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Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: DavidR on March 29, 2011, 04:01:34 AM
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As the title says, this has been happening for a while today and it is cycling over and again, confirmed in log file, image1.
At first I though what is this Bing Bong sound every now and then, I didn't twig what it was eventually I got fed up and did some rooting around. I checked the task manager and avastSvc.exe was running at 40-50% (image2) whilst it wasn't having a major impact on what I was doing.
The avast tray icon wasn't rotating and on activity in any of the avast shields. So I opened up the Scan computer interface and say that a Full System scan was running. Now I have a scheduled scan set for the 1st of the month, so it shouldn't be that. But that was it as soon as I opened the section the scan in progress window was displayed.
Scratching my head, checked that the system date was correct 29/3/2011 and time correct.
Stopping the scan was no good, it just started another one and another one and another one ad-infinitum. Pausing the scan was the only option left that didn't regenerate the scan. Though even with the scan paused avastSvc.exe is still eating around 40% of CPU, so I don't know if there might just be another one running in the background again. The time I have been gathering the information, images, etc. and scan should have completed, but no bing bong sound indicating completion, so perhaps no other scan running.
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There have been some reports of high avastSvc.exe CPU in the forums and they have been unable to find the cause and ended going back to the 6.0.1000 stable build, perhaps this is what is/was going on with their systems.
Unfortunately this is on my XP system so I can't try the Create Dump file.
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Just checked my win7 netbook and the same thing is going on with the full system scan cycling again and again. I have just created an AvastSvc.Dmp file (185,995B) from the win7 task manager and will be uploaded to the FTP location as DavidRAvastSvc.7z (39,868KB)
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Well try a reboot and see what happens, rather do that than stopping the avastSvc service.
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On a Full System scan what happens to the scheduled Full System Scan when you have the scheduled scan set for the 29th, 30th or 31st of the month and the month has fewer days in it than the scheduled scan date; e.g Feb?
Does Avast just skip that scan for Feb?
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I have my scan set for the 1st of the month (at 1am, me and my computer is normally up at that time) always one of those, so I haven't got a clue what it would do or anyone would be daft enough to schedule it for the 31st. Aside from that nothing to do with this topic, so lets not stray off-topic.
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Back to my dilemma, reboot didn't do any good as son as the system was up the scan was off and running again.
I couldn't stop the scan and get into the settings (it was too quick in starting another scan) and check the settings.
In the end I had to go into avast5.ini and cut the full system scan out of the tasks. Rebooted and no scan, checked the Scan Computer settings and had a weird ???? scan name, presumably because I hacked out the scan details and failed to remove the associated Task ID.
Act in haste, repent at leisure, could just have changed the SchedulerEnabled=1 to SchedulerEnabled=0 and that would have killed the scheduled scan. This is what I did on the win7 netbook after the above fiasco and rebooted and no scan.
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Well now to the next part of the saga for some reason I can't upload the ftp://ftp.avast.com/incoming (ftp://ftp.avast.com/incoming) location with FireFTP or with IE drag and drop. So I have tried connecting vis windows explorer and dragging and dropping the file into the window, that appears to have worked but there is no confirmation that it has.
So I will leave my system on for a while to ensure the DavidRAvastSvc.7z (39,868KB) file has enough time to upload.
It's now a little after 4:45am a bit past my bed time ;D
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I have the same problem - only started last night! I have XP SP3 and use Firefox 4! I seem to remember getting a message from Firefox telling it couldn't update (or couldn't check for updates - I'm not sure which!)
Ever since Avast keeps running scans one after another and is swallowing my CPU!! Please Help!!
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It has nothing to do with your browser, but the most important part of the issue is what avast version are you using ?
e.g. the regular release 6.0.1000 or one of the pre-release versions like 6.0.1044 referred to in the Topics Subject ?
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Same problem here, endless loop of full system scan (not planned today) with release 6.0.1000 on Windows Vista, using >50% of CPU.
What I also notice there is no 'settings' button for that scan, which perhaps indeed is because it starts scanning again so quickly after 'stop'
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You can't get to the settings, whilst a scan is running, even paused you can't change the settings.
There was too little time between me Stopping the scan, clicking OK to expand the more details link to get into the settings to uncheck the Scheduled option.
Now I edited the avast5.ini file as outlined above, but that if you mess up could be curtains if you stuff up.
Finding the actual scheduled scan isn't too difficult find the one with "ScanAreas=AllHarddisks;*RTK-QUICK;QuickStartupMem" (without the quotes), that is/should be the one for the Full System Scan. Confirm that it also has SchedulerEnabled=1 (scheduled) and that should be changed to SchedulerEnabled=0 (not scheduled).
That when rebooted should hopefully stop this scan.
You could also try booting into safe mode, avast doesn't run in safe mode, so you should be able to start avast manually, to do a scan, that should allow you to access the Scan Computer interface and open the Full System scan, more details, Scheduling and uncheck the 'Schedule this scan.' OK those changes, but don't complete the scan.
Boot into normal mode and see if that has resolved the scheduled scanning and looping, this is safer than modifying the avast5.ini file.
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I had the same thing happen last night; Full system scan scheduled to run monthly and started at midnight and kept running over and over (according to logs). I was finally able to get it to stop long enough to access the settings and turn off the scheduled full system scan. Using version 6.0.1000 on XP SP3.
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I had the same thing happen last night; Full system scan scheduled to run monthly and started at midnight and kept running over and over (according to logs). I was finally able to get it to stop long enough to access the settings and turn off the scheduled full system scan. Using version 6.0.1000 on XP SP3.
Thanks, I just did the same, what a relief!
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I had the same thing happen last night; Full system scan scheduled to run monthly and started at midnight and kept running over and over (according to logs). I was finally able to get it to stop long enough to access the settings and turn off the scheduled full system scan. Using version 6.0.1000 on XP SP3.
It's hard to say what might have triggered it, if it were in the code of 6.0.1000 and later builds, then I would have expected it to happen to many more people (and seen it in the forums) as 6.0.1000 was released a little over a month ago.
Then it would be how many have a monthly scheduled Full System scan enabled and why it didn't happen at the last month ???
I wonder if there have been any change in the engines in the 110328-0 or 110328-1 virus definitions & engine updates that might have triggered this. But that is doubtful as that surely wouldn't effect any scheduling.
I hope that the information I have provided here and the avastsvc.dmp file I uploaded will help to get to the bottom of it, now it is a bit of a waiting game for the developers to intervene.
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I can't imagine how a virus database update could change the behavior of the scheduler... the scheduler is fully in the program, no parts in the engine.
I can, however, imagine a problem in the scanning engine that would make the scan loop on a particular file?
Unfortunately, I don't see any file called David* on the ftp (except for DavidR_MEMORY, but it's from January 31st).
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I had the same thing happen last night; Full system scan scheduled to run monthly and started at midnight and kept running over and over (according to logs). I was finally able to get it to stop long enough to access the settings and turn off the scheduled full system scan. Using version 6.0.1000 on XP SP3.
a little more information: the full system scan was scheduled Monthly with a Launch Time of 0:0 and a Launch day of "1". According to the scan logs, there was a full system scan on 3/1/2011 starting at 12:00:00AM and the next scan (when problems started) was 3/29/2011 starting at 12:00:00 AM. This scan was then repeated throughout the night until I was able to turn off the scheduled scan. It seems that it shouldn't have started another full system scan 4/1/2011.
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I can't imagine how a virus database update could change the behavior of the scheduler... the scheduler is fully in the program, no parts in the engine.
I can, however, imagine a problem in the scanning engine that would make the scan loop on a particular file?
Unfortunately, I don't see any file called David* on the ftp (except for DavidR_MEMORY, but it's from January 31st).
My scans did not seem to loop on a file. Each scan completed (~ 1hr 20 min each) and then another scan started immediately (I have 8 entries for full systems scans in the scan log for today)
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Hmm... maybe the scheduler got crazy from the DST time change last weekend?
So what are the common variables?
- all were "monthly" schedules for the 1st day of the month, or some were different?
- was it always the full system scan? (even though I don't think this is relevant)
- was your computer turned on during the DST change? was it turned off ever since that?
- all were avast! 6?
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I can't imagine how a virus database update could change the behavior of the scheduler... the scheduler is fully in the program, no parts in the engine.
I can, however, imagine a problem in the scanning engine that would make the scan loop on a particular file?
Unfortunately, I don't see any file called David* on the ftp (except for DavidR_MEMORY, but it's from January 31st).
Neither can imagine it could be that but nothing else has essentially changed. It was just that this appears to be across all 6.0.10xx builds not just the pre-release builds.
I will try and find the file again upload the file again and upload it, but right now I can't find it. So I don't know if I used the old memory dump 7z file as the container, but I may simply have sent the wrong file and I can't find the original.
OK found the original and will try to upload again, it is 80,440KB.
Common variables:
1. Yes
2. Yes - my Quick scan is weekly on a Sunday at 00:15
3. Yes - My XP system was certainly on and possibly the win7 netbook when DST occurred, Sunday 27th at 1am.
4. Yes, both were on 6.0.1044.
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But a shutdown (or reboot) of the machine didn't stop that? That's kinda strange (and scary)...
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@ Igor
OK, DavidRAvastSvc.7z (80,440KB) has been uploaded, can you confirm it has been received ?
FireFTP worked this time and is reporting success, received OK.
No a reboot didn't make it bat an eyelid, as soon as avast was up and running it was right back at it looping like a good-un. I couldn't get into the settings to cancel the schedule, hence my lash-up of hacking the avasy5.ini which worked after a fashion.
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Yes, the file is there.
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Thanks for the confirmation.
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Were seeing this both internally and across a HUGE section of our clients - at least a dozen have contacted us. This is entirely unacceptable! Can we please get someone from Avast to step in and help? Window XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 x86, x64, nothing that is consistent about the machines, both Free and Paid versions.
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I noticed that in the "Full System Scan"-----"Scan" one of the pre-set scans is something called "QuickStartupMem"
This is a preselected area to scan.
I don't believe that "QuickStartupMem" is available as a scan area in any of the other Default Scans or Custom Scans.
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True, but unrelated.
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Seems like I'm still missing some key information... if I just knew what it might be.
If (anybody who had the problem) you schedule a new (well, doesn't have to be a new, but simply some) a task again - does the same problem appear again?
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True, but unrelated.
Thanks :)
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Hmm... maybe the scheduler got crazy from the DST time change last weekend?
So what are the common variables?
- all were "monthly" schedules for the 1st day of the month, or some were different?
- was it always the full system scan? (even though I don't think this is relevant)
- was your computer turned on during the DST change? was it turned off ever since that?
- all were avast! 6?
Mine was monthly scan set for the first of the month
Was full system scan
Computer was turned on during DST change but that change was last week for me.
Avast 6.0.1000 on XP sp3
Maybe since the problem scan started on 3/29/2011 rather than 4/1/2011 (as scheduled), there is some bug related to the fact that Feb. has 28 days and for some reason the day after 1 month later than 2/28/11 is being seen as 3/29/11.
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Hmm, interesting idea...
Since when was the computer running (i.e. when was the last time Windows booted - before the problem appeared) - approximately?
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On a Full System scan what happens to the scheduled Full System Scan when you have the scheduled scan set for the 29th, 30th or 31st of the month and the month has fewer days in it than the scheduled scan date; e.g Feb?
Does Avast just skip that scan for Feb?
That is kind of what I was thinking that the problem might be related to Feb having only 28 calendar days.
Maybe the scan goes into a loop because of how the program handles the monthly day count.
It may not be exactly the same thing but along the same lines
Just a thought
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Well yes, it does just skip that - but it doesn't explain why it should start looping on the next month...
(And most of all, why even a reboot wouldn't help; nothing pre-computed is persisted on disk, it's recomputed on the next boot again... - like if you'd just create a new schedule) ???
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Hmm, interesting idea...
Since when was the computer running (i.e. when was the last time Windows booted - before the problem appeared) - approximately?
computer has been running pretty continuously; don't reboot very often. I tried to recreate the problem by scheduling various scans but i can't get it to start a scheduled scan with schedule set for daily and time set a few minutes in advance (i.e. its 7:35pm now so I scheduled a daily quickscan to start at 19:37 but nothing started.
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I will reschedule the full system scan, but I don't know how much use that will be considering I messed the default full system scan up by deleting the task in avast5.ini, Whilst I have recreated the scan (was just named ????) after I deleted it in avast5.ini and rebooted.
So I doubt it is now considered a default pre-defined Full System scan. I will reschedule my win7 one as I only changed the SchedulerEnabled=1 to SchedulerEnabled=0 so it should be the pre-defined scan as it was.
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Well that was a very short test, as soon as I rescheduled the scan, boom it was off and running on my XP Pro system avast 6.0.1044.
Off to modify my avast5.ini again and change the SchedulerEnabled=1 back to SchedulerEnabled=0 as I can't get back into the settings after I stop it, to quick to restart the scan within a couple of seconds.
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Add me to the list. I've been trying all day to get this scan to stop, but as with previous posters, I've been unsuccessful.
As far as I know, this just started last night. The only ray of light I might be able to shed is that I left the computer on over night, and when I went to use it this morning, the infinite scan was running. In my case though, there was a dialog box that said "FULL / Running" (I think my scan was titled "Full") and it had a stop and a pause button. But when I click stop, it restarts immediately.
Also unrelated - I found the Avast sidebar gadget annoying, so I went through the Control Panel process to uninstall it recently, but that was well before the infinite scan started.
Off to try the INI edit.
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I was finally able to simulate the behavior somehow (even though I am unsure about the necessary conditions) - and noticed a strange behavior on one line of code...
I'll pass it to other developers for now, I'm mostly sleeping already.
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Thanks, much like I was at 4:45am yesterday morning when I was fighting this and trying to gather as much info as possible ;D
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Boy, I am sort of glad that I found this posting. Glad at least that I am not the only one experiencing this issue. Mine starting the endless looping of full system scan at 9:30 AM when the system was waken (from hibernation) by the server for a daily incremental backup. I don't use this computer during the daytime so didn't really pick up on the issue until later this afternoon. I should have checked the forum but instead called for support which was a futile, exasperating waste of time. All that they could think of doing was to uninstall and then re-install. And they had the audacity to think that it was fixed when upon rebooting there was Avast in all its glory running a full scan that no one had called for.
I will do the manual edit to the ini file as was identified earlier in this posting (THANK-YOU!).
For those of you keeping score on this matter, this is a dual core Athlon running Vista SP2. Paid version of Avast Security Suite running without prior issues since 12/25/2010. Current version is 6.0.1000 with engine and definitions 110329-1.
1.all were "monthly" schedules for the 1st day of the month, or some were different? YES - first of the month at 12:00 PM
2.was it always the full system scan? (even though I don't think this is relevant)YES
3.was your computer turned on during the DST change? was it turned off ever since that?
Hibernated at the time of the DST change but has been rebooted since that time without negative affect on Avast until today.
4.- all were avast! 6? YES
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You could also try booting into safe mode, avast doesn't run in safe mode, so you should be able to start avast manually, to do a scan, that should allow you to access the Scan Computer interface and open the Full System scan, more details, Scheduling and uncheck the 'Schedule this scan.' OK those changes, but don't complete the scan.
Boot into normal mode and see if that has resolved the scheduled scanning and looping, this is safer than modifying the avast5.ini file.
Quick update - I just tried this route, unfortunately, it was not successful. Opened Avast UI while in Safe Mode, got to the settings, unchecked the "schedule this scan", ok'd the change and then rebooted normally. Avast full scan was happily cranking along.
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If you aren't quick enough to stop the scan and open the scan settings before the next scan starts to cancel the Schedule, you are going to have to try modifying the avast5.ini file.
As I mentioned in my Reply #30 above.
If you did an update from avast 5 to avast 6 - avast5.ini file locations, Windows 2000, Windows XP - C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Alwil Software\Avast5\avast5.ini
- Vista, Win7 - C:\ProgramData\Alwil Software\Avast5\avast5.ini
If you did a clean install to avast 6 - avast5.ini file locations C:\Documents And Settings\All Users\Application Data\Avast Software\Avast\avast5.ini(Windows 2000, Windows XP). Or C:\ProgramData\Avast Software\Avast\avast5.ini(windows Vista, windows 7).
Before you can edit the avast5.ini file you have to disable the avast self-defence module, avastUI, Settings, Troubleshooting. You should only use notepad to edit avast5.ini. You will need to reboot after editing the avast5.ini file for the changes to come into effect.
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Last update for the day... did the manual edit to the avast.ini file as DavidR prescribed. Actually had to do this in Protected Mode too since Avast wouldn't let me shut down the process that was holding onto the ini file. Finally, I can get some work done on here since Avast isn't hogging 60% of CPU anymore.
I'll just call this a temporary workaround until the developers get to the bottom of this.
Thanks again to DavidR and the other contributors.
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You're welcome.
You should be able to disable the self-defence module as I mentioned, if you can't then notepad is the one exception to the self-defence module. When you complete the edit, on saving it, the self-defence module should ask for confirmation about the edit.
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Hi total technophobe here - I have had the same problem since 29.03.11 - 9.42 am - so no apparent connection to BST.
I am running paid version 5.1.889 - all help appreciated.
Remember advice to be given in numpty terms. :'(
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I posted some update here: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=75006.0
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The only scheduling I have is for the quick scan - nothing for the full scan & there is no settings button to change any scheduling on the full scan.
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You don't see a settings button until you a) click the More details and b) hover over the word Settings.
I suspect the Quick scan scheduling would also be effected if it was scheduled monthly for the 1st of the month. I think that it is the monthly scheduled scan routine (as Igor mentions above) that is throwing up this anomaly.
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1 Year ago today I posted about this EXACT same issue. I think someone may be onto something regarding Feb and a bug with the shortened day.
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=57857.msg487683#msg487683
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Well a year ago avast 6 wasn't out and the avast Home (free) version didn't have this scheduling option within avast. So this wouldn't have been so noticeable as it currently is. So this additional spike in people experiencing the problem has pushed it into the spotlight. Unfortunately that didn't seem to happen in the topic you started.
Which in effect has found the likely problem and given the workaround in Igor's link above. Hopefully this can now be resolved so we don't have a recurrence next year.
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I agree. It seems that since the 24 hour period has passed the scans have returned to normal. I'm certain the appropriate teams within Avast have been made aware and will resolve before next year.
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1 Year ago today I posted about this EXACT same issue. I think someone may be onto something regarding Feb and a bug with the shortened day.
OK, seems you really did... sorry that it got lost/forgotten.
The problem is actually not caused by the short month, but by the DST change (OK, in connection with the shorter month, but the DST change within that month is the key).
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Same problem here. The FULL scan started yesterday morning and keeps starting up as soon as it finishes or is STOPPED. I was able to get into the settings, kind of tricky since you can't get to the scheduling when scan is running and it starts running within seconds of stopping it. Turned off FULL scan but it still started up again. Rebooted with the FULL scan set to OFF and it did not start up again so I thought the problem sort of was solved but this morning woke up hearing scan complete turned on my monitor and FULL scan was running again.
AVAST free version ver 6.0.100
WinXP SP3
FULL scan was set for 1st of month @ midnite
Scan log shows FULL system scanned on:
3/1/2011 @ 12am (by schedule)
3/29/2011 @12am (right time but 4 days early)
plus about 30 more attempts in past 24 hours
Right now I have the FULL scan on PAUSE
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Whilst you have it on Pause read this link that Igor posted http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=75006.0 (http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=75006.0) and take the workaround option.
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I posted some update here: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=75006.0
Followed your instructions in the post above to change the scheduled scan time to something other than 0:0 to 1:0 (12am to 1am) and it appears to have worked.