Windows hangs after installing virus definition updates.

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Hello,

First of all, I hope all of you are allright and safe.

Support file ID is CWPDU.

Here’s a condensed description of the issue. Original detailed one is below. I hope it helps.

Win 7 64 Bit. The System hangs for 5 minutes right after a definitions update. During this time explorer and the system are pretty much frozen and Windows won’t restart. After 5 minutes all goes back working normally again. No error message is displayed. It does not happen with every definition update, just with some of them. I suspect Firefox has something to do with it as it was running every time it has happened. I’m forced to do manual updates of Avast to have more control over when the system hangs. I already tried repairing Avast and uninstalling/reinstalling it.

For further details, please refer to the description below.

ORIGINAL POST:

I’m a Win 7 Pro 64 Bit user and I’m opening this thread because I’d like to have some help with a problem that occurs upon updating definitions in Avast Premium Security.
It does not happen often but, when it does, it happens this way: just after Avast has installed a definition update, the system hangs for about 5 minutes, and then goes back to normal. More precisely, after it installs the update, the first Explorer window I open will show nothing inside of it and the loading bar in the upper part will continue to fill very slowly until, 5 minutes later, the window will finally show its content and the system will go back working normally again. During these 5 minutes the system is almost completely frozen; mouse works, but applications and task manager fail to open, although no error messages are displayed. Basically, I can’t do anything until the system unfreezes by itself.

And now the interesting part. I’ve been having this issue for well over two months, and it definitely seems to me that it’s occurring when Firefox is open (minimized or not). At least, I’m 90% sure of it.
I’d really like to hear what you may say because these system hangs are forcing me to manually update definitions, so that I can decide when I can have the system frozen for some minutes. If I let Avast update definitions automatically, the system can hang at any moment without notice, after definitions update installs in the background. It goes without saying that I’d really like to go back to automatic updates without having to worry about this happening.

Since the problem appeared, Firefox has been updated several times; I uninstalled and “freshly” reinstalled Avast, and also tried to disable HTTP3 in Firefox’s “about:config” settings, with no success.
I’m also in contact with Avast customer care for this same problem, but we haven’t found any solution yet. They suggested it could have been a system slowdown problem originated by the fact that I may not have sufficient RAM, but I really don’t think this is the case. I have an OCZ SSD and 32 GB RAM, and I never noticed any particular slowdown or heavy hard drive reading or writing when using Windows, even with scan sensitivity and scan priority set to high, both for manual scans and for the real time protection module. Actually, during those minutes in which Windows is frozen, it seems like the system is waiting for something, and doing absolutely nothing in the meantime.

Another important thing: I noticed today that some .mdmp files appeared in Avast’s log folder since the issue began and, looking at their dates, I have a strong feeling that a new .mdmp file is being created every time one of these hangs happens. I never needed to send any log file to Avast Customer Care and, even after some research, I was not able to open them. But I’m quite sure these files could be useful.

I hope I have explained the issue clearly enough; sorry for the post being so long, but I wanted to give you all the information I could.
The version of Firefox I’m using is 93.0, the last released.

THANKS A LOT for any kind help you guys can provide! :slight_smile:

2

You also can try updating your Graphics Drivers.
Since those are used by your browser and Avast.

I actually remember similar things on my Windows 7 not so long ago, but not just with Avast. Some other software was randomly affected too.

Turned out that my HDD was slowly dying, the access to some sectors was very slow.
Now I reinstalled Windows and everything I had on a new HDD, and no problem ever since.

3

Thanks for your reply InvisibleMan.

I’m quite sure it’s not the HDD because it works without any hiccup in all circumstances. Chkdsk does not detect any problem and, if it was the case, I think I would notice other malfunctions also, as it happened to you too.
As for the video drivers, I’m sure I updated them during the last two months, but I doubt they have anything to do with my issue.

I’m sure the answer is in the .mpmp files. I read in other topics that you can submit them for Avast support team to examine them but I didn’t find any clear instructions on how to do it.
I would submit those files immediately if someone told me how.

Thanks very much in advance to anyone who will answer :slight_smile:

4

I’m surprised nobody from Avast answered you by now and didn’t give you any instructions.

Here’s a comment what should be in your report details:

https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=306205.msg1659910#msg1659910

And here’s a comment with instructions (the link is there):

https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=306205.msg1660080#msg1660080

But it needs clarification:

https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=306205.msg1660119#msg1660119

So basically you download the support tool and follow the insturctions from here:
https://support.avast.com/article/33/

Leave the ticket number field empty, and fill in everything else, including the description of your problem, and a coorrect email.

Then post the File ID number here, and also wait for replies on your email (might take a few days).

The way to catch the problem for submitting is: while your debug logging would be on in Avast, you should manually update virus definitions and get your computer to freeze again so those .mpmp files are created freshly.

During submitting the problem, additionally attach (there is an option for that) those fresh .mpmp files to your report.

5

Today Avast support team replied to my last email asking me to send the logs. I used the support tool as they suggested, as it’s the first time I had to do it.
I did not enable debug logging in the settings and did not reproduce the issue, because I didn’t know I had to. I just thought that the support tool would have collected and sent the necessary logs which, I think, already contain information on what happened during the freezes, as the last of them happened just two days ago.

The big question is whether the .mdmp files were included in the package or not: I did not attach them manually but, in support tool’s options, i checked everything, full dumps included. However, I can’t be sure the .mdmp files were included and, if so, which ones (although the total size of all .mdmp files I have is 3,78 GB, and the support .zip archive, if uncompressed, is about 3,98 GB).

Maybe could someone be so kind to tell me if I did something wrong?

(InvisibleMan thanks very much again for the reply and the links, and for being willing to help :slight_smile: even if Avast’s reply arrived before)

6

You’re welcome!. :slight_smile:

I also recommend you to re-submit the issue, via that tool (you can describe the problem and your computer configuration there).
And keep DEBUG logging on this time, and reproduce the issue during the logging happening, right before using that tool.
Don’t foget to run the tool “as administrator” as it’s said in its description on that site.
And attach those files to your report (the ones most recently created after reproducing the problem).

If debug logging was disabled in Avast’s setting, it means that it didn’t really collect any debug data, so most likely your original submission wouldn’t result in solving your problem.

If you re-submit in the new manner, there’s a lot higher chance they’d be able to determine what’s going on on your computer specifically.

Could be some conflicts.

By the way, did you try using the Reapir option from Troubleshooting section of Avast’s settings?

Sometimes repairing can fix some weird issues.

7
And keep DEBUG logging on this time, and reproduce the issue during the logging happening, right before using that tool. Don't foget to run the tool "as administrator" as it's said in its description on that site. And attach those files to your report (the ones most recently created after reproducing the problem).

Hi, I submitted a new support file doing all what you said; now I just have to wait for the answer. Thanks very much for telling me how to do it in the most correct way.
As for the repair option, yes I did it some time ago when the issue had already appeared; I also tried to uninstall and reinstall Avast, with no results.

8

Then the issue is in some software combination (specific to your own computer) that results in conflicts with Avast.
Hopefully that report will allow the Avast developers to see what’s causing it.

At this point everything is possible.
Even something like your system file(s) being partially corrupted or even infected by a virus undetectable by Avast.

Or, it could be some update for Windows (or the lack of some update) that is responsible.

I don’t have all updates installed, but I always installed the most necessary security updates. I have the same OS you have and I have no issues with Avast.

It could also be a currupted installer file for Avast. It could be anything.

9

Hi!

Upon suggestion by the support team I did another uninstall / reinstall of Avast, this time using the uninstall tool which I didn’t use the last time.
They said that it seems some Avast files are still there even after the last reinstall. So I gave it a try, following carefully the instructions in the articles on Avast site.
I will monitor the issue tomorrow and write back if it’s still there or there are any news. I don’t know if they examined thoroughly the .mdmp files also; I suggested to do it in my reply.
I think the most likely thing, like you also said, it’s some software or setting conflict. The other scenarios you suggested are possible but not as likely, in my opinion. I always keep my system very clean and, for what it’s worth, System File Checker did not file any corrupted or missing files.

In one of your posts you suggested to write here the file ID of the support file I sent. Do you think it could help? I don’t see much participation in this topic, other than your replies for which I am very grateful :slight_smile:

10

It helps if it is there, otherwise there is no way to link the support file to your topic here. There are some Avast Team member monitoring things, r@vast most frequently in cases where a support file has been sent.

I’m not an avast team member, just an avast user like yourself.

EDIT: Typo.

11

Thanks a lot for your reply DavidR! I appreciate that.

The support file ID is CWPDU.
Unfortunately the issue is not resolved, as Windows hung again yesterday after a definition update. I made this support file right after that.
I attached also the .mdmp file which, as always, appeared just after the system unfroze. Do you think it could help if I uploaded it somewhere and link it here as well?

One more note:
Looking at the dump files’ time stamp, it also seems that they are created before the system hangs and not after, like I thought. It’s like Avast is freezing the system for 5 minutes just to save that .mdmp file or some other setting which, for some reason, is problematic).

Thanks for any new suggestion you can provide.

12

The resolution would only come after the support file you uploaded is analysed and if a bug/issue is found, then a fix would need to be worked out and released. This would ordinarily be done through the Engines & Virus definitions or Emergency update, depending on the issue and urgency.

Edit:
I have also tried to draw attention to your problem and support file you uploaded.

13

It would be great if someone could notice a conflict, a setting or anything else in the support files that could help to solve the problem. If a solution could be integrated in an engine/definitions update would be even better but I don’t ask that much for now :slight_smile: I’ll be just ok with any suggestion that could be useful.

THANKS a lot DavidR!! It’s very kind from you and I really, really appreciate that. :slight_smile:

14

You’re welcome, hopefully it will get the attention it needs.

15

Hi,

We have received the support file and Avast Support will continue to communicate with you via email.

16

Thank you very much, I look forward to your reply.

17

@ R@vast

Hello,
Today I received an email in which the support team suggested to check if the issue was still there after the 21.9 update. And yes, it is.
I really hope someone will check my last support file and, above all, the .mdmp file I attached to it. As for now, nobody told me anything specific about those files and it seems like they have never really been read, yet.

I look forward to your reply. Many thanks in advance for any useful information you can provide.