avast providers

[gordon 02]

my avast has been running slow lately and when i put my curser on the icon it says (avast on access scanner, 7 providers, 6 running) is this normal or is it because of my system?
my pc crashed and started to reboot so i sent an error report, the reply i got back said DEVICE DRIVER ERROR.
could this be affecting the avast?
thanks.

[DavidR]

You only need providers running that you actually use, the one not running is likely to be Outlook/Exchange. You don't need this unless you are using MS Outlook (not express). Others you may not need P2P and Instant Messaging, that leaves 4, Standard Shield, Network Shield, Internet Mail and Web Shield all of which I would consider essential.

The thing about the providers, if they aren't being used, even if enabled they don't have a large drain on resources, tiny in fact. So I doubt this is your problem.

Simply having "the reply i got back said DEVICE DRIVER ERROR" to work with isn't enough, there could be literally hundreds. If you have more information from the BSOD like the Stop error number and any other information that you should google and see what comes up. When/if you have this happen again document it, I've know people to take a picture of it so they can have a record.

So the short answer would be it could be if it were a driver avast uses, but there isn't enought information.

What is it doing slowly ?

[gordon 02]

Hi DavisR, thanks for that, everything is running slowly and sometimes i have to click on it a few times before it comes up, and when it does it comes up in bits like a jigsaw.
other times especially when trying to shut a program down it says this program is not responding, i did not make a note of the stop error number but if it happens again i will.
thanks again.

[DavidR]

I would suggest you monitor the Task Manager, Processes tab, see if there are any strange (unknown) processes (google the process name and see what it is) and also check the CPU Usage, if it is high what process is creating the activity ?

[gordon 02]

you've lost me now, i'm pretty new to this and don't know what task manager or processes tab is or CPU usage, i'm just an old dog learning new tricks.

[DavidR]

Press the Control, Alt and Delete keys (Ctrl+Alt+Delete) together and you get this view (XP) see image.

[gordon 02]

i did what you showed me, the highest one was system idle process varying from 78% to 98% 16K
at the bottom in process it was up to 44 and the CPU varied between 4% and 25%, is this normal.
thanks once again

[DavidR]

System Idle Process is as its name implies the percentage remaining, 'idle' when it is at 98% only 2% of your CPU power is being utilised.

The bottom CPU Usage is the true usage and is made up of the total in the CPU Usage column excluding system idle process. What you need to look at is what is using the CPU % task manager typically requires 2% so you need to look in the CPU Usage column to see what is using it, the Image (Process) Name column. ashServ.exe is the avast scanning engine and when scanning will be using a lot of CPU %, you need to look in detail for what is using CPU % and not at total figures.

[gordon 02]

cheers mate, your a star

[DavidR]

Your welcome, but more important has it revealed anything ?

[gordon 02]

only the things i mentioned in my previous post, only now i know how to keep a check on it.
thanks once again.

[gordon 02]

DavivR
sorry to be a pain but a message flashed up on my screen saying "virtual memory is low" i have an 80gb hard drive with 29gb free space, is it possible to free up some of my virtual memory or do i need to have a bigger memory fitted.
thanks

[DavidR]

I will take a wild assed guess and say you probably let Windows manage your virtual memory, if that it the case there isn't much you can do about it. To set Virtual Memory (or check it), right click on the My Computer icon, Advanced, Performance, Settings, Advanced, Virtual Memory, Change, see image.

Unless you know what you are doing leave it at system managed size.

Virtual Memory doesn't directly relate to your RAM, however, if managing the virtual memory size a rule of thumb is 1.5 times the size of your RAM. So in theory the more RAM the more Virtual Memory windows may gobble up.

[gordon 02]

DavidR hi again, i followed your instructions and it was set in custom size, initial size was 288, max size was 576.
i have now set it as you suggested to system managed size, i will let you know if its any better.
thanks again.

[DavidR]

Your welcome, that size might well have been restrictive, using the basic rule of thumb I mentioned if it weren't at least 1.5 times your physical RAM, it could well have been the problem.