Avast WEBforum

Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: aussiestefano on June 29, 2022, 01:32:39 PM

Title: Avast Service and high CPU
Post by: aussiestefano on June 29, 2022, 01:32:39 PM
I have the latest version of Avast Premium Security and I have a problem with Avast Service using a lot of CPU. I already tried a few solutions but every time I open a few tabs Avast service use more than 50% of CPU slowing my PC a lot. Is it a normal thing and if not what I can do to fix it? Thanks .
Title: Re: Avast Service and high CPU
Post by: Asyn on June 29, 2022, 01:45:40 PM
- Which version/build of Avast Premium..?
- OS..? (32/64 Bit..? - which SP/Build..?)
- Other security related software installed..?
- Which AV(s) did you use before Avast..?
Title: Re: Avast Service and high CPU
Post by: aussiestefano on June 29, 2022, 04:20:21 PM
22.6.2022
Windows 10 64bit
no other or previous antiviruses
at the moment I'm doing nothing and avast service is using 45% of CPU
Title: Re: Avast Service and high CPU
Post by: Asyn on June 29, 2022, 04:30:25 PM
Repair Avast:
1. Avast GUI -> Settings -> Troubleshooting
2. Click on 'REPAIR APP'.
3. Follow instructions.
4. Reboot.
Title: Re: Avast Service and high CPU
Post by: aussiestefano on June 30, 2022, 10:03:52 AM
worse than ever. I open a few tabs and avast uses 70-75% of cpu
Title: Re: Avast Service and high CPU
Post by: Asyn on June 30, 2022, 10:13:54 AM
1. Download Avast Premium Security: https://files.avast.com/iavs9x/avast_premium_security_setup_offline.exe
2. Follow instructions: https://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility (Run this tool for all prior installed Avast versions..!!)
3. Reinstall Avast with the downloaded installer from point 1.
4. Reboot.
Title: Re: Avast Service and high CPU
Post by: aussiestefano on June 30, 2022, 11:58:29 AM
Now it works well, thank you very much!
Title: Re: Avast Service and high CPU
Post by: Asyn on June 30, 2022, 12:24:49 PM
You're welcome.
Title: Re: Avast Service and high CPU
Post by: rnathan on July 02, 2022, 05:55:07 PM
I run Windows 10 Home and Avast Premium Security. Up to the end of June my CPU usage was showing at/near 100%, with Software Analyzer, Windows Explorer and several system tasks like scheduler contributing. Right clicking the Avast ball -> Update and a rather slow Restart gave me version 22.6.6022 (build 22.6.7355.731), and the problem has disappeared.

Best regards, Roger N.
Title: Re: Avast Service and high CPU
Post by: Stefano16 on August 26, 2022, 01:15:46 PM
I honestly don't know what do do with this antivirus, it uses so much CPU that I can't do anything else, every couple of days i do the uninstall/reinstall trick and then it's good but in 3-4 days it's at that level again.  My system is Windows 10 64bit, does this happen to others and what I can do about it?
Title: Re: Avast Service and high CPU
Post by: DavidR on August 26, 2022, 04:30:08 PM
Can you attach a screenshot of the Task Manager when this occurs  ?

Some information in your system could be helpful.
What CPU, is this occurring when doing something specific, because Avast is generally low resources.
See my signature below my post/s to see what my old windows10 laptop specs are, and I don't experience this.

Title: Re: Avast Service and high CPU
Post by: Stefano16 on August 26, 2022, 05:13:47 PM
It happens when I open a few tabs at the same time. I tried with Firefox and then Chrome and when I open 9-10 tabs I have immediately the CPU close to 100% with Avast service that uses 75-80%
Title: Re: Avast Service and high CPU
Post by: DavidR on August 26, 2022, 05:59:22 PM
Firefox is my default browser and I don't see this, currently have 11 tabs open and this is about normal for me and resources use is low see screenshot.

This is pretty much why I asked if you could post a screenshot and about your system.
Title: Re: Avast Service and high CPU
Post by: frankey999 on August 27, 2022, 10:06:01 PM
Hi,
I'm having the same problem.
I rebooted a couple days ago and suddenly I hover between 20-50% CPU.  If I do anything in my browser, click anything in any website, CPU goes to 100% as long as the browser activity continues.

Using Win7, 64 bit.  No other anti-virus.  Using Firefox, latest.  I also have Avast 22.8.6030.  No idea how I got this version.  I see from another post that 22.7 is the latest version.

I check Task Manager, Resource Monitor, and it says AvastSvc.exe is using 40% average CPU while not doing anything.

edit: forgot to mention I can't even login to this board with the computer, it keeps saying "a glitch in the matrix".  Needed to login using a 2nd computer.
Title: Re: Avast Service and high CPU
Post by: DavidR on August 27, 2022, 10:38:40 PM
The latest is 22.8 - https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=320917.0

As I mentioned in my reply to Stefano16 a screenshot would help try to determine what is getting involved.
As you can see from my screenshot I'm not experiencing this, so it would be a good comparison.
Title: Re: Avast Service and high CPU
Post by: frankey999 on August 27, 2022, 11:41:53 PM
Hi David,
I think you're requesting screenshot of task manager... but which screen in particular?

In processes tab, there is no activity, maybe 1 or 2% for Firefox.
In performance tab there is no indicator of what is getting involved, you only see the high CPU.

Only if you open Resource Monitor in the CPU tab does it show AvastSvc using at this moment 45% average CPU (sorted by average CPU).  Everything below that in the list is around .5%, iow nothing to see.

Is this the screen you're interested in?

Thanks.
Title: Re: Avast Service and high CPU
Post by: DavidR on August 28, 2022, 01:00:36 AM
See the image I attached (click to expand), essentially you are looking at the Processes screen (the first Tab in the columns) and the Avast processes in particular.

You can see I have included the other programs I have running above that showing what else is running.  With Avast being an on-access antivirus it is scanning activity, but there are other monitoring functions. Any high activity on other programs will result in increased activity by Avast (which would generally be AvastSVC.  It is an extremely long time since I used win7, so I don't know if the naming convention in the task manager is the same as win10.

For me the Program that uses most CPU and especially RAM is Firefox, now that activity would be being monitored by Avast Web Shield.
The problem with Averages are just that an average, with peeks and troughs. The image that I attached is actual real time.
Title: Re: Avast Service and high CPU
Post by: frankey999 on August 28, 2022, 08:45:02 PM
Hi,
Here is an image of Task Manager and Resource Monitor.
The system is idle.  Firefox is open but not currently doing any activity.  As soon as I click on a website, CPU goes to around 100%.

As you can see, sorted by CPU.
Thanks.
Title: Re: Avast Service and high CPU
Post by: frankey999 on August 28, 2022, 09:15:08 PM
Hmmmm.... I just rebooted and seems everything is back to normal.

This time when it came up Avast sent the message "we've updated your Avast... and a list of improvements and fixes".   Didn't do that last time.  Although last time it started the Avast browser (again), even though every time I click it not to start at startup.

But it's still at 22.8.6030, so I'm guessing it needed the reboot to finish some updates?

Anyway, thanks for your assistance... appreciate your support.
Title: Re: Avast Service and high CPU
Post by: DavidR on August 28, 2022, 10:32:34 PM
You're welcome.

Yes a program update needs to restart for changes to be applied.

OK, but What does the Application tab show (if this occurs again).

Unfortunately I don't use the Avast Secure Browser and I don't have it installed, so I can't help in that regard.
Title: Re: Avast Service and high CPU
Post by: frankey999 on August 29, 2022, 12:38:21 AM
The App tab only shows what apps are running, but doesn't show any low level stuff.

Maybe you meant the Processes tab, but like I said earlier, it also didn't show anything - max CPU was Firefox at 1-2%.

The only thing that showed anything was the Resource Monitor, like my image shows.

I also don't use the Avast browser, even though it frequently starts when I boot.  I wish they would fix that, but not a big deal.

Thanks.
Title: Re: Avast Service and high CPU
Post by: DavidR on August 29, 2022, 02:13:38 AM
Yes Processes.

For some reason I didn't see it in your image, so I was thinking the nearest you had on win7 system image you posted was Applications.

But aren't we looking for Avast Processes taking up CPU.
So if it isn't taking up any, so I don't know where Resources Manager gets its data, if as you mentioned this is an average I think it is skewed.  If avast were taking up that kind of CPU for a prolonged period you should be able to notice that without Resources Manager.  At that point I would open Task Manager as it is a live data for Avasts CPU activity.  And bare in mind what you are also running that would cause avast to scan activity.

Re ASB, you must have it installed or how could it start it (it isn't an integral part of avast antivirus) ?
Uninstall it if you don't use it.
Title: Re: Avast Service and high CPU
Post by: frankey999 on August 29, 2022, 02:31:49 PM
Hi,
You can see in the Resource Manager image that the actual CPU is 56% for AvastSvc.exe , while the average CPU is 48%.
As mentioned, this is sorted by CPU.  In a previous post I did mention average CPU.
Under that, you see services - Avast Antivirus running at 56% with average 47%.

I don't know where Resource Manager gets its data either, but I assume since you open it via the button at the bottom of Task Manager, (see image I uploaded) that it goes deeper than Task Manager and shows what Task Manager does not.

As I mentioned, the system was idle for this image.  There was nothing running.  And yes, it was very noticeable - every time I did anything in the browser, for example respond to a captcha, CPU went to 100%.... very very noticeable with response lagging for many seconds.  Sometimes things would timeout because of lag.  That's why I asked for help.

re ASB, I have never used it, and every time it pops up after boot, I go through ASB config and tell it to not start at startup, to no avail.  The check box to start at startup is always checked, and I always uncheck it.  But I know I'm not the only one seeing this, as I've seen other posts about this.

Everything is back to normal now, so I'm happy.

Thanks again.
Title: Re: Avast Service and high CPU
Post by: bob3160 on August 29, 2022, 02:43:47 PM

Uninstall Secure Browser via Programs and Features - Reboot
Run the removal tool, https://download.avastbrowser.com/avast_secure_browser_uninstall.exe
Avast has offered a separate tool to totally remove the Secure Browser if the above instructions don't work.
You can find that tool here, https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=230288.msg1531315#msg1531315 (https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=230288.msg1531315#msg1531315)
Title: Re: Avast Service and high CPU
Post by: frankey999 on August 29, 2022, 08:22:44 PM
Thanks very much Bob - I'll try it...
Title: Re: Avast Service and high CPU
Post by: bob3160 on August 29, 2022, 10:05:52 PM
Thanks very much Bob - I'll try it...
You're welcome. :)
Title: Re: Avast Service and high CPU
Post by: Stefano16 on September 08, 2022, 08:54:31 AM
So I disinstalled and reinstalled Avast and it worked for a few days then it started to have the CPU problem again. I posted a screenshot with the Avast service using 80% of CPU even if I wasn't opening new tabs or anything else. Now I disinstalled/reinstalled it again but it's really becoming impossible to use it, any possible solutions? Thanks
Title: Re: Avast Service and high CPU
Post by: bob3160 on September 08, 2022, 01:27:23 PM
@frankey999,
You've done a clean install of the Secure Browser.
Maybe it's also a time to do a clean install of Avast?
Please follow these instruction by first trying a repair:

Repair & Clean Install of Avast -> https://goo.gl/t7aJGq
Repair Avast:
Open the Avast User Interface > Menu > Settings > Troubleshooting > Repair App. > Restart the Computer or,
Control Panel> Program and Features (Add/remove program)>Select Avast> Select Repair. Reboot when completed
https://www.avast.com/faq.php?article=AVKB204

If Repair doesn't fix the problem, try the following:
If your Avast settings are not the default settings and you want them restored after the Clean Install, follow this before removing Avast.
https://goo.gl/TXjM7h
Clean Install of Avast:
https://goo.gl/4Ptzkf
If you need additional help with the Clean Install, watch this:
https://youtu.be/p-h3myRD51A