONE WITH AVAST ANSWER THE MAN’S QUESTION???

bob3160 · 2017-02-24T17:05:26.000Z

Kenny29 post:24:

RejZoR post:9:

I mean, by using avast!, you’re allowing them to keep it up to date with newest technologies. That’s the whole point of even using antivirus. To have it always fully up to date and ready to combat new threats. Behavior Shield is an amazing tech with outstanding protection capability. Why wouldn’t you want to have that? Aren’t you using avast! to be protected?

As for your heart sinking, why? Wouldn’t you want processes in Task manager to have meaningful name instead of “aswidsagenta.exe” ?

T SOMEONE WITH AVAST ANSWER THE MAN’S QUESTION? ??? ?

Don’t have a clue what you are “shouting” about. ???

system · 2017-03-14T18:36:09.000Z

I look at my task manager and find the filename, and the explanation “Identity Protection Service,” and I’m concerned. I see something I didn’t sign up for. I bother with malware protection in the first place because I care about my system’s health. There’s no value in snarky remarks from the experts. If we had time to be experts, we’d be in the expert business. We have other things to occupy our time and minds, but we still care enough to do our homework, and find this occasionally helpful site. Helpful comments are appreciated; looking down your nose at us won’t earn you any more credit than it does in your social circles.

bob3160 · 2017-03-14T23:56:09.000Z

Jim225 post:26:

I look at my task manager and find the filename, and the explanation “Identity Protection Service,” and I’m concerned. I see something I didn’t sign up for. I bother with malware protection in the first place because I care about my system’s health. There’s no value in snarky remarks from the experts. If we had time to be experts, we’d be in the expert business. We have other things to occupy our time and minds, but we still care enough to do our homework, and find this occasionally helpful site. Helpful comments are appreciated; looking down your nose at us won’t earn you any more credit than it does in your social circles.

Why are you concerned, it’s one of the Avast shields that’s keeping you safe.

http://screencast-o-matic.com/screenshots/u/Lh/1489535718560-37365.png

system · 2017-03-18T11:03:47.000Z

The main reason people get concerned is when they face something unexpected in familiar places.
Like seeing some aswidsagenta.exe in process monitor or flagged by the 3rd party firewall for the first time, when it trying to access internet - yes, some people do use the 3rd party firewalls, and, no, I am not suggesting, advertising 3rd party firewalls.
And the person asked if this aswidsagenta.exe can be disabled or, more specifically, is safe to disable without really compromising the status person had prior to introduction of this new component (or revamping of the old one, whatever the case).
Instead some of you went to lengthy and useless discussions of naming your software components more user-friendly, telling everyone off to go search the forums and press-releases and whatnot - do you really expect the Regular Joe to do all that and read all your blogs, forums, etc. when your software does its work without any problems?
The thing is, what was written two pages later really shows the component that has to do with the question and even after that you still can’t contain yourself: “Why are you concerned, it’s one of the Avast shields that’s keeping you safe”. Why not adding “, dummy!” to the end of this phrase to really tell them, what you think?

bob3160 · 2017-03-18T13:10:07.000Z

stepanhoe post:28:

The main reason people get concerned is when they face something unexpected in familiar places.
Like seeing some aswidsagenta.exe in process monitor or flagged by the 3rd party firewall for the first time, when it trying to access internet - yes, some people do use the 3rd party firewalls, and, no, I am not suggesting, advertising 3rd party firewalls.
And the person asked if this aswidsagenta.exe can be disabled or, more specifically, is safe to disable without really compromising the status person had prior to introduction of this new component (or revamping of the old one, whatever the case).
Instead some of you went to lengthy and useless discussions of naming your software components more user-friendly, telling everyone off to go search the forums and press-releases and whatnot - do you really expect the Regular Joe to do all that and read all your blogs, forums, etc. when your software does its work without any problems?
The thing is, what was written two pages later really shows the component that has to do with the question and even after that you still can’t contain yourself: “Why are you concerned, it’s one of the Avast shields that’s keeping you safe”. Why not adding “, dummy!” to the end of this phrase to really tell them, what you think?

So you asked for help, I assume you’ve now gotten your answer and instead of a simple thanks,
you jump to conclusions. No one ever called you a dummy. You would have been one if you hadn’t asked a
question about something that concerned you.

system · 2017-03-18T17:58:04.000Z

bob3160,
I do thank you for telling what component has this .exe file.

system · 2017-05-16T00:15:49.000Z

I just wish I had known it was part of the Antivirus as there is nothing about the name that would tell me up front. I had to look it up online. I looked it up because it as causing a bottleneck on my HDD…

Eddy · 2017-05-16T00:24:28.000Z

Kenny29,

instead of shouting, read the replies in this thread.
Someone from avast already did answer the question.

system · 2017-05-17T02:22:15.000Z

I removed the Behavior Shield component, but now Avast is saying that some shields are turned off:

https://s16.postimg.org/gwzvgj4tx/avast2.jpg

This message would only be pertinent if the behavior shield was installed and turned off, but since the component is removed, it should not show an exclamation mark in the taskbar icon nor should it show this message.

I had to disable the behavior shield because I suspect that it was causing msvcr70.dll crashes on an old game I play.

Asyn · 2017-05-17T07:19:15.000Z

phehojoc post:33:

I removed the Behavior Shield component, but now Avast is saying that some shields are turned off:

This message would only be pertinent if the behavior shield was installed and turned off, but since the component is removed, it should not show an exclamation mark in the taskbar icon nor should it show this message.

Hi, it’s a known bug. Devs are working on it.

Pavel125 · 2017-06-13T13:10:34.000Z

I have problem with aswidsagent.exe - 100% cpu. Behaviour shield is disable.

I have Avast for Bussines, basic.

(sorry for my english)

bob3160 · 2017-06-13T13:13:10.000Z

Pavel125 post:35:

I have problem with aswidsagent.exe - 100% cpu. Behaviour shield is disable.

I have Avast for Bussines, basic.

(sorry for my english)

Repair Avast:
Control Panel> Program and Features (Add/remove program)>Select Avast> Select Repair. Reboot when completed
https://www.avast.com/faq.php?article=AVKB204

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