Author Topic: ashServ.exe uses 50% CPU!  (Read 67435 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

AMG

  • Guest
Re: ashServ.exe uses 50% CPU!
« Reply #60 on: June 12, 2006, 08:11:44 PM »
I'm using the Avast Managed client (current version).  To the best of my knowledge, this has been occurring since we updated to the latest version (I believe that was many months ago that it upgraded).
I do not recall if this occurred with the prior version.  If there's anything I can do to troubleshoot this...I'm very willing to.  I'd really like to get at least the web shield turned back on.......

Alcyon

  • Guest
Re: ashServ.exe uses 50% CPU!
« Reply #61 on: June 12, 2006, 08:18:54 PM »
i use the latest version avaliable. I use curently the "customize" mode in standard shield with the option to "uncheck" library at winows startup and i put some directories in the "exclude" part of standard shield..

my boot tim have reduced a lot BUT after the boot ..he just scan 593 files ! from my "programs files" and "windows" directory ! it take 30 sec more before he gave my opportunitie to lauch a program...

(so put prefetch to exclude list don't work BTW ^^)

VorteX

  • Guest
Re: ashServ.exe uses 50% CPU!
« Reply #62 on: June 13, 2006, 03:49:42 AM »
I have a fairly good computer (2.4Ghz P4, 1GB memory, 80GB 7200rpm hd) that has recently slowed down a lot with Avast installed. Boot up time is very long. I keep my computer defragged with Diskeeper 10 so fragmentation isn't much of an issue.

I was about to reformat it when I came across Windows Vista Beta 2. I threw in a second 20GB hard drive and dual booted between Vista and XP. After I installed Avast in Vista, the boot up time wasn't dramatically increaced, but it was definately noticeable. Also, windows vista itself said that 2 processes were slowing down system startup, and guess what... they were both releated to Avast  :(. I dont rember what exact processes they were, but I can find out what they are if you want...

I've uninstalled Avast in XP and put in AVG untill I have time to reformat.

Offline bob3160

  • Avast Überevangelist
  • Probably Bot
  • *****
  • Posts: 48524
  • 64 Years of Happiness
    • bob3160 Protecting Yourself, Your Computer and, Your Identity
Re: ashServ.exe uses 50% CPU!
« Reply #63 on: June 13, 2006, 03:54:52 AM »
Quote
but I can find out what they are if you want...
It would be nice.  :) Thanks and welcome to the forum, VorteX
Free Security Seminar: https://bit.ly/bobg2023  -  Important: http://www.organdonor.gov/ -- My Web Site: http://bob3160.strikingly.com/ - Win 11 Pro v22H2 64bit, 16 Gig Ram, 1TB SSD, Avast Free 23.5.6066, How to Successfully Install Avast http://goo.gl/VLXdeRepair & Clean Install https://goo.gl/t7aJGq -- My Online Activity https://bit.ly/BobGInternet

VorteX

  • Guest
Re: ashServ.exe uses 50% CPU!
« Reply #64 on: June 13, 2006, 04:20:02 AM »
Thanks for the welcome, although I've been going through the forums for a month or two now. And you actually capitilized my name correctly  ;D

For some stupid reason Windows Vista didn't keep the event logs for the startup performance issue  >:(. I am 90% sure that the processes were "ashDisp.exe" and "ashServ.exe". If it comes up again I will edit this to confirm it. EDIT: Read my next post.

Vista is nice so far, but it definately has its bugs...
« Last Edit: June 16, 2006, 10:06:54 PM by VorteX »

Offline bob3160

  • Avast Überevangelist
  • Probably Bot
  • *****
  • Posts: 48524
  • 64 Years of Happiness
    • bob3160 Protecting Yourself, Your Computer and, Your Identity
Re: ashServ.exe uses 50% CPU!
« Reply #65 on: June 13, 2006, 04:36:00 AM »
Quote
And you actually capitilized my name correctly 
It's amazing how accurate copy and paste is.... ;D ;D
Free Security Seminar: https://bit.ly/bobg2023  -  Important: http://www.organdonor.gov/ -- My Web Site: http://bob3160.strikingly.com/ - Win 11 Pro v22H2 64bit, 16 Gig Ram, 1TB SSD, Avast Free 23.5.6066, How to Successfully Install Avast http://goo.gl/VLXdeRepair & Clean Install https://goo.gl/t7aJGq -- My Online Activity https://bit.ly/BobGInternet

VorteX

  • Guest
Re: ashServ.exe uses 50% CPU!
« Reply #66 on: June 16, 2006, 10:05:38 PM »
OK here's an update. There is only one process/service that windows vista complained about.
Quote
ASHSERV.EXE
avast! antivirus service

Here are some screenshots of the issues (from the event log as well).
Link

Had to put it on my web server because your forums don't allow zip files and they dont allow more than 200kb of attachments, which is annoying...

AMG

  • Guest
Re: ashServ.exe uses 50% CPU!
« Reply #67 on: June 17, 2006, 12:10:57 AM »
This is still occurring for us even after eliminating those shields.  I had it occur to someone while he was scrolling some code in in VS.NET 2005...and, it's just started happening to me as I type this forum post.  I feel like I'm typing this on a 286...massive HD activity and aswServ.exe using 99% CPU + 90MB+ RAM.  Also strange is that it's priority is set to high.  Seriously?  Why in the world would you ever set a process priority on something file system related to high?  Can I change this?

I've taken a screenshot of taskmgr...and I've tried attaching it to this thread...hope it takes.

Seriously, I need some help with this folks...

Offline DavidR

  • Avast Überevangelist
  • Certainly Bot
  • *****
  • Posts: 88899
  • No support PMs thanks
Re: ashServ.exe uses 50% CPU!
« Reply #68 on: June 17, 2006, 12:50:09 AM »
The only thing that I see from your screen shot is that your using aswServ.exe when as far as I know the avast 4 home/pro uses ashServ.exe (unless this is a language variation), I don't have an aswServ.exe in the avast4 folder.

What version of avast are you using (current version 4.7.844) ?
Even though you are using vista, I don't believe there is any difference in the avast version, could be wrong.

The idea of the high priority is so it can be done with the scan and hand back quickly (not happening in your case). The memory will peak when scanning but should drop back as shown in your screen shot. However, the memory usage in the image is much higher than the VM memory usage of mine (XP Pro) when no scanning in progress.
Windows 10 Home 64bit/ Acer Aspire F15/ Intel Core i5 7200U 2.5GHz, 8GB DDR4 memory, 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD/ avast! free 24.2.6105 (build 24.2.8918.824) UI 1.0.799/ Firefox, uBlock Origin, uMatrix/ MailWasher Pro/ Avast! Mobile Security

AMG

  • Guest
Re: ashServ.exe uses 50% CPU!
« Reply #69 on: June 17, 2006, 05:42:50 AM »
I'm using the Avast Managed client (current version).  To the best of my knowledge, this has been occurring since we updated to the latest version (I believe that was many months ago that it upgraded).
I do not recall if this occurred with the prior version.  If there's anything I can do to troubleshoot this...I'm very willing to.  I'd really like to get at least the web shield turned back on.......

Thanks for the reply...I've quoted the post where I provided this info...it was on the same page in this thread.  I couldn't find a support forum for the managed client...is this the wrong place?

I agree that the memory utilization is extremely high...as is the CPU utilization.  I don't want the process configured as "High" priority on any of the 15 or so systems I have it on.  That makes the process take priority over everything else on the systems...rendering them useless while avast does whatever it's doing.  Even if that's for three (3) seconds...that's too long.  Antivirus software is no longer protecting the computer if it's preventing the computer from being used at random times.

AMG

  • Guest
Re: ashServ.exe uses 50% CPU!
« Reply #70 on: June 17, 2006, 05:48:55 AM »
The only thing that I see from your screen shot is that your using aswServ.exe when as far as I know the avast 4 home/pro uses ashServ.exe (unless this is a language variation), I don't have an aswServ.exe in the avast4 folder.

What version of avast are you using (current version 4.7.844) ?
Even though you are using vista, I don't believe there is any difference in the avast version, could be wrong.

The idea of the high priority is so it can be done with the scan and hand back quickly (not happening in your case). The memory will peak when scanning but should drop back as shown in your screen shot. However, the memory usage in the image is much higher than the VM memory usage of mine (XP Pro) when no scanning in progress.

To clarify,

My post above this addresses your request for information on the version I'm using.

I'm not using Windows Vista.  The screen shot is from an XP Pro SP2 system (as outlined in another post of mine).

Do you know of a way to change the process priority?  Even if it's just for experimental sake, I'd like to drop it to at least normal.  I don't want the AV client taking over systems.

It seems like these forums may not be the right place to get help...though I do appreciate the reply.  I've tossed an e-mail to the Alwil folks...hopefully, they'll read what I've shared here and enlighten me.  Otherwise, I have a tough business decision to make.... :-\

Offline Lisandro

  • Avast team
  • Certainly Bot
  • *
  • Posts: 67194
Re: ashServ.exe uses 50% CPU!
« Reply #71 on: June 17, 2006, 03:03:55 PM »
Do you know of a way to change the process priority?  Even if it's just for experimental sake, I'd like to drop it to at least normal.  I don't want the AV client taking over systems.
I know... but I need to dig into my Windows desktop (now on SUSE Linux  8)).
It's a process monitor that could IN THEORY change the priority to Normal.
I've tested in the past and the impact on system resources was not what I've looking for.
For high CPU consumption, I'd rather discover WHY this is happening and try to help.

It seems like these forums may not be the right place to get help...
I wish me and the others do not take this personally...  :P
If you can't get help here, where we try to do our best, giving time and experience for free to the others, where will you find it?  :(
The best things in life are free.

Offline DavidR

  • Avast Überevangelist
  • Certainly Bot
  • *****
  • Posts: 88899
  • No support PMs thanks
Re: ashServ.exe uses 50% CPU!
« Reply #72 on: June 17, 2006, 03:12:48 PM »
Sorry I missed the fact you aren't using Vista but the same as me XP Pro, which makes it a little more strange why you have aswServ.exe running in the Task Manager image you posted and mine is ashServ.exe also with XP Pro. Perhaps because you are running the Avast Managed client is the reason for the aswServ.exe usage.

As far as I'm aware, you can't change the priority, trying to do so from the Task manager just results in 'The operation could not be completed.' Access is denied, but that was for avast 4 Home version.

Since you are using the Avast Managed client you could be right that is particular forum might not be best for the problem but Alwil members do regularly monitor and contribute in the forums. I don't know if the avast! Distributed Network Manager is the sane as your stating the use of Avast Managed client are the same (I'm just an avast Home user), perhaps the avast! Distributed Network Manager forum would be more appropriate ? http://forum.avast.com/index.php?board=10.0
Windows 10 Home 64bit/ Acer Aspire F15/ Intel Core i5 7200U 2.5GHz, 8GB DDR4 memory, 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD/ avast! free 24.2.6105 (build 24.2.8918.824) UI 1.0.799/ Firefox, uBlock Origin, uMatrix/ MailWasher Pro/ Avast! Mobile Security

Wilson

  • Guest
Re: ashServ.exe uses 50% CPU!
« Reply #73 on: June 18, 2006, 11:13:12 AM »
Hi all,

I've been using Avast Home for at least 18 months without problem, in the last 48 hours my laptop has been freezing for a few seconds at the time - monitoring task manager it appears to be Ashserver.exe causing the problem.

IIRC there was a program update a couple of days ago - this appears to be the cause, as nothing else has changed.  I've done full system scans for virus (using Avast), and spyware etc using spybot and adaware all of which were clean.  Restarting XP (Home) in safe mode and there is no problem.

Ideas please?

Irksome
I've also been experiencing this over the past week or so when running µtorrent. It seems to go away shortly after closing µtorrent and return again shortly after restarting it. It's about a once-per-minute spike of CPU and memory for several seconds, stalling everything else because the process seems to run in High Priority mode.
Notice the CPU History and Private Bytes History spikes (75% CPU and three times the memory usage):


I managed to pinpoint the problem to this setting in µtorrent's Advanced Preferences:
diskio.flush_files makes µTorrent close file handles every minute. This helps reduce the effect of Windows managing the system cache badly.
Setting that setting to false fixes it for me (but judging by how they put it, this may impact Windows' performance; I'll have to see).
Since the file being torrented being scanned by the P2P Shield provider when this flush occurs seems to be the cause (the larger the file, 2GB, 4GB, etc, the longer the CPU and memory spike as Avast thrashes away to scan the entire thing over again), I'd suppose unchecking uTorrent from the P2P Shield's programs list would also stop this, but I wouldn't recommend that.

Offline Lisandro

  • Avast team
  • Certainly Bot
  • *
  • Posts: 67194
Re: ashServ.exe uses 50% CPU!
« Reply #74 on: June 18, 2006, 04:20:44 PM »
Since the file being torrented being scanned by the P2P Shield provider when this flush occurs seems to be the cause (the larger the file, 2GB, 4GB, etc, the longer the CPU and memory spike as Avast thrashes away to scan the entire thing over again), I'd suppose unchecking uTorrent from the P2P Shield's programs list would also stop this, but I wouldn't recommend that.
You can add particular files to be excluded (but you could not 'want' to do that):

For the Standard Shield provider (on-access scanning):
Left click the 'a' blue icon, click on the provider icon at left and then Customize.
Go to Advanced tab and click on Add button...

For the other providers (on-demmand scanning):
Right click the 'a' blue icon, click Program Settings.
Go to Exclusions tab and click on Add button...

You can use wildcards like * and ?. But be carefull, you should 'exclude' that many files that let your system in danger.

But, are you sure it's the P2P provider which is checking that file, I mean, couldn't it be the Internet Mail Provider?
If you exclude utorrent.exe process of Mail provider scanning, will it help? (see details clicking 'Settings' in my signature and browsing for section [MailScanner] in the avast4.ini file).
The best things in life are free.