AvastSVC.exe commandeers lions share of CPU

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Plot thickens! I have found that i can predict with 100% accuracy when FF will take a long time to come up. It's really very simple.......if the Task Manager shows that AvastSVC.exe is using the lions share (usually 99%) of the CPU, FF will take any where's from 4-6 mins to come up.

What we need to discover, is why AVAST is using the lions share of the CPU when it appears that nothing is going on in my PC? This morning, after booting up my PC and connecting to the internet, Task Manager showed AvastSVC.exe using 99% of the CPU even though no applications were running. I waited and waited, but AVAST did not abate. I finally had to restart my PC to clear up the problem.

The problem here is NOT TB, FF or it's add-ons, it's AVAST! I've checked all the AVAST settings and can't find anything that would  explain this problem. I know it's not the virus update that slows it down as i'd already received a message that my virus definitions had been updated. I also know it's not a program update that's slowing it down as i have that option set to "ask" when update is ready to install. It's as if AVAST gets stuck and won't relinquish the CPU.

I have also noticed that it takes from 5 - 10 mins to print one sheet of paper on my HP printer. Interestingly, when this is happening, AvastSVC.exe is taking the lions share of the CPU. I believe this is all part of the problem.

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I had the same CPU situation several months ago. My two PCs with Avast! on board became unusably slow on the same day. I tried re-installing but that made no difference, although turning off the WebShield helped. I need my computers to work reliably, so I uninstalled Avast! and have been using AVG ever since. I prefer the look of Avast! but I've lost confidence in it. But I dolook at this forum in the hope that the problem will be identified and cured and I can go back to Avast!

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I have little hope that AVAST will ever solve this problem! AND, this is not a new problem, it's been around a long time. Just do an AVAST forum search using the keywords AvastSVC.exe and CPU and you'll get 184 hits.

I don't know if the AVAST support folks watch incidents in this forum or not, but they should be. Are they aware of this long standing problem? What if anything are they doing about it?

I'm starting to think the best way to solve this problem is to dump AVAST in favor or some other AV software same as jrm2 did. Unfortunately, i just recently purchased the Internet Security version of AVAST, mainly for the Firewall (the free edition worked just fine, but no firewall).

[bob3160]

I have little hope that AVAST will ever solve this problem! AND, this is not a new problem, it's been around a long time. Just do an AVAST forum search using the keywords AvastSVC.exe and CPU and you'll get 184 hits.

I don't know if the AVAST support folks watch incidents in this forum or not, but they should be. Are they aware of this long standing problem? What if anything are they doing about it?

I'm starting to think the best way to solve this problem is to dump AVAST in favor or some other AV software same as jrm2 did. Unfortunately, i just recently purchased the Internet Security version of AVAST, mainly for the Firewall (the free edition worked just fine, but no firewall).

This apparently isn't a problem experience by a majority of users or there would be much more of an uproar about the
problem you're experiencing.
Avast does monitor the forum and, I've reported this thread to the Moderators to draw their attention to your problem.
Hope that helps.

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Thanks Bob, i hope it helps as well. Excuse my frustration!

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In hope of finding a solution to this problem, i've done a little experimenting.

Under AVAST.......Settings........Active Protection, i tried turning off some of the shields (one at a time) to see if it made a difference in the amount of CPU AvastSVC.exe was using. I hit pay dirt when i turned off the AVAST firewall.........i'd turned on the Windows firewall prior to doing this as i wanted at least one firewall running. After turning off the AVAST firewall. the AvastSVC.exe CPU usage dropped way down (insignificant).........the System Idle Process was now getting the lions share of the CPU.  When i turned it back on and then turned off the Windows firewall, the AvastSVC.exe CPU usage shot way back up again. I repeated this test a couple of times with the same result.

I have also noted that the AvastSVC.exe CPU usage doesn't shoot back up after turning the AVAST firewall back on as long as i leave the Windows firewall running as well. As soon as i stop the Windows firewall, the AvastSVC.exe CPU usage shoots back up. However, i've been told that you don't want to run more than one firewall at the same time (can cause problems).

The main reason i switched to the AVAST Internet Security addition was for the firewall.

Have i identified this problem here? What do we do about it?

[bob3160]

@ Bobbybear,
I'll test your findings tomorrow when I'm on a system that's running avast! IS and uses the included firewall.
The system I'm currently using has avast! Free and the Windows firewall in Windows 8.1 with the upgrades.
I can't really say that I find any slowdowns. YouTube runs without any hesitations and the downloads are quick.

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Like i said Bob, i never had this problem with the free edition of AVAST. I believe the problem occurs with the AVAST firewall. Question is, will AVAST do anything about it?

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I was using Avast Free with Comodo firewall when I had this problem.

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I have requested a full refund for the AVAST IS edition i'd installed. I'd upgraded to the IS edition for the firewall. If i can't use it, there's no point in paying for it.

[bob3160]

@ Bobbybear,
I'll test your findings tomorrow when I'm on a system that's running avast! IS and uses the included firewall.
The system I'm currently using has avast! Free and the Windows firewall in Windows 8.1 with the upgrades.
I can't really say that I find any slowdowns. YouTube runs without any hesitations and the downloads are quick.

I'm unfortunately a little under the weather today so I never made it to the Senior Center and never used the system
that's protected by avast! IS.
Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day. 

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Sorry to hear Bob......get well quickly.

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I have been running my system for the last 2 days with the AVAST firewall turned off and have experienced no slow-downs or problems.

Now that i've identified the problem, what's going to be done about it?

[bob3160]

Here are my "scientific" findings:




I am currently leaving the avast! Firewall OFF and relying on the windows firewall in Windows 8.1.
I've also just finished watching a fairly long video: http://youtu.be/qsi28fMmErE
I had no interruptions or slowdowns while watching the video.
(Dell Vostro 1700 32 bit - avast! IS 2014.9.0.2021

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Bob, that's what i'd expect. Out of curiosity, what CPU usage is AvastSVC.exe showing with the Avast firewall on?