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Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: Alter-Divide on May 13, 2009, 08:46:01 AM

Title: Avast home 4.8 standard scanner hangs
Post by: Alter-Divide on May 13, 2009, 08:46:01 AM

I've been using avast for many around 3 years now and I only started using the real-time scanner after I got hands on my first dual core which is just a 2 months now. It didn't have any problems except for some false positives(another problem altogether); The problem right now is that when I'm browsing folders, ashserv.exe will eat up my CPU and will lag down my pc to an unusable state until I can end it in task manager; the ashserv.exe that is.

probably relevant info

Windows XP Sp3 32 bit
Avast home updated to latest version
CPU load is at 40% due to my multitasking but no problems till 100% except for ashserv.exe

I would like to post a screen shot of it being a crash culprit but I couldn't even use paint in this situation.
I would post one if possible.

I would appreciate it if you can help me.

Title: Re: Avast home 4.8 standard scanner hangs
Post by: Tarq57 on May 13, 2009, 08:54:03 AM

Hi Alter-Divide, welcome to the forum.
What sensitivity levels to you have the providers set to? Particularly in the standard shield?
Was there any Antivirus installed on this computer before Avast, if so what?
What other security software is installed?

Title: Re: Avast home 4.8 standard scanner hangs
Post by: Lisandro on May 13, 2009, 02:35:54 PM

The guidelines for solving of the problem "ashServ.exe using too much CPU" has always been the same:

1. Check if the avast tray icon is spinning (while CPU usage is high)
2. If it is, click it (wait for the dialog box to open), and check which file is being scanned (the Last Scanned field); the Scanned Count value should be increasing (spinning icon means a scan is in progress)
3. Find out which of the providers is scanning the file (click "Details" button and check out the Last Scanned value for each of the providers). The most common providers that may cause this are Standard Shield, P2P Shield and IM Shield.

Title: Re: Avast home 4.8 standard scanner hangs
Post by: Alter-Divide on May 13, 2009, 07:09:29 PM

The only running scanner is the standard one set to custom.
The scanner is set to scan files on open not when created/modified.

The avast icon either doesn't spin at all or it will wait for more than 3 minutes then spin.
Clicking it isn't possible as it is unresponsive while the pc is in freezing lag..
Aside from Spywareblaster and Superantispyware installed but not executed, there are no other security software.
Simply, avast with the standard scanner is the only one running as a security app.

This only happened lately.

Title: Re: Avast home 4.8 standard scanner hangs
Post by: Lisandro on May 13, 2009, 09:49:16 PM

Hmmm... could be some Microsoft recent update, could be a firewall issue...
Did you try uninstalling avast and installing again?

Title: Re: Avast home 4.8 standard scanner hangs
Post by: Alter-Divide on May 14, 2009, 04:38:46 AM

I would do that as soon as possible. I'll also test it if that will solve the problem.

Title: Re: Avast home 4.8 standard scanner hangs
Post by: Lisandro on May 15, 2009, 12:14:43 AM

Quote from: Alter-Divide on May 14, 2009, 04:38:46 AM

I would do that as soon as possible. I'll also test it if that will solve the problem.

Post back the results ;)